How Colour Combination Effects Buying Decision

It may come as a surprise for many of you but the truth is that the colour combination of a brand’s logo, packaging as well as retail space has a major impact on consumers’ buying behaviour. Studies reveal that consumers take just about 90 seconds to form an initial opinion about a product. What is even more interesting is that approximately 62%-90% of the opinion is formed on the basis of the product’s colour.

This is mainly because we humans give high weightage to a product’s outer appearance and colour impacts the appearance majorly. Colour is, in fact, the first thing a consumer notices about a product and it would not be wrong to say that it plays a vital role in selling the product. Brands must thus choose the right colour combination to create a place in the market.

Consumer Perception about Colours

Colours have a deep impact on human brain and can invoke different feelings such as happiness, trust, optimism, prosperity, warmth, tranquility and fear. These feelings are evoked due to underlying notions associated with different colours and can impact a person’s mood which in turn can build his/ her perception about a brand.

While colours are largely perceived the same way by humans, there are certain factors that may impact our perception about them. This mainly includes gender, age and culture. This is to say that a colour that may appeal to the younger generation may seem a bit too flashy to the older one. Likewise, a colour that attracts women might be a put off for men. As per a study, 76% of women prefer cool colours compared to only 56% of men. Culture also has a deep impact on the way we perceive different colours.

So, brands need to choose colour combination based on their target audience as much as they can in order to hit the right note.

Colours Help in Brand Recognition

Brands must use same colour combination in branding and marketing activities across platforms. This is an effective way to make your products memorable. The use of colour scheme should be such that the public begins to associate certain colours with your brand. For instance, when we see the colour combination of red and white, the logo of Airtel pops up in our mind. Likewise, red and yellow colour combination instantly reminds us of McDonald’s. This is because these brands have consistently been using these colours in all their promotional activities.

On the other hand, if you do not maintain colour consistency in your campaigns then you may end up confusing the consumers and would not be able to create the desired impact. As per an infographic by kissmetrics, colours have the capacity to increase brand recognition by 80%.

Different Colours Evoke Different Feelings/Emotions

Different colours have different effect on consumers. The way colours are combined and displayed impacts consumer’s perception about the brand and hence their buying decision. Reportedly, as many as 93% consumers have mentioned that a product’s colour plays a key factor in their purchasing decisions. Studies also reveal that two among three consumers make a big purchase only if they love the product’s shade.

Feelings Associated with Different Colours

Here is a brief look at the kind of feelings different colours evoke.

• Red: Red is often associated with passion, love and energy. It is also associated with aggression and danger.
• Green: Green is perceived as the colour of nature, outdoors, balance and growth.
• Blue: Blue indicates trust and cleanliness.
• White: White is associated with purity. It is also associated with innocence and cleanliness.
• Yellow: Yellow indicates sunshine, brightness and optimism.
• Black: Black is associated with power and luxury. It may even be associated with fear.

Combining Colours to Trigger the Right Feelings

Brands often combine two or more colours to design logos as well as for other branding activities. Combining warm colours such as red, yellow and orange can invoke feelings of happiness and optimism. It has been observed that when brought together for promotional activities this colour combination can make the consumers take quick decisions. The combination is particularly appealing to the impulsive buyers.

A combination of blue, green and purple, on the other hand, displays security, beauty and health. So, the colour combination is a good choice for healthcare and beauty products. Likewise, cool colours such as light blue and pink appear more appealing to budget shoppers who make buying decisions after considering various pros and cons related to the product. Interestingly, combining different primary and secondary colours can render a vibrant and beautiful impact.

On the whole, brands need to make balanced use of colours as it creates a favorable notion about them.

Use of Colours in Retail Space

Based on popular notions about colours, brands combine them or use them separately to create the right impression on the consumers as they walk into the store so as to urge them to purchase their products. Here is how colours are mostly used by brands:

• Yellow is used for gender neutral items.
• Red has the capacity to draw attention. Thus, it is mostly used for sale.
• Green is used by brands to indicate fresh arrival.
• The colour purple is associated with luxury and is thus used for luxury items section.
• Pink colour is used in the section that displays feminine products.

The colours used in stores have a deep impact on the consumer psyche. As per a study published in the journal of business research in 2003, consumers are more likely to go back to stores that have blue colour schemes as opposed to those with orange.

Not just physical stores, online stores must also pick the colour combination carefully to attract greater number of buyers.

Impact of Packaging Colour

Not just the colour of the product but the colour of its packaging also influences a person’s buying decision. This is because packaging is the first thing a consumer notices as he/she browses through an array of products lying on a store shelf.

You need to choose the right kind of colour combination for packaging to convey the right message to the consumers. It has been observed that the more colours a brand uses in packaging the less serious the product appears. It should thus be avoided. Conversely, combining two colours for packaging is a good idea as it looks elegant. Besides, the colour of packaging should be in sync with the product one is selling.

Alerting Colour Scheme Based on Region

It has been emphasized often enough that brands need to maintain uniformity of colour and design in all their branding activities to create a greater impact. However, tweaking and altering the colour scheme can work in your favour while promoting products in different countries. This is because notions associated with colours vary based on culture and region. For instance, green is largely perceived as a colour of growth, nature, freshness and even wealth however, the colour is forbidden in Indonesia. The colour also symbolizes infidelity in some Eastern culture. Likewise, green hats are a taboo for men in China as it indicates their wives have cheated on them. So, you see, while you can create a good impact in certain markets by using green colour your brand may be looked down upon in the countries where green is not perceived well. Likewise, while red is considered an auspicious colour in India and is associated with good luck in China and Egypt, it is not considered good in African countries.

It is thus a good idea to alter the colour based on the region you are targeting to ensure the customers in that region build a positive connection with your brand.

So, we see how something as simple as colours can have a deep impact on our mind and influence our buying decisions. Brands really need to consider this point seriously and combine colours tactfully to create a lasting impression.

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Aspirze Content Team

Specialised in Marketing, Technology, Education and many more