Brand Colors: Find The Right Color Palette For Your Brand

You already know that branding is vital for your business or organization. However, some people overlook the importance of brand colors. The right color can reach your customer base and convey a message about your brand. It can be challenging to find the right palette for your needs. Let’s look at a few branding color palettes and find the best one for you.

What Are Brand Colors?

The key components of your brand’s visual identity are brand colors. In most cases, these colors are three to eight colors that create a palette that reflects your brand’s style and personality. Before you choose a color palette, you need to know that there are two types of colors for your brand: primary and secondary.

Primary Brand Colors

With a primary brand palette, these colors are consistently used in your graphics, signage, and publications. These colors will rarely change since they are central to your brand’s visual identity. All of these primary colors are associated with your logo and other graphics. For example, when someone mentions Coca-Cola, they might associate that brand with red and white colors.

Secondary Brand Colors

Along with the primary colors, secondary brand colors are also crucial to your branding. These colors are part of the complementary color palette to the primary colors. In most cases, these colors are updated to reflect changing marketing goals and strategy trends. For instance, a few companies may want to target younger consumers. As a result, they will adjust their color palette to reflect those current color trends that appeal to a younger audience.

Like a primary palette, you can use secondary colors for your brand’s website, packaging, and social media. However, remember that you should not include it in more than 50 percent of the design. If you need help to choose the right colors for your primary or secondary palette, a Philadelphia branding and design agency can provide a few tips.

The Importance of Branding Colors

You should have about two primary brand colors and four to five secondary colors. With a healthy mix of secondary colors, you have some flexibility for your design and marketing needs.

There are many reasons you need to use primary and secondary colors in your branding. Since colors can trigger different feelings, choose the right ones for your brand. When someone looks at a specific color, they associate it with an emotion. However, everyone views colors differently. In some cases, black could be considered an elegant color, but it could also invoke feelings of depression for certain viewers. Context matters in your branding. Choosing a color is essential, but how you use it holds even more importance. Colors are subjective. For that reason, you need to be prudent when selecting colors for your branding palette.

Brand colors can also play a significant role in decision-making. As previously mentioned, colors trigger a consumer’s emotions. When someone makes a choice, they will usually base that action on emotion. You have the perfect opportunity to create a powerful emotional connection to your audience with branding. Think about this example. When you go into a grocery store and need a product, you are more likely to choose the one with brand colors that trigger an interest in your mind.

In addition to that, a great color palette can help to strengthen brand awareness. When you have a strong palette, it gives you a chance to create a positive association with your potential buyers. Those brand colors create emotions that lead to decisions. When you choose the right color palette, it can help consumers take action with your brand.

Now that you know the importance of branding colors, it is time to choose the right ones for your business. As mentioned before, some colors elicit certain emotions from your audience.

• Red – passion, danger, and energy
• Orange – youth, creativity, and enthusiasm
• Yellow – happiness, positivity, and hope
• Green – nature, harmony, growth, wealth, and stability
• Blue – peace, intelligence, trust, and professionalism
• Purple – mystery, luxury, and spirituality
• Brown – honesty, strength, warmth, and support
• Pink – femininity, playfulness, sensitivity, and romance
• Black – power, sophistication, and elegance
• White – simplicity, minimalism, and aesthetics

Using Your Brand Color Palette

Using the brand color palette will depend on your industry and specific goals. In some situations, businesses use color as an identifier of their brand. Those colors become one with the brand, and it can be difficult for consumers to separate the color from the brand. When you think of the colors yellow and red, you might automatically think of McDonald’s. This company uses these colors as the “identifier” to increase its brand recognition. By using this strategy, it can help to build strong brand recognition with your audience.

Some industry trends can change frequently. If your business falls into this category, your brand color palette needs to be flexible. You don’t want to be locked into an identifier color when the trends change. Think about the fashion industry. Since they create clothes based on trends, these businesses use neutral gray, white, and black for their brand colors. These businesses don’t need to worry about how the latest trends will lock them into a specific brand color. On the other hand, some companies put less emphasis on color and will stick to a neutral palette.

Should I Change My Brand Colors?

Many creative companies in Philadelphia will not recommend changing your brand colors unless you are rebranding. Primary colors should always remain the same, and those secondary colors only change when you have new branding goals. If you are changing your colors on a consistent basis, you will have to rethink your branding strategy.

A color palette is a vital component of your branding’s visuals. With the right colors, you can speak to your audience and help them choose your business over other options.

We Are the Branding Professionals

At Hyland Graphic Design & Advertising, we can help you choose the right colors for your primary and secondary color palette. You can schedule a consultation by calling (484) 879-6145.