Colour is one of the most powerful elements a marketer has available to them. It can change brand perceptions, nudge customers to take specific actions and give a brand power and a great position. Using it correctly in marketing campaigns and other areas requires understanding the complex psychology behind it. Because of how tricky it can be to master, marketers often make several colour psychological mistakes that can have catastrophic effects on brands and campaigns. Let’s look at what they are and how you can avoid them.
Overlooking Cultural Differences
Many colours have universal meanings. For example, red typically represents danger while violet is often used for royalty. However, colours can have different meanings and associations in different cultures, which is one of the foundational tenets of understanding colour psychology. Every marketer should be careful and mindful of these differences when designing campaigns for large audiences.
The main problem is that one segment of the audience can interpret the use of the colour differently from another, leading to poor performance or irreparable damage. Marketers should conduct thorough research to understand the different cultural associations and meanings in all the regions and diverse demographics that their campaigns will reach before launching them.
Colour Gender Stereotyping
Many marketers use colours based on gender stereotypes. It is typical to see pink used in products or campaigns targeting girls and blue used in those targeting boys. Doing this can alienate a significant portion of the target audience and perpetuate gender stereotypes. The campaign can then fall flat, especially if the gender stereotyping is too blatant.
Avoiding this issue entails challenging gender-based colour assumptions. Marketers should also test different colour palettes with the target demographic or audience to see how they resonate with the focus groups.
Marketers who do not want to do this or do not have the budget for it can stick to neutral colours that do not evoke gender stereotyping accusations. However, it is vital to understand there are situations where a brand cannot avoid using specific colours and ends up looking like they are doing something harmful. If that colour has been a part of their identity for some time, that should not be a problem.
Mismatching Brand Personalities and Colours
Every colour a marketer uses in marketing and branding materials should align with the brand’s desired personality and values. They should do enough research to find out what the latter two are and choose the right colours according to their findings.
For example, bright, bold colours are not a great fit for a luxury brand because they may conflict with its intended image of sophistication and elegance.
Marketers should define a brand’s personality, values and traits before selecting the colours to represent it. These colours should also reinforce these attributes, and be discarded if they do not.
Marketers Sometimes Ignore Accessibility
Colours can get very complicated for people with different visual impairments and different forms of colour blindness. This can make it difficult or impossible to perceive the intended messages and designs. This happens much more often than people imagine on business and brand websites.
Brands should work with designers and developers to test as many colour combinations as possible with individuals who may be impacted by colour choice and usage. Doing this will ensure all messages and designs can easily be perceived by and are accessible to all members of the target audience, including those with visual impairments or colour blindness.
Overuse of Very Bright Colours
Understandably, businesses want to attract as much attention as possible and will often do that using bright, vibrant colours in their marketing materials. The problem with doing this is someone using too many of them in a single design. This makes the designs overwhelming and creates visual noise that detracts from the main message or design.
Avoiding this is as simple as minimising the number of colours designers and marketers use. They can also use them sparingly and ensure they balance them with neutral tones or white space. Doing so creates a visual hierarchy that helps draw attention to the most important design elements.
Not Understanding Context or Ignoring It
Context is crucial in marketing, and the context in which colours are used can change their meaning and perception. One colour that could work well for a specific product or service may not be appropriate for another. For example, a bright colour might be appropriate for a sign that sits out all day, but it might not be on a product or website.
Before choosing a colour, consider the context in which it will be used. Then, ensure all chosen colours are appropriate and fit that particular setting and use cases.
These are just some of the many mistakes marketers and designers make regarding colour psychology and its use. By correcting them and learning more about colour psychology, marketers can create better marketing material that resonates with their audiences and helps them achieve their marketing goals without impacting their businesses or brands negatively.
