By Leatrice Eiseman

Is there anyone in the business world today who doubts the impact of color? If you are involved in marketing, display, design, advertising, point of purchase or retailing, there is always a need to be as informed as possible about the usage of color as a means of instant communication.

For Brand Image and Identity
While it is a given that a successful brand logo is a happy marriage of shapes, symbols and colors, it is truly the colors that evoke the emotional message.

Many leading brands are so linked to specific hues that they are primarily recognized by their color or colors. Think Coke red, American Express blue, Kodak yellow and red, British Petroleum (BP) yellow and green, DeWalt black and yellow.

When a color and design “signature” is established, it becomes the brand identifier that reinforces the image in the marketplace across many levels of communication.

This should include print and collateral materials, Web sites, packaging, point-of-purchase displays, signage, as well as the product itself, creating what is termed a “total brand experience.”

Consumers need to have that brand experience whenever they shop or seek information about the brand, as it also helps to establish that they will receive the same quality and service across many platforms. So it’s not just about image.

There are five essential steps in making a color choice for brand image/identity. They are:

“Shop” the competition. You don’t want to spend precious time and effort creating the perfect image only to find that somebody got there before you did.

If your color ID is too similar, your product can be confused with a competitor’s offering and this would defeat the brand image intention. In a crowded marketplace, differentiating your brand is vital to the success of the product/message.

Do your homework. Study the brand’s background. What are the product or service goals? What are the company’s intrinsic values?

This helps to create a pathway to the colors that will best identify and communicate their goals. For example, because of the inevitable connection to blue as being steadfast, constant and dependable, the blue family is a popular choice for the financial world.

The real challenge is to utilize a blue that has not been overused. Another solution would be to arrange the hues in unique new combinations that will help to reinforce the dominant blue presence.

Know the target audience. Explore market research regarding consumers’ perception of the product and color preferences.

Many companies are now using mail intercepts and/or lifestyle research where consumers are literally accompanied in the course of a normal day so that their lifestyle and buying habits can be observed.

On the other hand, some companies do not believe in market research and will rely solely on the designers’ or colorists’ choices.

No matter what research exists (or does not), in the end, it is your intuitive and educated input that should always be included and presented.

Always keep the psychology of color a major priority when choosing appropriate brand image hues. A key element in color choice is its emotional meaning.

Be certain that the information is current, credible and reliable, as this will form the basis of your rationale for your selections.

When refreshing any component of a brand image, color trends are important, but it is best to combine the “new” or skewed colors with more familiar brand image colors.

It’s important to note that as much as 95 percent of consumers’ decision-making is dictated by the subconscious. As far as color is concerned, most decision-making is intuitive and emotional, so the appropriateness and first impression of color is critical.

Approximately five percent of decision-making is rational. As a result, most consumers do not make purchasing decisions based solely on logic, but on perception. Colors play a major role in creating those perceptions.

Copyright 2006 Hand Books Press. Reprinted with Permission. This excerpt is from “Color: Messages and Meanings: A Pantone Color Resource” by Leatrice Eiseman.

For more great book suggestions please visit our new addition to the Website, TheBookCorner.

8/29/07