There’s something in your marketing that is louder than your copy, your graphics and your advertising budget – and it may have totally escaped your attention.
It’s color.
Everyone has a favorite color, and for a myriad of reasons. Maybe they love red because it reminds them of their favorite cherry candy, or they love yellow because it represents their sunny personality. But when it comes to color in marketing, colors can mean something different all together.
Today is National Color Day, so let’s take a look at the Ray Rico Freelance team’s favorite colors and what they mean when it comes to marketing.
Senior Graphic Designer Joan Allison prefers rich reds.
Red is bold and strong, and it grabs your attention. It’s associated with everything from love (red roses, Valentine’s Day) to dangerous situations (horror movies, warnings on labels). It’s no surprise that red is used to tell us to stop or be careful; red tells our brains to pay attention. Red a great color to use for calls to action: Buy now! Shop our sale! Use it sparingly, though – too much red can be overwhelming!
On the opposite side of the color spectrum is green – a favorite of Account Executive Elizabeth McDonnell, Art Director Daphne Butler and Finance Manager Leila Hinkle.
Red tells us to stop, but green says go – and grow. Green represents the great outdoors and all things natural. It’s a much more peaceful color than red, but it’s strong, too. Green shades can make you feel anything from balanced to healthy to peaceful to hungry.
Of course, green also means money – actual paper money, the economy or finances. Green is very versatile and has so many positive feelings associated with it. Have fun playing with the different shades of green, too – light green definitely speaks to growth and balance, while darker greens represent wealth and honor.
Another of Joan’s favorite colors is purple. A good, rich purple shade represents royalty, power and dignity – plus a bit of mystery, too.
Purple draws on the power of red and the stability of blue to create a unique feeling of spirituality. Purple represents wisdom, too.
It’s a beautifully magical color that especially speaks to women. You’re likely to find a lot of purple in luxury or self-care brands or products. Beware of using a lot of purple, however. Too much of this color can be distracting.
Daphne and Digital Media Specialist Sheena Barnett are partial to golden yellow shades and orange.
Orange and golden shades aren’t quite as aggressive as red, but they still pack a punch.
Those colors represent energy, creativity, friendliness and warmth. Orange promotes enthusiasm and can help lure people into your store or business. Orange and golden colors give the impression of freshness, too.
Leila and Elizabeth also like gray.
Gray can represent the balance between the power and authority of black and the purity and cleanliness of white.
This color is a very practical color and – like a black and white photo – can invoke feelings of nostalgia or timelessness. Gray represents maturity, security and respect. And of course, it’s always a great idea to compare and contrast brighter colors with gray hues.
Don’t use too much gray, though – it can give your audience the feeling of depression.
Leila and Traffic Manager Randall Sloan like pink – or, as Randall pointed out, a good “salmon” pink.
Pink represents so many feelings – romantic, playful, youthful, energetic – all depending on the shade of pink. Hot pink? Think youth and teenagers. A salmon shade of pink? Nurturing and loving. Rosy pink? Romance.
Of course, pink often represents women and femininity – which is why you’ll see it so often in the month of October for Breast Cancer Awareness Month, for example.
Randall is also a big fan of midnight blue, and our fearless leader, Ray Rico, prefers teal. Both fall under the umbrella of blue, which is one of the most popular colors used in marketing. Most men will gravitate toward blue hues.
Blue says dependability and trustworthiness. It’s a calm, soothing color that represents maturity and authority.
Beware choosing shades of blue that are… well, blue. There’s a reason the blues are called the blues!
Most folks say their favorite color is either blue or green, so teal is the happy medium between the two.
Teal represents clarity, creativity, uniqueness, compassion and healing. It’s an especially good color for creative brands, jewelers, life coaches and designers.
If you follow Ray Rico Freelance, you’ll see this color used in almost everything we do.
What are your favorite colors? What messages do they convey to you? Notice the colors around you – whether they are used in marketing or not – and think about what messages they are sending to you.
Sources: digitalsynopsis.com, coschedule.com, theradiancemindset.com and canva.com.