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How Does The Psychology of Different Colors Affect Customers?

Tetsuya Kawanabe

Prof. Seleena Harkness-Lee

IS 200

June 24, 2015

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Introduction

Imagine, you are walking on the street, and then you see a red light, what do you

do? Most of you probably thought you would stop. Colors can give a good or bad impression

on you. We do not think deeply about colors too much in daily life, but colors affect us. You

would get a certain impression depending on the color that you see, so we are surrounded by

various colors that tell us information. In other words, our lives would be difficult without

color.

Here is a very interesting example of how colors affect you. Scientists at

Polytechnic University of Valencia and Oxford University experimented on how different

colors affect the taste of hot chocolate. The experiment consisted of 57 participants who had

to drink the same type of hot chocolate four times in different colored mugs, which were

white, cream, red, and orange, but all of the mugs had a white interior. As a result of this, all

of them said that drinking hot chocolate using the orange and cream mugs tasted better than

drinking from the other colored mugs, and some people said that drinking hot chocolate using

the cream mugs was more aromatic and sweeter (Diaz). This result of the experiment shows

that color affects your mind directly.　

Today, we have many opportunities to see various companies’ advertising. For

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instance, in an hour-long TV show, ten to fifteen minutes are used for commercials, and when

you access the Internet, we see various advertisements in the corner of pages. Thus, many

companies try to get customers by using advertising. When you look at those advertisements,

there are usually symbol marks or logos. What do you think of advertisements that can use

different colors effectively in their logos? As I mentioned from that example, if advertisers

know how different colors work on people, it would help to improve business because colors

can attract customers. Also, Taylor says, “Color can become a key part of any brand. Whether

your logo is red and intense, yellow and joyful or black and mysterious, its colors are

announcing something to the customer. As you create the perfect logo, be sure to pay

attention to the color messages you're sending” (Taylor). Therefore, color is a very strong tool

that influences getting customers and customers’ purchases, so understanding and using

different theories of color that people associate with in business is the foundation of

succeeding in business brand development.   

What is business brand development?

First of all, when you start a business, what is the most important thing? Of course,

getting customers is the most important objective in business because businesses cannot

manage without customers. In order to get customers, brands have to be remembered by

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customers. If no one can remember what the brand is, it is difficult to sell products and get

customers. For example, if people want to take a break with a cup of a coffee, they remind

Starbucks. One of the business articles, Business Burrito.Com says, “Brand development

should include a strong, identifiable brand that resonates with your customers, which is

delivered in consistent and creative ways” (“Brand Development for Small Business”). Thus,

if customers can remember who the company is when they want to buy something, that brand

will be successful in business brand development.

When companies create a logo, they must use colors effectively if they want

customers to remember companies. According to researchers at the University of Loyola,

“Color increases brand recognition by up to 80 percent” (Morton, “Why Color Matters”).

This shows how important color is in recognition. What brand do you think of when you see

the colors red and yellow, and the letter “M”? Almost all people probably think of

McDonald’s. One of the articles, Joly Joy says, “The colors help customers s to remember

and found the product easily and develop brand’s identity in customer’s mind”(“Role of

Colors in Brand Development”). Therefore, in order for customers to remember the brand

and for companies to succeed in brand development, color is very important for business.

Definition of color

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We get stimulation and various information through our eyes, ears, nose, tongue,

and skin. Especially, among them, “80 percent of the sensory information the brain receives

comes from our eyes” (Humphreys). From this comment, almost all information comes from

the eyes, and we can understand how information comes from them. Actually, all information

that comes from eyes has color. Of course, we can see color with our eyes, but it is not always

possible to see the color. Why can we see and understand which colors we are looking at?

Actually, objects reflect light and we get the color’s information through this process. Color

changes depending on the wavelength of light (“Color”). Therefore, we cannot see color

when they are in a place with no light.

One example of how we can see color is a rainbow. Usually, we can see a rainbow

after/during rain. The reason is because raindrops or water is necessary in order to see a

rainbow. The sunlight passes through a raindrop, and this white light refracts with the

raindrop. Every raindrop bounces different colors of light to us, so the observer sees the full

color spectrum (Harris). That’s why we can see rainbows, and this shows that light is

necessary to why we can see color.

Characteristic of colors

Most people do not care about colors, and they think that they are just colors when

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they see them. However, when people make something, they care about color and make

something effectively based on the characteristics of colors. One of the articles, Joly Joy says,

“Colors have their own language and meanings in different circumstances. Sometimes it is

important to understand the color representation” (“Role of Colors in Brand Development”).

Because of that, each color has its own meaning, and people associate color with certain

meanings. Where do you often see the color red in town? For instance, you can see the color

red in traffic lights, stop signs, and signs prohibiting something. The reason why the color red

is often used for these things is because red calls people’s attention (Campbell). Because of

that, when we see red, we turn our attention to them. Consequently, we are guided

involuntarily by advertiser’s speculation. Each different color has its own characteristics.

