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| pic credit to- homedesignamerica.com |
White
White represents purity, innocence, and cleanliness. The color white is most often used with products and services such as charitable organizations, spa's and salons, and even technologies such as Apple. This is because the color white helps create a calming sensation as well as feelings of peace and relaxation in order to put potential customers at ease while making their purchase decisions. The color white is especially useful for businesses that deal primarily with alternative medicine, natural health, and health products due to the feelings of goodness and perfection that the color white invokes.
Black
The color black usually represents authority, boldness, and elegance. However, while marketing either a product or a service the color black can also represent power and strength. For example, automobile manufacturers such as Jaguar will use the color black during their marketing campaigns in order to attract a specific target market of individuals who are the heads of their households, earn a higher income, and have a higher level of education. This is because the color black during these marketing campaigns denotes a feeling of sophistication as well as a prestigious lifestyle for the end users of this product. The color black should be used alongside marketing campaigns to help contribute to the seriousness and formality of either the product or service being sold.
Red
The color red is associated with action, excitement, and passion due to the fact that the color red symbolizes fire. During marketing campaigns the color red should be used for products and services that require the end user, or customer, to 'act now.' For example, Coca Cola uses the color red so that their consumers will feel that they are drinking a more exciting soft drink as well as the company Target uses the color red in their logo to direct customers to their 'one stop shop' location. The color red can also be used to denote feelings of power such as the representation of the flags used by communist countries. Businesses that are marketing energy drinks, food, and products that require the participation of the end user will benefit from the use of the color red during their marketing campaigns as it will help to instill additional feelings of speed, energy, and desire.
Blue
The color blue is one of the most common colors used during marketing campaigns because it represents feelings of confidence, trust, and security. The reason for this is because the color blue is found all throughout Mother Earth. The color blue is associated with the ocean and the sky and therefore denotes feelings contrary to the color red. For example, the color red is often used to inspire individuals to take action however, the color blue has a reverse effect inspiring individuals to relax, think intelligently, and reevaluate their decisions. Also, using the color blue during marketing campaigns can help potential end users to read messages more clearly allowing them to become more confident about their purchase decisions. The color blue can be used with all types of businesses especially for businesses that stress the importance of loyalty, stability, reliability, fiscal responsibility, and open communication.
Orange
Orange represents creativity and enthusiasm and is best used with businesses that promote energy and playfulness. Examples of businesses that use the color orange in their marketing campaigns are Nickelodeon; a children's television network, The Home Depot; a do it yourself home repair, and Reese's; the candy company that produces peanut butter cups. Using the color orange to attract additional customers may be especially useful for businesses because the color orange also represents affordability due to its similarity to the color red.
Yellow
Yellow is commonly associated with sunshine therefore creating feelings of warmth, happiness, excitement, and fun. Businesses that specialize in social events, clubs, feel good products, and social activities will especially benefit from using the color yellow within their advertisements because the brightness of the color attracts attention. Some examples of businesses that are associated with the color yellow are McDonald's, IKEA, The Yellow Pages, and Chiquita Bananas.
Green
The color green symbolizes freshness, growth, health, and nature and is most commonly associated with money and wealth. Therefore businesses that market products and services associated with healthy living, "green" foods or organic foods, and Eco friendly products will see a rise in their potential target market. Other businesses that specialize in financial securities, investments, and various return on investment (ROI) services will also benefit from using the color green to represent money and wealth during their advertisement campaigns.
Purple
For hundreds of years the color purple has represented both spirituality and royalty. This is because the color purple is a combination of the energies from the strength of red and the stability of blue. Purple is most commonly associated with ambition, nobility, luxury, and wisdom. Products and services that deal with finance, higher education, relaxation, and even prestige will benefit greatly from using the color purple within their advertisements.
Pink
The color pink is most commonly associated with youthfulness, playfulness, energy, and fun. However, the color pink is still considered to be a gender defining color therefore it is primarily used to market products and services specifically for girls and women. Some examples of products and services that use the color pink are Barbie™, The Breast Cancer Research Center, T Mobile, and Victoria's Secret.
Brown
Brown represents stability, age, and relaxation. The color brown is also associated with Mother Earth therefore making it a great color to promote alongside eco friendly products and services. One of the most popular businesses that use the color brown in order to represent not just stability but also reliability and security is UPS which can be seen on both their trucks and uniforms.
Gray/Silver
Both gray and silver are colors that should be used conservatively. The reason for this is because both of these colors represent authority, creativity, and practicality making them ideal colors to be used in fields such as Information Technology, Manufacturing, and Consulting Industries. Gray and silver are also colors that exemplify business wisdom, seriousness, and confidence therefore making them ideal colors to use with advertisement campaigns for lawyers, medical professionals, and even financial advisers.Sources: yahoo.com
http://voices.yahoo.com/marketing-tips-psychology-color-manipulation-12142220.html?cat=3
"How to Manipulate Colors in Advertising." Written By Justin Miles Wednesday, 05 October 2011. "The Language of Advertising. Unite 13: Colors and Advertising." Peter Sells and Sierra Gonzalez
