The Effects of Color on Decision Making: Ways in Which Color Affects our Choices in Life

Research shows that consumers are more likely to recognize a brand when there is proper color usage involved. More often than not, consumers will be more inclined to buy a product because of color and how it makes them feel. Color should be an essential factor in your brand, especially when looking to influence the customer. According to Harvard professor Gerald Zaltman, the color, make, look and feel of a brand or product can contribute to 95% of the buyer’s decision to purchase.

At Carbon Digital, we specialize in helping customers find their brand. With that, they can include the colors and emotions that they invoke to get the best results. Color is just another way to help you get to know your audience and provide them with value.

So, What is Color Psychology?

Color psychology is all about researching how colors influence human behavior and decision-making. Marketers will use this to their advantage to create brand recognition through consistent color choices that align with the brand, their values, and their offerings. 

Color psychology is based on the theory of how our eyes perceive (and our brain processes) color. Each color has a different wavelength when traveling through light. 

Our eyes take the stimulus from those wavelengths and send small electrical impulses to the hypothalamus— a part of the brain that controls important functions such as appetite, temperature regulation, and behavioral patterns. 

What is the Decision Making for the Colors?

Due to color influencing the way we make decisions and think much more than we think, researchers have found which colors have affected our subconscious and emotions. Many researchers say that color is the primary influence when buying products, and have found that brands that develop a signature color in their branding can increase consumer recognition by up to 80%.

While color is subjective and has different interpretations between (and even among) different cultures, there are some archetypal understandings of color that can be called upon::

1. Red - Red is the color of passion and intensity. Usually, this color evokes a strong sentiment for people who see it.
2. Orange - Often used to represent enthusiasm and excitement, orange is a color of new beginnings, exciting changes, and living in the moment.
3. Yellow - Yellow tends to evoke cheerfulness and warmth. Yellow stimulates mental and nervous activity as well as encourages communication.
4. Green - The color green denotes nature and represents new growth. Green symbolizes many different things like money, wealth, health, and tranquility.
5. Blue - When people see blue, they tend to associate it with water, the sky, and the ocean, which conveys peace and relaxation.
6. Purple - This color shows success and wisdom. Often this also symbolizes royalty and luxury.

How Do the Colors and Decision Making Fit into Branding?

Color is a big part of branding and creating industry recognition. Customers will form associations for specific industries, as well as associations based on the look and design of your website, packaging, and any other elements of your branding, both physical and digital. 

Examples of this could be green for eco-products or red for fast food products. Creating associations is a learned behavior, and putting customers in a mindset to identify them will influence their purchase decisions and encourage a sense of familiarity and trust with your brand.

When choosing out colors for a brand, color (and hue in particular) can appeal to a particular preference based on gender as well. Studies have indicated that men tend to prefer bolder colors, while women tend to prefer more subdued tones. While men are more likely to choose colors by their shades, women are more likely to select colors based on the tints.

Our brains tend to prefer recognizable brands, which also makes color an important aspect of brand identity. By choosing the right color palette, you create a unique identity for your brand that speaks to the message you are trying to send. . Standing out as a brand is due to the isolation effect—anything that sticks out is more likely to be remembered. Make sure your brand is remembered for the right reason.

It's essential to find a combination of colors to balance your brand’s aesthetic and consumer preference. This means doing your market research and understanding what color means to the consumer and how that works with your design.

Branding and Design Doesn’t Have to Be Hard.

At Carbon Digital, we specialize in developing effective branding. As part of our work, we've analyzed the ways people respond to colors in branding. With this knowledge, we help businesses like yours to utilize these responses to influence consumers and build a brand that converts.

Incorporating the psychology of color in your branding and website design is essential. Carbon Digital specializes in partnering with organizations to meet their branding and design needs. Our goal is to increase customer loyalty and conversions for your business, and brand and color play a significant role in this strategic plan. 

Book a call with us today and let’s get started!