Characteristic of Red

Richard points out that “physiologically, red makes blood pressure, pulse, and

respiratory system rates go up; it’s an energy expanding color” (Richard, “Red”). We can see

the color red in many companies’ logos. The reason is because the color red can encourage

customers to take action and make purchases, and “red is a warm and positive color, a very

physical color which draws attention to itself and calls for action to be taken” (Scott-Kemmis,

“Red”). Because of that, the color red is always used in sale’s advertisings and sale’s place

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tags.

There are two interesting results about how the color works based on the

characteristics of the color red. On the online shopping site eBay, when the background color

of products is red or blue, many people spend money when the background color is red

because the red color makes the bid more aggressive (Yarrow). The other examination is the

comparing button. There are two web pages; one has a green button and the other has a red

button. Even though the two websites are exactly the same except for the button color, “21%

more people clicked on the red button than on the green button” (Porter). These results show

that the color red can encourage customers to buy products and take actions.

In addition, the color red displays power for food companies. Fast food companies

use the color red in their logos or signs and interior decoration, such as McDonald’s,

Kentucky Fried Chicken, and Burger King. The reason why they are using the color red is

because the red color gives people a good appetite (Richard, “Red”). This means that when

people see the color red they would feel as if they are hungry. By encouraging customers’s

appetites, those companies are trying to get customers intentionally, so using the color red is

very important and necessary for food companies, and the color red should be used by

companies that want to emphasize products energetically.

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Characteristic of Blue

According to Scott-Kemmis, people associate the color blue with the sky or ocean.

Which company do you think of when you think about the color blue? Many food companies

do not use the color blue. Do you want to eat blue food if it is served as a meal? Most of you

would lose your appetite because most people have never seen blue food. This is true that

blue colors do not arouse, but reduces your appetite. The reason is because blue food does not

exist in nature, so people do not have a spontaneous appetite response to blue food (Scott-

Kemmis, “Blue” and Morton, “Color & Appetite Matters”). One of the food professionals

say, “…some food products fail in the marketplace not because of bad taste, texture, or smell

but because the consumer never got that far” (Morton, “Color & Appetite Matters”). This is

the reason why the color blue should not be applied in the food businesses.

On the other hand, people associate the color blue with the sky or ocean, and the

color blue makes you feel calm and it reduces your tension, so it makes your pulse rate slow

(Richard, “Blue” and Scott-Kemmis, “Blue”). The color blue works well in conservative

businesses, such as banks and insurance companies where trust and reliability are important

(Scott-Kemmis, “Blue”). Blue makes people feel confident, safe and trustworthy. An example

of this is the police. Local police officers’ uniforms tend to be blue (Richard, “Blue”) because

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their jobs have to be accepted by citizens. Therefore, blue should be used for businesses

where the relationship between mutual companies and customers is important.

Characteristics of pink

According to Scott-Kemmis, people associate the color pink with compassion, love,

romance, sweetness, and softness (Scott-Kemmis, “Pink”). Because of that, the color pink is

successfully at eliciting gentler reacts (Richard, “Pink”). When you hear or see the color pink,

which gender do you think feels confortable about using or wearing pink? Most of people

think that the color pink is female’s color because of stereotype. Also, in the west, the color

pink is sometimes associated with gay culture (Richard, “Pink”). Because of the association

between the color pink and gender, the color pink would go well with females more than

males. An example of brands that use the color pink as their symbol are Barbie, Victoria’s

Secret, and Pink. Those company’s target consumers focus on females, so the color pink

should be used.

Characteristic of Green

When you are surrounded by nature, what do you feel? Most people would feel

comfortable and relaxed. Richard says, “Green is the color often associated with a desire for

improved conditions; the search for better health and social reform”, and “it’s color of nature,

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sign of growth, the harbinger of spring and warmer weather”(Richard, “Green”). Because of

that, when people see the color green, people associate the color green with nature, so using

the color green is beneficial and useful for anything to do with health and healing (Scott-

Kemmis, “Green”). People would realize that a company with the color green is good for

their health. One of the examples of a successful company using the color green is Jamba

Juice. According to Jamba Juice, they provide fresh nourishment for helping people’s body

(“Jamba Juice”). Therefore, the color green should be used by companies that think freshness

and relaxation is important.

Characteristics of Yellow

Richard says, “Yellow is primarily the color of happiness, cheerful mood,

expansiveness, lack of inhibition” and the color yellow is beneficial for children because it

improve children’s creativity. (Richard, “Yellow”). From this psychology of yellow, if the

company wants to show their fun and playful products, the color yellow works well.

Moreover, “The color yellow is the most visible to the human eye” (Richard, “Yellow”).

