This is an article “The Color of Consumer Behavior” by Marc Warren
Since the dawn of modern advertising, marketers have used the power of colors to persuade consumers to buy products. Aside from giving advertising collaterals their appealing visual elements, color can also dictate consumer behavior. Today, when the internet is stockpiled with a variety of ads on blogs and social media, picking the right shades for your branding and design is as vital as ever if you want to get ahead of the competition.
Picking a set of colors for your retail space designs works both ways. Those who review the psychology behind the phenomenon gain favorable results that can generate increases in sales and loyalty. In order to know how it all really works, let’s review a couple of useful numbers:
93% of consumers say that visuals in ads are the most influential element in their purchasing decisions.
85% says colors play an important factor in brand recall.
35% prefer blue as their favorite colors, making it the most preferred followed by green (16%) and purple (10%), while 23% picks the monochrome white.
Now that we know the figures, let’s weigh in a bit deeper on the relationship of colors to consumer perception according to surveys.
Color and word associations
BLUE for Trust, Reliability, and Security
As most consumers like it so much, blue is the top color that consumers associate with trustworthiness, with white and green as close alternatives. Many also see reliability and security in blue because of how it gives them a feeling of calm and serenity.
RED for Speed, Aggressiveness, and Fear
If you review most sports logos, red predominates the design elements of most teams because it suggests fierceness and competitiveness. In horror movie posters, red also stands out because of how it is the color of blood and how it connotes terror.
BLACK for High Quality, High Technology, and Class
We’ve all heard of the phrase ‘black is beautiful’ but it’s more than that as consumers also relate the monochrome to craftsmanship, innovation, and class. Black is also a close second when it comes to suggesting fear and terror.
PURPLE for Courage
As evident in how the military awards purple hearts as a token of valor, this color is the top choice when you want to send messages about courage. Split up as red and blue, you can see how competitiveness is tamed by calm to represent a balance of emotions. It’s also used to signify royalty and as the official liturgical color.
ORANGE for Fun, and Affordability
Aside from its vibrant hue, orange is a polarizing color that consumers love when they are looking to have some casual fun. People also see affordability and fairness in orange as you can see in most brands that use them.
Brand recognition
Consumer behavior is directly related to conversions because they are big factors in determining if potential customers will click on your links, subscribe to your emails, and heed your calls to action. All it can take is a mere 90 seconds for an online consumer to decide whether to check out your content or move on to another brand, and colors can help retain their attention. In fact brands who go for colored ads for their magazine designs have better chances of being reviewed by consumers than plain black and white ads. Colors is said to have a 80% factor in helping with brand recall. So pick a color, design your content, and send a message. If you want to find out more about Marc Primo Warren our services or just say hi, please reach out here.