How Colour Affects Brand Success
Colour is one of the most powerful tools in branding. Brand colour is not simply a matter of choosing a “pretty colour”. It is a visual language that is engraved in the minds of consumers and immediately reminds them of the brand, as well as an unspoken message that conveys emotions.
In fact, studies has shown that people form a first impression of a brand within just 90 seconds on seeing it. On top of that, implementing a proper colour strategy can increase brand awareness by up to 80%. Colour is a key factor that determines the success or failure of a brand. Hence, if you want your brand to stand out and stick in people’s minds, understanding how colour works is essential. Let’s take a look at how different colours affect how a brand is seen.
How to Pick a Colour for your Brand
Step 1: Define Your Brand Personality
Before you choose a colour for your brand, take the time to clearly define your brand’s personality. If your brand were a person, what kind of person would it be?
Ask about your brand:
- Is it young and energetic, or calm and reassuring?
- Does it come across as professional and dependable?
- Is it bold and creative?
- Does it aim to feel warm and approachable?
Once you’re clear on how you want your brand to be perceived, choosing colours that reflect that personality will become much easier.
Step 2: Analyse Your Competitor’s Colours
It is also important to analyse what colours your major competitors in your industry are using. Through this, you can understand the colour trends in the industry, discover opportunities for differentiation and understand the psychological reasons why certain colours are used frequently.
For example, McDonald’s uses red and yellow to create a strong visual impact that’s instantly recognisable all over the world. These colours also trigger feelings of hunger and speed, which fit perfectly with fast food branding.
By doing this kind of competitor research, you can identify which colours to lean into or avoid, based on how you want to position your brand.
Step 3: Consider the Cultural Associations
Colours can mean very different things depending on where your audience is. This is especially important for brands operating in international markets or targeting audiences of different cultures.
For example, the colour White symbolises purity in the West, but in some Eastern cultures it is associated with funerals. Red is seen as a lucky colour in China, but in the West it’s more commonly linked to passion or warning signs. Blue generally suggests trust and calmness, though in English it’s also tied to feeling sad.
Understanding these cultural meanings helps you avoid misunderstandings and ensures your brand resonates with the people you’re trying to reach.
By thinking carefully about brand personality, competitor context, and cultural relevance, you’ll be in a strong position to choose colours that truly represent who you are and connect with your audience
Step 4: Investigate Brand Colour Psychology
Let’s look at the feelings each colour has and examples of representative brand colours.
Red: Passion and Energy
Red stimulates the appetite, creates a sense of urgency, and elicits strong emotional responses. For example, for Netflix, the vibrant red conveys the passion and excitement of entertainment and stands out against the black background to capture viewer’s attention. The colour also has the effect of creating an urgency that says, “Watch it now”.
Blue: Trust and Expertise
Blue provides a sense of stability and trust, and is often used, especially in the financial, IT, and medical fields. IBM, nicknamed “Big Blue”, uses the deep blue colour to convey reliability and stability as a technology pioneer. The colour has a psychological effect that reduces consumer anxiety about complex technology products.
Green: Health and Sustainability
Green symbolises nature, growth, stability, and eco-friendliness. For example, Whole Foods Market, an organic food chain, uses various shades of green to effectively convey freshness, health, and eco-friendly values. This gives consumers psychological comfort that they are making a healthy choice.
Purple: Creativity and Luxury
Purple is associated with creativity, wisdom, and luxury. For example, Cadbury uses a rich purple to convey indulgence and premium feel to its chocolate. The colour gives a sense of heritage and quality, while also standing out on shelves as a mark of distinction. It taps into the idea of a treat or reward, aligning perfectly with their positioning.
Black: Luxury and Sophistication
Black represents authority, luxury and sophistication. For example, Chanel uses black to communicate timeless elegance and high-end fashion. The minimal black-and-white palette speaks to refinement and exclusivity, giving customers the feeling they are investing in a statement of class and style.
Practical Tips for Creating Colour Palette
Once you understand the psychology and meaning behind colours, the next step is to put together a palette that works across all your brand touchpoints. Here are some practical tips to guide you.
- Define your target emotion and create a mood board
Think about how you want people tofeelwhen they see your brand. Should it feel calm and trustworthy? Bold and energetic? Playful and creative? Once you’ve defined the emotional tone, gather visual inspiration: photos, colour swatches, typography, and design examples to create a mood board that captures the look and feel you’re aiming for. - Balance of main colour, sub colour, and point colour
An effective brand colour palette typically consists of the following series. Not all brands do this, but having a framework makes it easier to stay consistent and create a recognisable style across content.
- Main Colour (60%) : Responsible for brand’s core identity.
- Sub Colour (30%) : Complements the main colour and provides variety.
- Point Colour (10%) : Accent for emphasis and focus
Tone-on-tone colour vs. Tone-in-tone colour scheme
There are two useful approaches to building a cohesive colour palette:
- Tone-on-tone colour scheme: Uses different shades of the same colour. For example, if blue is your main colour, you might use navy, sky blue and teal together. This keeps the palette focused while offering depth and flexibility.
- Tone- in-tone colour scheme: Uses colours with a similar tone or intensity. Think soft pastels across different hues, or a group of bold, saturated colours that sit well together. This method works well for product ranges or brands with multiple sub-lines, as it allows variety without losing consistency.
- Set up a Proper Colour System
To keep your colours consistent across all platforms (print, web, and packaging) you’ll need to manage your colour codes carefully. Even slight variations can affect the perception of your brand.
Here’s what you should document and keep on hand:
- CMYK – For printed materials
- RGB and HEX – For digital use such as websites, apps and social media
- Pantone – A universal colour system that helps ensure consistency in manufacturing and packaging
Having a clear colour system in place helps you keep your brand looking sharp, no matter where or how it’s seen.
Brand colour isn’t just about looking good. It’s a strategic choice that can influence how people feel, what they remember, and whether they choose you over someone else. When backed by research, guided by psychology, and used consistently, colour becomes one of your most valuable brand assets.
A well-thought-out colour strategy helps people recognise your brand at a glance, builds emotional connection, and reinforces positive experiences. So, don’t underestimate its power. Use colour with purpose, and let it help your brand stand out and shine in the marketplace.
