Choosing the Right Brand Colors: Here’s How

Are you struggling to decide on the right colors for your brand? Don’t worry, you’re not alone. Creating a brand is a big task with a lot of small but essential pieces. Though a seemingly simple task, choosing the right color scheme can be overwhelming; especially when research shows up to 85% of consumers believe color is the biggest factor when choosing a particular product. Luckily, there is some methodology to the color selection process, and with the right guidance, you can select colors that align with your brand and connect with your target audience.

Step 1: Understand Color Psychology

If there’s any advice I can give entreprenurers both those new and undergoing rebrands, it would be to look into color theory and psychology before deciding on your brand colors. Color is powerful and affects human behavior and emotions. It;s also the first thing consumers see when introduced to your brand; which is why it’s important to choose colors that align with your brand’s values and personality.

When choosing the right colors for your brand, it’s essential to consider your target audience. Who are you trying to reach, and what do they care about? For example, blue is often associated with trust, while red can be seen as energetic and attention-grabbing. Think about what emotions and values you want your brand to convey, and choose colors accordingly.

Step 2: Be Strategic in Your Color Selection

Now that we know a little more about color psychology, let’s talk about choosing a color pallet for your specific brand. One pattern I’ve noticed in successful brand color palettes is the fewer colors the better. The most successful brands have one or two main colors and only deviate from that when the cause permits. Some popular brands that make good examples are McDonald’s, Apple, Coca Cola. You’ll hear these brands discussed often when it comes to color in branding and that’s because they’ve done it so well. All that said, there are a few things to think though before landing and your pallette.

Consider Your Busiess Strategy

Think about your business and how you wnat it to be represnted. What service or products do you offer? What are your company’s mission and core values? Some good questions to ask yourself are:

• What adjectives describe this company?
• Who is our target audience?
• What is the message we wish to convey?
• What colors will we be competing against?

By using these questions along with the color chart above, determine the colors that make the most sense for your brand’s message. The color selection won’t necessarily be forever; however, once you create a website and collateral, changing all of those things just for the sake of changing colors can be time-consuming and costly. That being said, this is something you want to think through.

Consider Your Industry

Another factor to consider when choosing the right colors for your brand is your industry. Certain colors are more common in specific industries, so it’s essential to research what your competitors are doing and choose colors that help you stand out. For example, blue is a popular color in the finance and tech industries, while red is often used in the food industry.

Consider Accessibility

It’s also important to consider color contrast and legibility. Your brand’s colors should be easy to read and stand out from the background. You don’t want to choose colors that make it difficult for your audience to read your website or marketing materials.

Step 3: Create Your Color Pallete

By considering color psychology, your business stratgey, target audience, industry, and accesibilty, you can choose colors that align with your brand’s values and personality. But i get it, there millions of color combinations out there and how the heck are you supposed to find the right HEX colors? Here’s a tip that I reccomend to my DIY’ers: once you know the colors you want to use, type them into Pinterest and see what pops up. Find a picture that inspires you and evokes the emotions that your looking for, then save the picture. Take that same picture and upload it into Canva’s Palette Color Generator.

Conclusion

Choosing the right colors for your brand might seem like a small detail, but it can have a significant impact on how your audience perceives your business by creating brand recognition and a cohesive identity. Never underestimate the power of color in building a strong brand.