Color Psychology for Commercial and Non-Commercial Logos

Do you want to have a successful brand and attract more potential consumers? Learn how color impacts the logo and what colors you should choose to reach your aim.

Why Does Color in Business Logo Matter?

The right choice of color for your business logo is significant. How does color impact a logo? In fact, the right color can create an incredible connection between the product and the customers. The colors are able to speak with people on a subconscious level and provoke different emotions.

The entrepreneurs often spend a lot of time figuring out what colors will be winning for their marketing strategy. They look through plenty of free online resources to find the best option, as creating a successful brand logo is not about adding dark green or light blue only. Things are getting more complicated when they try to answer the question” What is the best color for a business logo?”.

A List of Popular Colors for Brand Logo

It is quite challenging to imagine modern words without colors. Color is how the brain and eyes perceive light which is reflected in one’s environment. Since the brain perceives color before motion, words, and form when it comes to a brand logo, it is significant to discover what is the psychology of color in logo design. First of all, pay attention to common meanings that are associated with main colors.

Blue

veepn png logo

Blue is a favorite choice of most brands. For example, you can use the veepn.com logo as an example of the use of blue and green in company logos. They like using it due to its powerful association with trust, calmness, and stability. In many religions, blue is a symbol of protection, spirituality, and divinity. At the same time, this color may be used in the context of sadness and unhappiness.

Green

It is another color that comes from plants, land, and insects. It is associated with spring, new life, and the inexperience of young people. You can find green in many logos in the context of environmental consciousness, peace, abundance, etc. Being a color of money, it is also often associated with greed and wealth.

Yellow

Shell logo

Yellow is also popular among colors logo. It is not surprising as this color reminds people about positive feelings and things. Yellow is always associated with sun, warmth, and good fortune. It feels like there is music anywhere you go or look. You can also notice it on many road signs, and it is simple to spot from a far distance. But it is not always so. In some cultures, yellow is a sign of illness and envy.

Purple

Cadbury Logo 2003

Due to difficulties obtaining purple pigments in ancient times, this color became a common symbol of wealth, royalty, and power. Nowadays, it is a sign of creativity, brain, and mind in Western cultures. At the same time, some countries like Brazil take purple for mourning and death.

Orange

Orange is commonly linked to warmth, harvest, energy, and fun. In Eastern cultures, it is associated with sacrifice and humility. Orange is also a symbol of royalty in the Netherlands and Halloween in the USA.

Red

Target Logo-2004

Red is often associated with love, fire, violence, hunger, passion, and danger. It has a powerful meaning. For instance, in China, red is a symbol of joy and luck, while in India, it is used by brides to demonstrate beauty and prosperity in marriage. Moreover, red is usually mentioned in the context of blood, wealth, renewal.

Black

Black is probably the most controversial colour. While being linked to elegance, poser, and sophistication, it is also associated with dirt, smoke, and soot. In ancient times, people considered black as something unknown. Hence it stood for bad luck, death, evil, and emptiness.

White

2000–now

In most cultures, white is linked to cleanliness, light, and purity. This color often stands for innocence, virginity, health, and brides. Many western countries make a connection with angels as well. However, most Asian countries believe that white is for mourning and death.

Mind Context in Your Logo

After studying numerous sources, you can see that colors can have different meanings depending on the context. That’s why companies should be very careful and attentive while creating brand logos. Otherwise, people can understand the main idea incorrectly. According to a recent study, people measure the appropriateness of the chosen color based on item function. For instance:

  • Red, yellow, pink, and purple is associated with pleasure. Hence, the following colors better suit products that deal with entertainment, identity, and status.
  • Grey, black, blue, and green are functional colors. People are sure that they are the best choice for products which offer value and solve problems.

If you want your brand logo to be successful with the target audience and meet their expectations, you should mind these key findings and perform a deep analysis of the market.

How to Create Balanced Logo Colours Schemes?
As branding is about standing out in the crowd of competitors and attracting potential consumers, it is important to meet people’s expectations. Another popular study checked how people feel about the brand logos. Their responses sometimes were unexpected but very interesting:

  1. Yellow and orange are considered exciting but not sophisticated
  2. The most competent color is blue
  3. Black, pink, and purple were leading in sophistication
  4. The sincerest colors are pink, white, and yellow
  5. Brown is linked to the ruggedness

Still, there is no need to focus only on the main colors. You can feel free to play with different color schemes as contrast and saturation are also important. Look at the first draft and think whether it would be great to add black, white, or neutrals. Spaces that you leave between contrasting shades always make brand logos more attractive and catchy. Another point that you should mind is the provided experience. Chosen colors must match it. Keep an eye on details to come up with the best-selling brand logo.

Summing-up

The psychology of color is a rather deep and complicated subject. This knowledge will help you better predict the target audience’s reaction, expectations, and preferences regarding your particular product. Finally, remember that every color of your logo must render some idea and be organically connected with others to deliver the common company’s message.

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