Choosing the right colors, especially when combined with logos and taglines, is the surefire path to brand recognition.

Colors are impressive enough to attract attention, evoke emotion, promote participation, increase memory, and ultimately affect purchasing decision - making them perhaps the most powerful type of non-verbal communication. Colors really do affect the perception of a brand - for good or for bad - so choose your color schemes wisely, folks.

According to Social Media Today, studies on color and marketing revealed that color:

• Increases brand recognition by up to 80%
• Improves readership as much as 40%
• Increases comprehension by 73%
• Can be up to 85% of the reason people decide to buy

Just think, thousands and thousands of years ago it was our ancestral hunters and gatherers that relied on color to determine which foods were okay to eat and which plants and animals to stay away from. Color is literally tied into our genetic makeup, creating subconscious reactions and thereby emotions when exposed to them. They stimulate us in ways we can't fully comprehend.

Furthermore, color can add emphasis in all the right places. Take your typical web page for example, its core is usually the body of text explaining something to visitors. But what takes your eyes from one place to another on the page is the color; it directs your attention and demands you spend more time looking here rather than looking there. It also inspires engagement by keeping people hanging around for longer amounts of time. This is a power that shouldn't be taken lightly.

With regard to marketing, consistency is key. So in order to increase brand recognition and drive sales, a business must-have is consistent color schemes across all print materials, social media outlets, and other online and offline marketing efforts.

Color Psychology

Think about your favorite flower. Is it the iris, with its cooling, serene, deep blue hues? Or is it the daffodil, with its joyful and lighthearted yellows? Your answer may speak volumes about your buying preferences.

There are dozens of studies out there, each one focusing on a different element of color design and its relation to branding and marketing. Case in point, KISSmetrics states that women love blue, purple, and green, but hate orange, brown, and gray; men love blue, green, and black, but hate brown, orange, and purple. But what about UPS's highly recognizable and effective color scheme? And where does red stand in all this? While many of these studies do offer valuable insight, it's best not to get too wrapped up in them or their findings. Instead, employ a trusted designer to guide you in the right direction; the good ones hold valuable insight on what works and what doesn't.

* There is a really cool Color Emotion Guide infographic online, compliments of the Logo Company. By organizing different well-known companies based on color, the guide shows how certain colors are linked to ideas such as optimism, trust, excitement, imagination, dependability, and more. It can be viewed here: http://thelogocompany.net/blog/infographics/psychology-color-logo-design/

"Have a Pawsitively Tail Waggin' Good Day!"

P.S. This information was provided by Ruff Haus Design - Your Loyal Marketing Companion. Established in 1997, we are a special breed of full service graphic design company that works with a premier pack of clients. We bring a fresh outlook and tail-wagging enthusiasm to your marketing program.