The psychology of color and visual appearance with regards to persuasion and influence is one of the most fascinating and sometimes even controversial, aspects of marketing and consumer behavior. Research suggests that this aspect is a critical factor in marketing and branding. The buying pattern of consumers is based on their personal preference, upbringing, and even culture. Certain colors have a certain kind of impact on the consumer psyche. It has been found that up to 90% of consumer judgments made about products can be attributed to color alone, and businesses utilize this effectively to market their brands. Reach us at: jghosh@suyati.com

1. THEIMPORTANCEOF
AND HOW IT INFLUENCES
CONSUMER BEHAVIOR
colors in marketing,
The importance of color
& visual appearance
Consumers give great consideration to color and visual appearance, and it
influences their decision-making when it comes to purchases.
When making snap judgments in shopping, customers place
visual appearance and color over everything else.
Visual Appearance Texture Sound or Smell
93% 6% 1%
The following are the
best colors for different contexts
(for North American markets)
color
What it
Denotes
How it
Impactsthe
Customer
Why do
Marketers
Apply it
how
Marketers
Apply it
Brands
with logo
sporting
the color
Optimistic,
Youthful,
Energetic
Associated with the
sun. First color seen
by the retina
Grabs attention of
window shoppers,
and attracts focus
It is a good accent
color when used in
moderation
Nikon, McDonalds,
Shell, SubwayYELLOW
red
orange
black
blue
Green
pink
purple
white
Energy, Urgency,
Anger, Passion,
Youth
Aggressive,
Enthusiastic,
Sexuality,
Creativity
Powerful
and Sleek
Trust, Security,
Authority, Power
Wealth, Stability,
Calmness, Growth,
Well-being
Feminine,
Romantic
Creative,
Imaginative, Wise
Simplicity,
Cleanliness,
Innocence and
Purity
Warmth, Safety,
Reliability,
Dependability
A neutral color, it
denotes maturity
(as gray hair of old
people does),
Balance, Calmness
Gray color
anesthetizes the
mind and infuses
calmness, serenity
Marketers apply
gray to achieve
a simple and
clean look
Swarovski,
Mercedes,
Telegraph,
Honda, Puma
Used
extensively
White usually
has a positive
connotation
Brown is a relaxing
and casual color, the
color of wood, the
earth and nature.
Conveys tradition and
neutrality
Marketers use brown
to convey a feeling of
warmth, honesty and
wholesomeness
Used usually to
generate a rugged
appeal
M&M
UPS
White is the “de-
fault” color and
used extensively as
backgrounds
Most logos have
white. Google, Twit-
ter, Huawei, Micro-
soft, Redframe, and
many others have
white backgrounds
Used extensively in
health-related prod-
ucts, to denote cleanli-
ness, and in high-tech
products, to denote
simplicity
Easiest color for
human eyes to pro-
cess. Associated with
nature, money, luck
Associated with
love, respect,
warmth
Soothing and
calm effect, an
inviting feeling
Mostly used to
market beauty and
anti-aging products
Used both as
background and font
Barbie, Yahoo,
Cadbury, Lynx,
Taco Bell
Used to market
products to female
gender, especially
young girls
Used both as
background and
fonts, extensively
Baskin Robbins,
Barbie, Donut King
To create a soothing
or relaxing ambience,
used by entertainment
and leisure-related
websites
Used passively, in a
non-stimulating way,
mostly in backgrounds
or large fonts
Animal Planet,
BP, Land Rover,
Starbucks, Tropicana
Red is an emotional
color that enhances
metabolism and
increases respiration
Orange increases
oxygen supply to the
brain, producing an
invigorating effect
Denotes
“absence of color”
in the human mind
People associate blue
with sky and therefore
universally liked
Used extensively to
communicate
things, and to convey
dependency
Oral B,
Facebook, IBM,
Dell, HP, Vimeo
Used by banks, mon-
ey-related websites and
other large businesses
who are concerned with
long-term customer
relationships
Mostly used to market
luxury products,
denotes highest in
class. Also used to
communicate glamour
and sophistication
Used extensively.
Black backgrounds
are common
Yves Saint Laurent,
Chanel,
iPhone box
Known internationally
as a “buying” color.
Used extensively in
clearance sale and to
draw attention
To create a call for
action - buy, sell,
subscribe
Best used in small
amounts. Large
amounts can turn away
subtle customers
Best used sparingly.
Overuse may be
irritating for customers
Hardee’s, KFC,
Coca-Cola,
Kellogg’s, Lays
Hermès, Hooters,
Payless, Fanta,
Gulf Oil,
Harley Davidson
brown
gray
Reference:
suyati.com
https://blog.kissmetrics.com/color-psychology/?wide=1
https://kelseysconsumerbehavior.wordpress.com/2011/10/27/how-does-color-affect-consumer-behavior/
http://www.gaumina.ie/color-affect-buyer-behaviour/
http://www.surveycrest.com/blog/6-revealing-facts-about-color-psychology/
http://udel.edu/~rworley/e412/Psyc_of_color_final_paper.pdf
http://www.fastwebmedia.com/blog/how-does-color-affect-consumer-behaviour/2015-01-13/
http://www.vt.edu/spotlight/innovation/2013-04-22-consumers/color.html
http://www.helpscout.net/blog/psychology-of-color/
http://www.joehallock.com/edu/COM498/preferences.html
https://www.nuvonium.com/blog/view/the-importance-of-color-in-marketing
http://www.socialmediatoday.com/content/role-color-marketing-infographic
http://www.blurgroup.com/blogs/group/the-impact-of-color-in-advertising-marketing-and-design/
http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/233843
http://www.businessinsider.com/branding-and-the-psychology-of-color-2012-12?op=1
https://posthistorical.wordpress.com/tag/victoriana/
http://www.creativebloq.com/branding/amazing-uses-color-6133196
http://www.color-wheel-pro.com/color-meaning.html