If you ask this question to a brand historian, his answer would be “Everything”. With approximate 60,000 thoughts crossing our mind everyday, it’s a herculean task for brands to ensure that consumer remembers the intended brand. Not to forget, the competition breathing down the neck and an ever-dwindling attention span in this screen age.
Much before the brand connects with you, it creates an identity for itself in form of “LOGO”. A logo is a graphic mark, emblem, or symbol used to aid and promote public identification and recognition.
The uniqueness of logo and the color code used will decided about the recall value of brand and the resulting affinity of it’s consumers. Few successful brands have taken color coding of logo to a zenith where even a same-colored object reminds the exposed audience of their brand.
Ever wondered why yellow colored noodle brand is so hard to miss in a store or purple – colored chocolates at billing counters are so irresistible? Even the toddlers who find it difficult to utter a single word properly, hastily ask for that oval shaped orange colored candy which promises to bring them “Joy”.
The answer lies in the color coding.
Read on to discover more about vibrant world of colors and how brands craft their identity around it.
Red – This influential color symbolizes energy & passion. Speed and power are associated with color Red. There is one iconic soft drink brand which almost owns this color (Guess the brand name in comment box).
Green – The color stands for freshness, natural & living things. You might have noticed this green dot on food items to communicate the veg ingredients.
Orange – The color connects with adventure and fun. It is also used to convey value & discounts.
Purple – The color reflects nobility, wealth and wisdom.. Also, this is a popular color with females of all ages given the nobility association.
Pink – This color has been more stereotyped than any other and associated with girls. The qualities that “Pink” talks about are comforting, soft, peaceful & fragile. This is the go -to color for brands dealing in baby products. Ever wondered why all the products of Johnson & Johnson are either pink or in a hue of pink.
Yellow – It is considered as symbol for warmth and cheeriness. Yellow color works well for products related to social activities and grabbing the attention. Ever noticed beautiful yellow colored school bus for the kids, those are yellow for better visibility (Attention). QSRs and Fastfood brands prefer this color.
Blue – This color is associated with efficiency, clarity and security. It also stands for cleanliness and relaxation. This is precisely the reason why blue color dominates the advertisments of holiday destinations, spas or beach resorts.
Black – Probably the most popular color with brands which conveys classic appeal and echoes strength. Have you ever seen a diplomat or nation head driving in a car other than black? There is a good reason for it. Black unvaryingly expresses power, luxury, sophistication and authority. It is very diffciult to identify a brand which stands for luxury, comfort or authority and it has not flirted with color “Black”.
We are trying to demystify the construct of marketing with these series of articles. If you want us to write about a particular brand or a topic, do let us know in comment box.
Don’t forget to mention the name of brands, whose color coding has appealed to you.
Write-up By :
Prof. Devesh Awasthi
Assistant Professor
It’s Coca Cola. (Red)
Excellent Article. Very relatable and interesting.
One thing, though, what happens when brands change their logos? Does it mean that they want to send a different vibe?
This is a very apt way of understanding the dynamics of subtle advertising on the subconscious.
Ma’am! The most important reason to change the logo is to remain “relevant” for changing demography of target group. Airtel in order to remain relevant to younger masses did this. Other famous brands to change their logo are Wal Mart, YouTube, Dominos and Google. Google has been changing it almost every 3 year with few add ons in color while their is a complete journey of Coca Cola about logo evolution. Relevance is the key.
Your answer is right.
Very detailed it is sir.
Louis Vuitton, Apple(black).
Outstanding article sir.
Amazing sir!