When you make the choice to use red as a background color in a Facebook image, how will your audience perceive the ad? Will they see danger or passion?
What colors mean in marketing is an important consideration for your jewelry business. While you might heavily consider the ways to add color to your jewelry and the meanings there, the colors you select for your logo, graphics, and promotions will be perceived by your audience. Make sure they have the right associations every time by keeping these important color associations in mind.
Red
- Red triggers important emotions that are both positive and negative. Tread carefully when you select this color.
- Positive connotations of red: power, passion, energy, fearlessness, excitement
- Negative connotations of red: anger, danger, warning, aggression, pain
- Red creates a sense of urgency. It’s a great color to use when you announce a sale or limited time offer
- Red proves to get the heart racing; make sure you use the color to trigger excitement and not the inverse.
- More women than men favor the color red.
Orange:
- Orange is associated with warmth similar to thoughts associated with the sun.
- Positive connotations of orange: courage, confidence, warmth, innovation, friendly
- Negative connotations of orange: deprivation, frustration, immaturity, ignorance>
- Orange is considered bright and fun so it may suit a small business better than it would a corporate brand.
- Most consider orange “cheap” so it could work for you if that’s your angle.
- There is no gender preference for the color orange.
Yellow:
- Yellow represents youthfulness and fun.
- Positive connotations of yellow: optimism, warmth, happiness, creativity, extroversion.
- Negative connotations of yellow: fear, caution, anxiety, cowardly.
- If you’re considering yellow be careful with the shade you select as some can come across as “dirty.”
- Yellow pairs great with darker colors and makes a great accent.
- Interestingly, men tend to prefer yellow over women.
Green:
- Green is synonymous with health.
- Positive connotations of green: hope, health, nature, prosperity.
- Negative connotations of green: boredom, envy, debilitating, stagnation.
- Green is extremely common among healthy brands; if you use this color don’t overlook this association.
- Green can also be linked to power and money, another powerful association to consider when selecting the color.
- Men and women both like this color equally.
Blue:
- Blue has a calming effect and is seen as the color of reason.
- Positive connotations of blue: trust, loyalty, logic, security, serenity.
- Negative connotations of blue: coldness, emotionless, unfriendliness.
- Blue is often a color associated with trust, strength, and wisdom.
- Blue is one of the safest color option to choose from so make sure you consider if you’ll stand out in your space using it, or if you’ll blend in.
- More men than women prefer the color blue.
Purple:
- History has shown that purple is the color of superiority, thus it’s association with royalty.
- Positive connotations of purple: wisdom, wealth, spirituality, sophistication.
- Negative connotations of purple: decadence, moodiness, excess.
- Purple can help position your brand be perceived as prestigious within the industry.
- Be careful selecting the final shade; some are perceived as more moody or feminine, which could be the opposite effect you are aiming for.
- Women tend to prefer the color purple.
Pink:
- Pink is the color most widely used to portray femininity.
- Positive connotations of pink: passionate, caring, creative, imaginative.
- Negative connotations of pink: rebellious, impulsive, flippant.
- Pink can make a big impact as an accompanying color to your brand if you want a powerful accent color.
- Women tend to prefer pink over men, so this is a great color to use to attract this gender to your marketing.
Black:
- Black is synonymous with power and luxury; this color makes the most sense for a brand that is more sophisticated in the products it produces.
- Positive connotations of black: sophistication, security, power, elegance.
- Negative connotations of black: oppression, coldness, evil, mourning.
- If you want to add energy to your brand perception, adding a color sparingly will help bring brightness and energy.
- Black is well suited to some industries more than others. If you’re looking at black as your brand color of choice, be sure the jewelry you make aligns with the perception well, or else your customers will be confused.
- Men tend to favor black over women.
White/ Grey:
- White and grey have become the go-to color for brands that want to adopt a clean or modern association.
- Positive connotations of white: innocence, purity, pristine, pure.
- Negative connotations of white: sterile, empty, plain, cautious.
- If you select white or grey as your final brand color recognize that this will change, and sometimes limit, the design potential for your brand.
- If you execute using the color well, the overall design will be perceived as modern and clean. If poorly executed, you could be perceived as cheap.
- Men tend to favor white and grey.
Keeping in mind what these colors mean in marketing is key to successfully promoting your jewelry designs with images, graphics, and your overall brand. What other questions do you have about color in marketing? Leave them below!