Understanding the science behind color could increase the effectiveness of your company’s branding methods.

When it comes to identifying your brand, your logo is probably the first thing your customers will think of.

While honing the narrative and message behind your logo
should of course be your primary concern, research suggests that your
logo’s design–and specifically its colors–have more bearing on your
customers’ opinions than you might think.

Neuroscientist Bevil Conway,
who has focused his recent research almost entirely on the neural
machinery behind color, believes the science behind color processing to
be very powerful and completely underexploited.

“Knowing that humans might … be hardwired for certain hues could be
a gateway into understanding the neural properties of emotion,” he told Co.Design earlier this month.

The implications of color’s effect on people’s emotions are far
reaching, and understanding your customers’ connections to certain
colors could increase the effectiveness of your company’s branding
methods.

According to research complied by web design and marketing company WebPageFX,
people make a subconscious judgment about a product in less than 90
seconds of viewing, and a majority of these people base that assessment
on color alone. In fact, almost 85% of consumers cite color as the
primary reason they buy a particular product, and 80% of people believe
color increases brand recognition.

Take a look at WebPageFX’s infographic about the psychology of color to see what each color says to your customers:

Red

Red is often associated with the heat of sun and fire and is
considered a high-arousal color, often stimulating people to take risks,
according to color think tank, Pantone. It has also been shown to
stimulate the senses and raise blood pressure, and it may arouse
feelings of power, energy, passion, love, aggression, or danger.

Yellow

Yellow is often associated with the heat of sun and fire and is
considered a high-arousal color. It may stimulate feelings of optimism
and hope or cowardice and betrayal.

Blue

Blue is often associated with the coolness of the sea and sky. It has
been shown to calm the senses and lower blood pressure. It may
stimulate feelings of trust, security, order, and cleanliness.

Orange

Orange is often associated with the heat of sun and fire and is
considered a high-arousal color. It may stimulate feelings of energy,
balance, and warmth.

Green

Green is often associated with the coolness of leaves. People often associate it with nature, health, good luck, and jealousy.

Purple

Purple is generally considered a low-arousal color. It may stimulate feelings of spirituality, mystery, royalty, or arrogance.