How to choose your brand colors?

You might have heard people asking about the color palette for a brand or the brand colors. What do they mean? And why do brand colors matter?

What are brand colors?

Brand colors are a palette of colors that are used to represent a certain company. A consistent and strategic application of brand colors can increase brand awareness and recognizability.

Some of the main applications of brand colors include a company’s logo, website color scheme, social media channels, business card design, and print and digital ads. For businesses operating as brick-and-mortar, the brand colors can also apply to the design of the store, staff uniforms, product packaging, and more.

Importance of brand colors

Have you ever noticed the color scheme of Coca-Cola’s logo and brand identity? If you haven’t, you can look at the image below.

The company uses a distinct red-and-white color scheme for its logo and brand identity. The red color represents passion, excitement, and energy, which aligns with the brand's messaging and values. Additionally, the white color provides contrast and balance to the bold red color, creating a visually appealing and recognizable logo. This color scheme has been consistently used by Coca-Cola for decades and has become synonymous with the brand, making it easy for consumers to identify and recall the brand.

Accordingly, choosing the right brand colors is an essential component of building a successful brand. Your brand color sets the tone for your business, evokes emotions, and helps customers recognize your brand in a crowded marketplace.

How to choose your Brand Colours?

Understand Your Brand Identity Before you start thinking about brand colors, it is essential to have a clear understanding of your brand identity. Your brand identity should include your mission, vision, values, and personality. This information helps you create a brand personality that will attract your target audience. Understanding your brand identity is the first step in selecting your brand color because your color should align with your brand personality.

Explore brand colors based on your Industry Different industries have different color palettes that are associated with them. For example, the finance industry typically uses blues and greens because they represent stability and trust. The food industry, on the other hand, often uses red, orange, and yellow because they stimulate appetite. Understanding the industry standard for colors will help you select a color that will resonate with your audience and be easily recognizable.

Research Your Target Audience Your target audience plays a crucial role in selecting your brand color. You want to choose a color that will resonate with your audience and create a positive emotional response. For example, if your target audience is primarily male, you may want to consider using blue or green because those colors are often associated with masculinity. If your target audience is primarily female, you may want to consider using pink or purple because those colors are often associated with femininity.

Choose Your Color Palette Once you have a clear understanding of your brand identity, industry standards, and target audience, it is time to select your brand color palette. Your color palette should include your primary color and secondary colors that complement your primary color.

• Primary Colour - Your primary color is the color that will be most associated with your brand. Think of the signature Tiffany’s Blue or Pinterest’s red.
  

• Secondary Colours - Your secondary colors are used to create visual interest and support your primary color. A brand can take several different paths when choosing its secondary colors:
  

  • Analogous color scheme: This involves selecting colors that are closely related to the primary color. For instance, if the primary color is bright red, warm colors from the same color family, such as orange and yellow, can be included. Analogous color schemes typically create a harmonious and pleasing visual effect.
    

  • Monochromatic color scheme: This scheme involves using various shades and tints of the primary color. For instance, if blue is the primary color, secondary colors could include light blue and dark blue. Monochromatic color schemes can reinforce and enhance the primary color.
    

  • Contrasting color scheme: This scheme involves choosing colors that contrast with the primary color. The contrasting colors can either be complementary colors (opposite each other on the color wheel) or a selection of vibrant hues. This color scheme can make the brand colors stand out and often gives a modern and playful impression.

In general, it's recommended to have a primary color and one or two secondary colors that can be used consistently across all branding materials such as logos, websites, business cards, packaging, and other marketing collaterals.

Test Your Colors Once you have selected your brand colors, it is essential to test them. You want to make sure your colors look good together and are easily recognizable. You also want to make sure they are accessible to individuals with color vision deficiencies. You can test your colors using online tools or by consulting with a designer.

There are plenty of online resources and browser plugins that test color contrast for accessibility. Contrast Checker and Colour Contrast Analyser are two such tools that we recommend.

Implement Your Colors Consistently

Consistency is key when it comes to brand colors. You want to make sure your colors are used consistently across all channels, including your website, social media, print materials, and products. Consistent use of your brand colors helps create brand recognition and builds brand loyalty.

Conclusion

In conclusion, choosing your brand color is an important decision that should not be taken lightly. Your brand color should align with your brand identity, industry standards, and target audience. Your color palette should include your primary color and secondary colors that complement your primary color. Testing your colors and implementing them consistently across all channels is essential for creating brand recognition and building brand loyalty. By following these tips, you can select a brand color that will help your business stand out in a crowded marketplace.