Creating A Strong Brand Identity: How to Choose the Best Colors for Your Brand

by Brenda Barron Stokes on Nov 21, 2022

Choosing the right colors for your brand can be tricky. You want to find colors that represent your company and its values, while also appealing to your target audience. But with so many color options to choose from, how do you know which ones are best? In this article, we’ll discuss some tips for choosing the right colors for your brand. We’ll also look at some of the different factors you need to consider when making your decision. So, if you’re looking to create a brand identity for a new company or re-brand your current business with a new set of colors, read on!

Why is Color So Important for Effective Branding?

Colors play a powerful role in branding, as they can evoke emotions and influence how people perceive your business. When selecting colors for your brand, keep in mind that each color has its own connotations and associations. For example, red is often associated with energy or passion, while blue can denote trustworthiness.

By choosing the right colors for your business, you can create a strong visual identity that resonates with your target audience. This will help to establish recognition and increase brand loyalty.

Step 1: Decide on Your Message

When choosing colors for your brand, you first need to decide on the message you want to convey. Think about what emotions and ideas you want to evoke when people see your branding. Are you looking for something that’s calming and approachable? Or maybe something that’s bold and unique? Knowing what kind of message you want to send will help guide your decision-making.

Step 2: Select the Mood You’d Like to Convey

Once you’ve decided on the message, it’s time to select a mood. Consider how you want people to feel when they interact with your brand. Do you want them to be energized and inspired? Or do you want them to feel relaxed and comfortable? The colors you choose will play a big role in setting the tone for your branding.

This is a good time to decide whether you’d like to use warm colors or cool colors. Warm colors (such as red, orange, and yellow) are often associated with energy, passion, and optimism. Cool colors (like blue, green, and purple) tend to be calming and relaxing.

Step 3: Consider Your Target Audience

When selecting colors for your brand, it’s essential to consider the demographics of your target audience. Different colors can have different effects on people, depending on their age and gender. For example, studies have shown that younger consumers are more likely to be drawn to bright, bold colors. On the other hand, older consumers might prefer softer colors like blues and greens.

According to a study conducted by Joe Hallock, color preferences play a role as well. For instance, his study showed that men by and large preferred blue as their favorite color while women’s tastes were more varied – blue still comes out on top but is closely followed by purple.  

Step 4: Research Color Psychology

Once you’ve decided on your message, it’s time to investigate the psychology of colors. Different colors can evoke different feelings and meanings, so understanding how they affect people can be very beneficial when selecting your brand colors. 

Take some time to look into what each color symbolizes and how it might affect the perception of your brand.

To save you some time, here is a rough outline of basic colors and their associations:

• Red: Passion, energy, and enthusiasm
• Orange: Fun, creativity, and optimism
• Yellow: Optimism and positivity
• Green: Growth, harmony, and balance
• Blue: Trustworthy, dependable, and peaceful
• Purple: Wisdom, mystery, and spirituality
• Brown: Reliability, stability, and security
• Black: Sophistication and power
• White: Clarity and purity

Step 5: Consider Online Effectiveness

When choosing colors for your brand, consider how they will appear online. Different screens and devices can display colors differently, so make sure you choose colors that will be consistent across all platforms. You also want to ensure that any text or other elements in your branding remain visible and legible against the background color.

Step 6: Consider Usage

How will you implement the colors? For backgrounds? For text? For logos? Knowing how you plan to use the colors will help determine which shades and hues are best suited for your brand. Likewise, you can use colors to create a visual hierarchy, helping to guide viewers through your content.

Step 7: Pick Your Palette

Now that you have a better understanding of the psychology behind colors, it’s time to pick your palette. Consider what colors will best represent your message and values, as well as appeal to your target audience. You may also want to consider complementary and accent colors for a more complex but balanced look. It may be helpful to use a palette-building tool to assist with this process.

A few possibilities include:

• Adobe Color: A free website that provides you with pre-built color schemes based on themes.
• Coolors: An app and desktop program for creating custom palettes.
• Paletton: An online tool designed to help you choose colors that look good together.

Try selecting a combination of colors that will entice your customers and make them remember you. Typically, 2-3 harmonious colors are enough to create a strong brand identity.

The right color palette can help to boost recognition and create an emotional connection with your customers. So when it comes to branding, don’t be afraid to let your colors do the talking!

Step 8: Test Your Colors

Before you commit to your colors, it’s important to test them out and make sure they resonate with your customers. Try using the colors in various marketing materials like website banners, email campaigns, or social media posts. Gauge how people react to them and see if they match your desired tone and message. If not, it’s time to go back to the palette-building process!

Once you’ve identified a few colors that work for your brand, create a color guide or “brand book” so everyone in your organization knows how to use them correctly. This will help ensure consistency across all your marketing materials.

Choose the Right Colors for Your Brand 

And with that, you should have all the tools and tips you need to create a stunning color palette for your brand. We hope this helps you on your branding journey! Good luck!