The Psychology of Colour: How your Promo Products influence Consumer Behaviour

90% of first impressions are based on colour, that’s why it shouldn’t be an easy choice when it comes to branding and promotional products. Choosing colours that reflect your company values and resonate with your audience can improve your brand recognition by 80%. When it comes to promotional products, you want to choose something eye-catching that people almost automatically pick up. Here are a few things to consider…   

Science of colour perception 

When light hits an object, some wavelengths are absorbed, and some are reflected. Reflected light enters the eye and stimulates a certain type of retinal photoreceptor called a cone, of which there are three types: red, blue and green. When these cones are stimulated, the brain interprets the signals from them to perceive colour. For example, yellow is perceived when green and red cones are stimulated, and purple is perceived when blue and red cones are stimulated. Humans can distinguish an estimated 10 million different colours, though some people have colour vision deficiencies if one or more types of cones are absent, which can be due to genetic factors.  

Emotional and physical responses to Colours 

Red 

Pros: Action, Power, Excitement 

Cons: Anger, Danger, Urgency 

Physical Response: Provokes powerful responses, higher blood pressure and faster heart rate.  

Blue 

Pros: Wisdom, Relief, Stability 

Cons: Detached, Lonely, Sad 

Physical Response: Stimulates productivity and soothes anxiety, can curb appetite 

Green 

Pros: Wealth, Freshness, Serenity 

Cons: Disgust, Jealousy 

Physical Response: Helps to relax, encourages decision-making 

Yellow 

Pros: Happiness, Communication, Optimism 

Cons: Caution, Frustration 

Physical Response: Stimulates nerves and purifies the body, too much yellow can cause eye strain

Purple 

Pros: Glamour, Wealth, Pleasure 

Cons: Excess, Mystery 

Physical Response: Triggers creativity and imagination, Increased senses and self-awareness 

Orange 

Pros: Warmth, Kindness, Excitement  

Cons: Informal, Anxiety 

Physical Response: Can provoke anxiety

Pink 

Pros: Love, Innocence, Optimism 

Cons: Childish, Rebellious 

Physical Response: Reduced signs of physical aggression 

Strategic applications in promotional products 

With an understanding of how humans are affected by colour, there is an opportunity to tailor your branding to provoke the desired response. Depending on your industry, target audience and services, you can choose specific colours that reflect your values and trigger the right response in your customers. For example, for a healthcare or financial company, using blue branding is great for conveying reliability and trust, as it naturally soothes anxiety. For luxury brands, black and purple are appropriate colours to use because they convey exclusivity. Red is often used by fast-food companies to emphasise urgency and excitement. In the food industry, blue is used less frequently, as it is not a colour often naturally occurring in food. Blue can even have appetite diminishing effects, an undesirable response for customers to have if you are trying to sell them something to eat! 

An important factor to consider, especially if you have a diverse customer base, is the differing cultural meanings of certain colours. In Western cultures, white is a symbol of purity and cleanliness, often used at events like weddings, whereas in certain parts of Asia, white symbolises death and mourning. Whilst green has healthy and tranquil connotations in the West, in parts of Asia it is the colour of infidelity or even exorcism. Associations with red are the most varied, meaning danger or love in the West, luck in China and purity in India.    

Big corporations don’t always get this right either, and poorly coloured branding can be damaging for business sales and growth. Pepsi made a mistake changing the colour of their vending machines in South East Asia from dark blue to light blue, not realising that light blue is associated with death in certain regions. Euro Disney also made the mistake of using lots of purple in their marketing, which had a negative response from the Catholic community, as purple is a religious symbol of pain and suffering.  

Therefore, not only is it important to match colours with the values of your brand, but also consider cultural differences to make sure your marketing is as inclusive and appealing as possible.   

Finally…  

The abundancy of promotional products in the corporate world means that first impressions are everything. Strong colour choice is the primary way to ensure customers are naturally drawn to your brand. Companies that prioritise colour choice will foster deeper connections with their customers, making your brand memorable and relatable to your customers. A combination of colours that not only reflect your company values but are also sensitive to your client base is the perfect way to create smart and effective promotional products.