Because of that, if the color yellow is used in logos, many people would care about it and it

would catch their attention quickly, so the color yellow is used to emphasize the brand.

Characteristics of black

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Scott-Kemmis mentions that in psychology, the color black shows authority, power,

and control, so it can make people feel fear, unfriendliness, and unapproachability (Scott-

Kemmist “Black”). From this, it seems like the color black works negatively. However, in

business, the color black makes brands look high-class, so the color black creates a classy and

elegant impression on people (Scott-Kemmis, “Black”). Examples of companies are Louis

Vuitton, Chanel, and Prada. Those companies use the color black effectively as their symbol

of color to represent their valuable and luxurious products. Therefore, if the companies want

to emphasize the high quality of their products, they should use the color black because it

makes the brand seem more luxurious than other companies that use other colors.

Comparison between McDonald’s and Starbucks

If you compare the color of McDonald’s to Starbucks, the colors used are

completely different from each other. The reason is because McDonald’s mainly uses yellow

and red, but Starbucks mainly uses green and brown. Those companies completely

understand their target customers’ purpose, like why they come there, and what they want to

do there, so they chose those colors to represent them like red, yellow, green, and brown. By

using the colors red and yellow in McDonald’s and using the colors green and brown in

Starbucks, the feelings and mood this color combination emits is perfect for their target

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customers.

Which color stands out the most when you walk around town, where there are

many signboards that represent shops? As mentioned before, yellow is the best color to make

something stand out (Scott-Kemmis “Yellow”). Since it uses yellow in its logo, people can

notice there is a McDonald’s “M” even though they are far away. Also, “red, orange, and

yellow are ‘exciting’ colors…” (Roach). These color theories show that many people are

attracted and notice the logo colors of McDonald’s. In addition, McDonald’s is known as a

fast food industry, so selling food is their job. Using red in its sign and interior is very helpful

for promoting their products because red has a magical power in that red works up an

appetite, so using red can affect our sense of appetite directly. Moreover, “Red’s associations

are with vitality, activity, desire… and craving” (Richard, “Red”), and the color red

encourage customers to take action and make customers buy things (Scott-Kemmis, “Red”).

Therefore, many people try to go there and buy food there. Moreover, combining red and

yellow shows speed and quickness (Haller). This means people go there to eat and then leave.

McDonald’s is trying to avoid people from staying longer because McDonald’s wants to get

more customers, so the combination of core red and yellow affects their customer turnover.

These color effects are the reason why McDonald’s chose red and yellow.

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In contrast, one of the famous coffee shops Starbucks uses green and brown in their

image color in many places, such as the staff’s aprons, straws, desks, and floor. When do you

want to go there? Why do you want to go there? Most of you probably want to seek

relaxation there, so you are guided by the color green and brown involuntarily. We can see

people listening to music, reading books, talking with friends and studying in Starbucks. The

reason why many people do those actions is very deeply related to the color green and brown.

“Green is actually the most restful color on the eye, and human eye can discern more shades

of green than any other color” (Richard, “Green”). This shows that the color green would

create a well-balanced mind and it makes people feel emotionally stable. In addition, the

color brown also makes people feel calm and comfortable (Richard, “Brown”). Because of

the combination of the colors green and brown, Starbucks can provide customers with the

most comfortable cafe.

In Conclusion

We see many different colors in daily life, but we do not care deeply about what

kind of meaning each color has. However, people are guided and influenced by the

psychology of color without thinking, so color has a great impact on people for customers’

purchases. Accordingly, using different colors effectively depends on the company’s purpose

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and target customer and it is one of the ways to succeed in business and one of the strong

strategies for business development. In order to use color influentially, each brand must

understand the psychology of color. If the company’s purpose is selling food and getting

customers’ to take action, the red color is the best color to use for those companies because it

improves customers’ appetites and urges customers’ purchases. In the case of the color blue, a

company that wants to sell food should not use the color blue, but a company that needs to

establish a relationship of mutual trust between company and a customer should use it, like

banks because the color blue represents credibility. If a company’s target customers are

mainly women, the color pink should be used because pink conveys a very strong image for

women. The company that needs to create feelings of comfort for customers should use the

color green and brown. Also, the color green works well for the companies that want to

emphasize freshness and the nature of products. In the case of yellow, it is useful not only for

emphasizing sign or logos, but also for promoting children’s minds. Finally, the color black

can represent the high quality of a company’s products for customers, so it should be used by

the companies that want to display their valuable products. The psychology of each different

color and how it associates with customers is very important when using different colors

effectively. It people would like to establish their companies, they should use different colors

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based on their target customers because it is the easiest way to develop their company, brand,

and attract customers. Why don’t you think about why companies use that color.

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Works Cited

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Diaz, Jesus. "Hot Chocolate Tastes Much Better In an Orange Cup." Gizmodo. N.p., 03 Jan.

2013. Web. 16 May 2015.

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