How do you judge a product when you’re out shopping? Do you realize that designs and colors determine whether you’ll take a product home with you?

84.7% of people make color part of their decision making. Can you afford not to use this powerful tool in marketing? Statistics should be enough motivation to rethink your marketing strategies. These statistics are eye opening. They help you understand why and how you need to re-examine your graphic & logo design.

1. Color Evokes Emotion

Every piece of marketing advice you read will talk about emotion. Experts state you must connect with people’s emotions and their interests if you want to make a sale.

You can succeed in that goal through correct color use. People’s unique experiences will determine in part what they feel when seeing a certain color. Hues have general connotations too.

People engage more and remember products they have these emotional reactions to them. If your logo triggers an emotion in a client’s subconscious he or she is sure to recognize it the next time it’s seen.

This is why you can’t simply stick with white and black designs.

2. Color Grabs Attention

Black and white marketing isn’t as successful as campaigns that involve color. Colored advertisements are noticed and read 42% more than the same ads in black & white.

Now imagine your logo in shades of black, white and grey. People may not even look at it. How will they remember it? Picking colors for your logo is vital simply to catch your audience’s attention.

3. Less Words are Needed

Throughout this article we discuss the subconscious messages given via colors. If you use these tools dynamically in your logo design it minimizes what you have to say in words.

A large percentage of the population doesn’t read detail or even slogans underneath a logo. This can be because they don’t have the time or they simply hate reading. Make sure even these people understand your messages by using colors to convey them.

4. It Gets You Recognized

Why do you go through the effort of creating a logo? You want your brand to be noticed and recognised even when surrounded by other brands. If you use color instead of a simple black and white design your logo may be recognized up to 80% more.

People won’t even bat an eyelid at a black and white advertisement. Now imagine driving past a sign of your favorite soft drink. Catching a glimpse of the logo’s color from the corner of your eye probably has you imagining the taste already.

When you use color your brand can become this recognizable. It’s not only that you should use color. You also have to use the correct color. Let’s discuss why.

5. Color Carries Meaning

Different colors carry unique meanings with them. When you use colors these meanings become part of your logo. Think about the country and community you do business with. Eastern and Western cultures connect different meanings to the color white.

If you want your brand to be powerful in Eastern countries you may want to swap out white parts with a different hue. If you don’t take cognisance of these meanings your logo may present a message you don’t intend.

6. Color Communicates with the Brain

You know first impressions are vital. You have 90 seconds in which to make those first impressions. How much written or spoken information can you really deliver in that time? Much of the first impressions your product—with your logo—will give are subconscious messages.

The colors you pick are part of those subconscious messages. If you accurately use this method of communication you instil affirmative messages without the client even knowing it.

If your company is new on the market you need your logo to impress clients enough that they will:

Remember it

Feel positive about the brand and product Much of this can be achieved simply by the color aspect of your product and logo.

Perhaps your company has been in the market for a long time. You want your logo to be recognized by a person’s brain activity the moment it appears. If you add color to the design this will happen more often.

7. Each Color Carries a Message

Educate yourself about the messages colors carry. This can be a fun exercise. Examine what your favorite colors or outfits say about you.

These messages are also delivered by the colors in your logo. There’s a reason why the most famous brand globally are prone to use certain colors.

Most Popular Colors

Blue and red are often seen in logo designs. Companies know what they represent and communicate:

Red: Red sends a message of boldness and power. It almost automatically makes you respect the logo. Who doesn’t want that for their brand?

Blue: Blue sends message of trustworthiness. You want to send so your clients feel safe doing business with you. Do this without saying a word.

Other Color Messages

Here are a few other messages your logo can communicate:

Yellow: Fun and energy.

Orange: Health and caution which may be why you see it in some security agencies’ designs.

Green: Growth and health

8. Colors Talk to Your Target Audience

An important part of a marketing is determining your target audience. You must know who your product or service is most applicable to.

This group of people is unique in terms of:

Age

Gender

Interests

Geographical area

Lifestyle

As stated above colors send messages. These messages are interpreted in unique ways sometimes. Men respond positively to grey but women don’t. If you want your logo to catch men’s eyes you can incorporate black and grey into the design. If your product is applicable to both genders make sure you leave out grey.

This shows how a simple change in hue can have you reach or miscommunicate with your target audience.

You can determine what your target audience feels when they view your logo and marketing products. This is a powerful tool you can’t ignore. So what do you need to change to make your logo design more effective?