Color Affects Consumer Perception and Brand Recognition

According to research by WebPageFx, people form a subconscious opinion about a product in less than 90 seconds, and most people create an opinion based on color. Additionally, 85% of consumers admit that the color of a product is the main reason they will purchase something, and 80% believe that color significantly impacts brand recognition.

The importance of colors is best illustrated by a study conducted by Colorcom on two brands to demonstrate the impact of colors, writes Renea Gallagher. The first case is the well-known sauce manufacturer Heinz, which launched green ketchup on the market. The fact that a simple change in color of the popular sauce had an impact is evidenced by the data that over 10 million units were sold in the first few months, and the factory operated 24 hours a day, seven days a week to produce enough to meet the growing demand. The result? Earnings of $23 million thanks to the color change from the traditional red to green. The second example comes from Apple, which revolutionized the market by launching a computer with a colored casing, the popular iMac. Apple was the first company to make a computer that was not in a boring beige color, and the fact that this was a complete hit is evidenced by the fact that the iMac prevented the brand from collapsing, which had suffered a loss of $1.8 million in two years.

It is evident that color affects consumer perception and brand recognition, therefore it is important to keep in mind how each color influences individual behavior. Yellow, for example, promotes a feeling of happiness, black represents seriousness, formality, and a touch of mystery, while green has a relaxing and calming effect.

Although the color used by a particular brand has its meaning, if there are competitors using the same color, it is of no use. In that case, a different color should be chosen that will stand out but still retain its meaning. For example, in the financial sector, if most competitors use blue, an excellent alternative for a brand to stand out in that market is green, while pink would be a complete miss as it represents playfulness, which is not the impression one wants to leave in such an industry.

Of course, every person, regardless of profession, is capable of choosing a color for a brand, but it would not hurt to consult with a professional designer who will know in advance how a particular color will look on the finished product.