When you think about the products you are selling, you likely think about the quality of the product. When you think about designing a marketing message such as a billboard, you probably think about the text and graphics included in the final product. One factor you might not think about as strongly is the color of the product or the colors in the advertisement.

Color theory has been around for a while but that doesn’t mean it is not relevant or that it is outdated. The question, how does color affect sales, is still very much an ongoing concern. There is research showing that certain colors used in a specific context can have an influence on the consumer buying decision. In other words, the colors you use can have a positive or negative impact on the buying decision which ultimately affects your sales.

In this article, we will discuss color theory and how it relates to branding and sales.

Color Theory

In its most basic form, color theory shares how colors evoke emotions and interact within visual compositions. You might have discussions about the color wheel, the concept of color harmony and color psychology related to products and the public. While all of these “color concepts” play a role in the buying decision, we want to focus on color psychology and how it relates to the question, “how does color affect sales”:

Color Associations

Take a look below to see what each color means and how they are perceived by the public. As it relates to sales, the greater the amount of green and blue that you use, the better your sales results.

Here is a list of commonly used colors and their standard associations:

Blue: Calming, Prosperous, and Responsible

Green: New Beginnings, Nature, Wealth and Abundance

Red: Passion (including Love and Anger)

Orange: Energy, Vitality and Cheerfulness

Yellow: Happy and Hopeful

Purple: Creative, Royalty

Black: Elegant, Mysterious, Evil

Gray: Conservative and Formal, Moody

Examples for Print Related to Color

Keep these color associations in mind when designing a call to action (CTA), color blocks, and copy. If you want to generate more sales using color in print materials, focus on using bold colors like green and blue to draw attention to the CTA. The call to action can be trying to get people to call your business, go to your website or physically visit your store. Don’t forget that background highlights and color blocks are ideal to include in CTAs

Brand and Color

Your branding elements need to have set guidelines when it comes to color. You will need to work within the guidelines that you set in the past or that a color theory expert has set for you so all of your messaging maintains your Brand Identity or Brand Standards.

Brand Association to Color

Each of your colors means something for your brand. If your brand standards already exist, that means someone created them and each color is used for a specific reason. Knowing what the colors stand for is important because it helps you make educated judgment calls on your use of color.

Brand Guide Adherence & Growth

Sticking to the rules of your brand standards can make your job much easier. Plus, consumers will notice your branding consistency and this increases your brand recognition. By maintaining your brand consistency, you will enjoy an increase in brand recall and your ability to generate consistent sales.

Need a hand determining the best color choices for your marketing collateral? We would love to help!

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