The psychology of colour and its application by marketers is important. Understanding the psychological and biological aspects of colour are important in domestic and international marketing. www.b2bwhiteboard.com

1. The Power of Colour in
Marketing
Overview

2. Colour Psychology
• Colour is a meaningful constant for sighted
people and is a powerful psychological tool.
By using colour psychology, a marketer can
send a positive or negative advertising
messages, increase sales through
innovative packaging design and create and
change the ambience and mood of
consumers.

3. How does colour psychology work
• Colour is light, which
travels to us in waves from
the sun, on the same
electro-magnetic spectrum
as radio and television
waves, microwaves, x-rays
etc. Light is the only part of
the spectrum that we can
see, which perhaps
explains why we take it
less seriously than the
invisible power of the other
rays

4. Research
• Research reveals people make a
subconscious judgment about a person,
environment, or product within 90 seconds
of initial viewing and that between 62% and
90% of that assessment is based on colour
alone.
Source: CCICOLOR - Institute for Colour Research

5. Research
• Ads in colour are read up to 42% more often
than the same ads in black and white (as
shown in study on phone directory ads).
Source: White, Jan V., Colour for Impact, Strathmore Press, April, 1997

6. Other Research
92% Believe colour presents an image of impressive
quality.
90% Feel colour can assist in attracting new customers.
90% Believe customers remember presentations and
documents better when colour is used.
83% Believe colour makes them appear more successful.
81% Think colour gives them a competitive edge.
76% Believe that the use of colour makes their business
appear larger to clients.
Source: Conducted by Xerox Corporation and International Communications Research
from February 19, 2003 to March 7, 2003, margin of error of +/- 3.1%.

8. Heinz Brand
• Campbell's soup have
used the colours black,
blue, yellow, gold, red and
white.
• The red projects
excitement and warm and
is eye catching at point of
sale.
• The white assists in
projecting visual clarity.

9. Apple Brand
• Apple’s multi coloured
apple with a bite taken out
off its right side, better
known as the “rainbow
apple”. It commemorates
the discoveries of gravity
(the apple) and the
separation of light
conducted by Sir Isaac
Newton and possibly a
tribute (brand myth) to the
‘fruit of the Tree of
Knowledge’ in Adam and
Eve’s story.

10. DuPont
• DuPont™ manufacture
commercial surfaces using
timeless colours that can
complement other nature-
inspired design elements
in today's therapeutic
environments—and also
deliver superior surface
characteristics that are
ideal for healthcare Colour, textures and the materials that
reflect nature can all contribute to reducing
environments. stress and providing positive distractions.

11. Shoes of Prey
• The journey to find the
perfect women’s fashion
shoe has been perfected
by www.shoesofprey.com
• Women can customise and
order shoes online to suit
their fashion taste in
colour.
• They understand
psychology of colour and
its application in fashion.

12. Colour in nature
• Colour is Nature's own
powerful signalling system
- the universal, non-verbal
language.
• Nature does not make
mistakes with colour it
always works in harmony.

13. Colours of Nature
• The Carrot originated some
5000 years ago in Middle Asia
around Afghanistan, and slowly
spread into the Mediterranean
area. The first carrots were
mainly purple, with some white
or black - not orange.
• During the 17th century, Dutch
growers cultivated orange
carrots as a tribute to William of
Orange – who lead the struggle
for Dutch and thousands of
years of yellow, white and
purple carrots were wiped out.

14. Red - Physical
Positive: extrovert, courage, strength,
warmth, energy, basic survival, stimulation,
masculinity, excitement.
Negative: Defiance, aggression, visual
impact, strain.

15. Blue - Intellectual
Positive: communication, trust, efficiency,
serenity, duty, logic, cool, reflection, calm.
Negative: Cold, aloof, lack of emotion,
unfriendly.

16. Yellow - Emotional
Positive: Optimism, confidence, self-esteem,
extraversion, emotional strength,
friendliness, creativity.
Negative: Irrational, fear, emotional fragility,
depression, anxiety, suicide.

17. Green - Balance
Positive: Harmony, refreshing, universal
love, restful, environmental, equilibrium,
peace.
Negative: Boredom, stagnate, blandness.

18. Violet - Spiritual
Positive: Spiritual aware, vision, luxury,
authenticity, truth, quality.
Negative: Introverted, decadence,
suppression, inferiority.

19. Orange - Positive
Positive: Physical comfort, food, warmth,
security, sensual, passion, abundance, fun.
Negative: Deprivation, frustration, frivolity,
immature.

20. Pink - Tranquillity
Positive: tranquil, nurturing, warmth,
feminine, love, sexuality, survival of the
species.
Negative: Inhibited, emotional
claustrophobia, emasculation, physical
weakness.

21. Grey - Neutral
Positive: Psychological neutral.
Negative: Lack of confidence, dampness,
depression, hibernation, lack of energy.

22. Black
Positive: Sophisticated, glamour, security,
emotional safety, efficiency, robust.
Negative: Oppression, coldness, menace,
heaviness, evil, death

23. White
Positive: Clean, pure, clarity, simplicity,
sophistication, efficiency.
Negative: Sterility, coldness, barriers,
unfriendliness, elitism.

24. Brown
Positive: Seriousness, warmth, Nature,
earthiness, reliable, support.
Negative: Lack of humour, heaviness, lack
of sophistication.

25. Summary
• Marketers should appreciate the impact of
colour in communicating their product and
service offerings.
• Colour can act as a point of differentiation
for physical and/ or augmented product.
• Understanding the psychology of colour and
how colour is created in the natural
environment and interacts can assist in
choosing colours that resonate with specific
cultures and target markets.

26. You are welcome to contact Nigel Bairstow at B2B
Whiteboard your source of B2B Asia / Pacific
marketing advice
http://www.linkedin.com/pub/nigel-bairstow/6/41b/726
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