Color Matters
When it comes to consumer products, simply saying color matters is about as profound as declaring that the sky is blue.
Color plays a “super power” role in consumer purchasing decisions and its importance is reinforced daily. For branding, visual merchandising, and most importantly, for captivating and connecting the consumer to product getting the color of your product right is like transforming Clark Kent into Superman. Studies show that color accounts for 80% of all consumer purchasing decision—and they happen in the blink of an eye.
This article is about how color influences consumer purchases as well as how you can make tiny changes to your product line so you can connect with your consumers through color.
The Significance of Color in a Consumer’s Purchase
Color is an integral part of our human life—it influences our moods, perceptions and our actions. In fact, certain colors cause an adrenal reaction which causes a physical response to what we see. So, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that color also is directly tied to our consumer behavior. Our decision to buy a product is so heavily influenced by color that 60%-80% of the purchasing decision is tied to color alone. And when it comes to remembering products, color is first in our visual memory hierarchy.
Numerous studies show that our preferences for color, separated by gender, age and culture, are directly tied to our consumer behavior. While, there is no fool proof formula to predict how a consumer will respond to a color, there are facts that can help lead us in the right direction. Here are a few highlights from significant studies:
Cool Colors are Received More Positively
A consumer favorite, the color blue, has many positive associations and our perceptions of blue are largely tied to a feeling of trust. Studies have found that consumers show preference for many packaged product in cool tones. Lee Eiseman, Director of the Eiseman Center for Color Information and Executive Director of the Pantone Institute states, “No matter where you live in the world, the beautiful blue sky is always a welcome sign as it’s never fallen on us. The earth can rumble, the water can overflow, but somehow the sky is there, even if it’s hidden behind gray clouds on a dismal day. Our hope is that those clouds are going to dissipate. We know they are eventually, and we're going to have that same serene, gorgeous blue sky and you're going to do something fun and wonderful under that blue sky.” In one study researchers benchmarked cool against warm colors — and cool came out ahead. By gender, 76% of women prefer cool colors yet only 56% of men.
Warm Colors Excite
Warm colors like red and orange tend to be associated with speed and excitement and have a direct correlation to impulse buying. While men prefer orange to yellow, the reverse is true for women who first prefer yellow. Have you ever noticed your heart begins to race when you find a good sale? One reason is the use of color in point-of-sale store signage. The use of the color red on SALE and CLEARANCE signs can be a powerful color-psychology manipulation.
Age Changes Color Preferences
Children, by far, show greatest appreciation for all colors in the spectrum. But as we age, our preferences change. It’s been shown that young children and teens are more willing to take risks with new trending colors, but as we age, and become more set in our ways, our color preferences narrow. One study cites that with advancing age, preferences for blue may actually lessen.
Choosing the right color for your store, packaging or product can motivate the customer to buy. Having a deep understanding of your customer, their preferences and motivations is critical for brand recognition and loyalty. It will lead you down the correctly colored path.
Color Perception Can Predict Emotional Reactions
Most consumers identify or relate to certain colors with a specific feeling or emotion, but it’s our perceptions that are reliably predicable. There are certain nuances in those perceptions, differing by gender, culture, and taste will naturally pull us in one direction versus another.
Certain colors evoke predictable consumer reactions, and many of these color associations are formed in our early childhood. Below are a few of the most reliable perceptions to consider as you are coloring your product line or brand. (Note: these are for American consumers; nuances exist by culture.)
Black sophistication, strength and power
White purity, calm and peace
Red energy, fast, forceful and caution and danger
Orange high energy, speed, hot and appetite stimulant
Yellow warm, sunny and cheerful
Blue reliable, dependable, trusted, commitment
Green harmonizing, eco, environment and nature
Steps to Evaluate your Product’s Color
Below are a few ways to evaluate your color palette and choose your product’s best colors.
Context
The way consumers feel emotionally connected to a color largely depends on context. That can be hugely beneficial if you choose the right color or a detriment if you choose incorrectly. Think about context this way—would you reach for a blue apple? If you woke up and the sky was red, would feel a little anxious? Our minds expect specific colors for a given context.
Function and End-Use
Determining what your consumer values and where they would use your product is the cornerstone of choosing the best colors for your line. Your brand is the expert in your consumer’s end use and consumer purchasing habits. Function and end-use can be a little tricky because under the vast umbrella of specific industries, lie major nuances that impact your color palette.
Trend
Trends are critical —this is where your consumer is inevitably headed (whether you like it or not). But equally important are the source of your trends. With the world of influencers, the sources of trend or color inspiration are as endless as Instagrammers.
Choosing who or where you acquire your trends wisely can mean the difference between a captivating line or one that’s disjointed from your consumer. Applying color trends can be a tricky balance based on your brand and consumers values, the end-use, product lifecycle and context.
Following these tips will help provide you with the insight needed to create product that is more connected to your consumer. When all else fails, use a color consultant to make these critical recommendations. The value of a consultant’s advice is priceless when you consider the alternative— commercializing a product that doesn’t grab the consumer’s eye and influence them to buy.