What I Learned from These 3 Amazing Companies about Color and Branding
Coca-Cola, UPS, and AT&T all have one thing in common: a brand that works. Put in the color behind the brand, and it’ll speak to the consumer louder than their product and services.
So, why does color matter?
Everything.
It’s a calling card on television commercials, advertisements, and yes, their logos and packaging. Companies rely on your senses for the ultimate sale. What feels good for you mean enormous gains for businesses.
So, let’s talk about the psychological aspect of color. Ignyte Brands, an award-winning agency that specializes in brand psychology, states:
Now, take a moment to think about your favorite brand. What attracts you to this company? Is it their selling point on efficiency? Or the promise of excellent customer service? Or a product stating positive results? Or their ads look catchy?
It’s all right if you’ve chosen the latter. It only proves the company succeeded in evoking emotions to attract you to their ads. It’s called: great marketing.
To elaborate, here are a few examples defining the psychology of colors, courtesy from the graphic design website, Canva:
Yellow — optimist, playful, and happy.
Purple — royalty, majesty, luxury, and opulence.
Scarlet/Red — courage, passion, heat, and joy.
White — goodness, spirituality, purity, and sacredness.
Black — sadness, mourning, creativity, and sophistication.
Hot Pink — femininity, sweetness, and romance.
VICTORIA’S SECRET
Known for its breathtaking models, this company displays its product, clothing lines, and fragrances to a demographic about style and comfort. But, as a small business owner and author, who relies on my brand as a calling card, it goes beyond superficial; I go by results.
In 2020, after losing some of their brick-and-mortar stores due to the pandemic, VS, a parent to L Brands, did better than expected in the third quarter last year, generating $2.32 billion in revenue, according to CNBC.
So, when my brand grows up, I want it to persevere like Victoria’s Secret. I want it to stay strong despite the changing of times. Opportunities will continue to knock as long a company knows how to evolve consumer’s tastes.
VS has also taught me that femininity, playfulness, and sophistication belong to every woman from every spectrum. It’s about understanding your audience. And as an author and creative who writes Women’s Fiction, I should continue to follow suit and advance with the future.
TIFFANY’S
One name, three syllables, and a brand color named after its corporation: Tiffany Blue.
Their famous fan comes from Audrey Hepburn’s character in the 1960s hit, “Breakfast at Tiffany’s,” Holly Golightly — the social darling that falls in love with a writer. She’s in a sleek black dress in the opening scene, munching on a pastry, window shopping like any woman.
This total sophistication conveys by the icon still makes me want to fly to New York, stroll on Fifth Avenue, wearing my best evening gown.
However, when I watched this movie in my twenties, I dared to dream like the character. I knew my budget did not fit in the scope of the clientele. Yet, the brand evoked an essential emotion: “If the character is doing it, I want to do it, too.”
It’s one of the oldest selling points in marketing.
Like the color: Tiffany Blue, synonymous with deep refinement for class and finesse, has inspired me to use monochromatic as the scheme in my brand — soft, refined, sensual, and maturity, gearing to a demographic with the zeal for books and self-care.
My soft pink may not amount to Tiffany’s unique blend of greenish-blue, but I hope mine would stand out and represents my business’ mission to serve readers and clients.
APPLE
Okay — I need to admit this before I go further. I’ve never owned an iPhone nor a Mac, or an iPad. I’m a proud Android user. But when I see something special in a brand, I take notice.
Case and point: the logo.
Really.
Have you taken a look at the simplicity of the design? How no color makes a statement.
When I first laid eyes on the detail, I kept staring; I couldn’t help it. And I’ve seen many logos full of vivid colors to catch the eye, but Apple? Modern-day innovators innovate the most recognizable brand in the world.
However, there are theories of the logo’s true meaning. From a man who laid the foundation of the modern-day computer during World War II, revealing later he died from taking a bite into an apple laced with cyanide. Moreover, facing jailed time for indecency and failed estrogen injections to cure his ‘homosexuality,’ spurring the creators to give Alan Turning due respect with its logo.
I know, sad.
But there are other theories, namely linking the bitten apple to knowledge. Some believers think it’s Issac Newton’s reference to the falling apple, and others point to the Biblical story of Adam and Eve.
Whichever you believe is true, you have to agree the logo itself has become an urban legend. And not to mention a reported revenue-generating at $91.8 billion at the closing of the 2020 fiscal year.
Talk about walking the walk.
It’s why I admire and respect Apple’s game. Like the earlier American titans, such as Andrew Carnegie, they’re to steel and John D. Rockefeller to oil. Products the public relies on daily. Apple may not be considered a necessity, but phones, tablets, music, and now TV, revolutionized the industry.
Innovation is their brand.
So, creatives, what brand color you’ve taken notice of, and why? Had it inspired you with your business? Tell me about it. Your answer might inspire the next up-and-coming entrepreneur.
