Brands and their color story

The journey of a product or company to become brand is driven by factors formed by its elements or traits. Color is an important brand element which projects a brand connection in the minds of customers. According to a research conducted by Institute for Color Research, people make judgment about a person, environment, or product within 90 seconds of initial view, out of which 62 to 90% of the assessment is dependent on color. Let us explore this important connection between colors and brands.

Red is the symbol of vigor, aggression, action, adventure, energy, excitement, passion, love, strength for brands. Brands such as Coca Cola (Big Red), Vodafone, Canon, Xerox, Oracle, and Exxon Mobil are some of leading brands with red color in their logo. These brands exude vibrancy and energy which has helped them to remain market leaders in their respective industries.

Blue connotes authority, confidence, trustworthiness, loyalty, dependability, power, responsibility, success and security. IBM (Big Blue), Walmart, TATA, Intel, and China Mobile are some of the world class brand which customers perceive true to their color attributes.

Green is the color of nature and showcases freshness, harmony, health, healing, novice, and peace. Siemens, ASDA, British Petroleum, Publix, and John Deere use green color logos to establish their brand connection.

Black denotes boldness, sleekness, classic, powerful, dramatic, traditional, distinct and sophisticated. Leading brands with black as a color attribute in their logo are Louis Vuitton, ZARA, Sony, Microsoft and Nordstrom. These brands are sophisticated, distinct, and powerful as compared to their competitors.

Purple denote ceremony, fantasy, mystery, regal, spiritual, sophisticated, and royal. Brands such as Yahoo, Cadbury’s, Alcatel Lucent, Thai Airways and Hallmark are sophisticated brands in purple.

Orange is the color of fun, happiness, vitality, joy, enthusiasm, high-spirited, and youthful brands. Orange Telecom, Blogger, Firefox, Fanta and Nickelodeon are brands in orange identity.

Yellow stands for sweet, warmth, happiness, curiosity, positive, and sunshine. Yellow with a golden tinge also denote economic benefits. McDonalds, Lufthansa, Hertz, Sprint and Lipton have yellow color as part of their logo.

Pink denotes femininity, excitement, floral, gentle, romance, girly, soft and innocent. Brands such as Barbie, Victoria’s Secret, LG Electronics, Aeon Retail, and Telia use pink logos to own a distinct identity from their competitors.

Brown color attributes to elegance, stable, natural, simple, subtle, and calm. UPS (Big Brown), Mad over Donuts, Costa Coffee, Godiva and Cleveland Brown have logos with brown color which provide elegance and stability to these brands.

Grey is the color of corporate mentality, respect, stability, authority, and humility. Dove, Clark shoes, Swarovski, Calvin Klein, and Greyhound are some of the brands with grey logos.

It is worth to note that all color attributes may not signify a particular brand trait, but colors help brands own a distinct identity in the minds of consumers. Brands should carefully choose the color of their logos to portray the message effectively in the minds of customers. Colors add value to the identity of brands and help them stand out in the competitive market. So brands, what is the color of your logo ?

Brown is comforting, elegant, stable, and nurturing. It is the color of the earth, and will make you feel warm and safe. Calmness, Depth, Earth, Natural, Roughness, Richness, Simplicity, Serious, Subtle, Utility and Woodsy

White is pure and clean. It means innocence, peace, protection and even new beginnings. Cleanliness, Innocence, Peace, Purity, Refined, Sterile, Simplicity, Surrender and Truthfulness

Grey : Authority, Corporate Mentality, Dullness, Humility, Moody, Practicality, Respect, Somberness and Stableness

Pink means innocence, youth, femininity, excitement, romance and it is most frequently found in young girls products and on Valentine’s Day. Appreciation, Delicate, Femininity, Floral, Gentle, Girly, Gratitude, Innocence, Romantic, Soft and Tranquil

Yellow means optimism, light, sweetness and warmth. A gold tone can also imply economic benefits. Caution, Cheerful, Cowardice, Curiosity, Happiness, Joy, Playful, Positivity, Sunshine and Warmth

Red means aggressiveness, energy, provocativeness and hunger. You can find it anywhere clients are being told to “satisfy themselves” such as their hunger in restaurants or satisfying their sexual urges in clothing stores. Action, Adventure, Aggressive, Blood, Danger, Drive, Energy, Excitement, Love, Passion, Strength and Vigor

Green means health, nature, and calm. You can find it in both “green” or sustainable products (“healthy and natural”) and as a calming color for offices. Crisp, Environmental, Fresh, Harmony, Health, Healing, Inexperience, Money, Nature, Renewal and Tranquility

Orange means exuberance, fun, happiness, vitality, friendliness and joy. An example of orange is Clinique’s “Happy.” Affordable, Creativity, Enthusiasm, Fun, Jovial, Lighthearted, High-Spirited and Youthful