Brand Colours and the Meaning Behind Them

When it comes to building your company brand there are so many factors to think about which we may think of as unimportant but there is a reason for every detail which goes into a brand and how we are drawn to logos, labels and products. Take social media channels for example; why are Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn all represented in the colour Blue? Coincidence or strategy? Blue represents trust and professionalism and is the most popular choice for brands for this purpose.

Colour is so important, and something we are very passionate about at Labelnet as we are surrounded by colourful inks every day and understand the importance of creating the perfect colours for our customers labels.

The use of certain colours in your branding says a lot about your personality and what message you are trying to get across. Colour has become a very powerful tool when it comes to marketing your products so we have dug a little deeper into each colour and the meaning behind it, to help you decide on colours when it comes not only to your brand but your products labels.

So, to help you decide on your choice of colours and what they may represent, check out each colour stop below to help make some important decisions for your brand. Contrary to this if you have a lemon curd product range and wondering what label colour to opt for, choosing yellow is a no brainer. If you have a tomato ketchup bottle which has a red label or red artwork, this is naturally a popular choice to opt for. If, however, you have a product where the colour choices are endless and don’t know where to start, then this blog is ideal for you.

Blue

It’s all about Blue…it’s all about Blue baby! Yes, we are starting with the King of all colours within the marketing world, the most popular, the crème de la crème of colour choices when it comes to brand identity, and that is Blue.

Blue represents the sea and sky which are very calming, peaceful and represent trust. Most businesses use blue for this reason (as per our social media example above) and is a colour which oozes maturity and security.

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Be careful though because using the wrong tones or in the wrong way, the colour blue can easily represent the wrong message because let’s face it, blue is a cool colour which can appear cold and detached.

Green

Green is a soft, balanced colour which is often associated with nature, wellness and money and often brings clarity of the mind. Brands looking for fresh starts and security can consider green as a way to relax the mind, as it is a versatile colour which doesn’t force the eyes to make any adjustments.

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The flip side to using green is the wrong message being perceived of greed, envy and being materialistic. It doesn’t have the most energetic punch so isn’t ideal for those wanting a bold statement.

Pink

Pink is the most feminine of colours often used for a female demographic and is associated with romance, playfulness and unconditional love. It’s another versatile colour choice being a lighter, and sweeter, shade of red which can retain a sense of energy and cheer providing a sense of fun but can also be soothing and calming.

It is feminine and youthful in its softer shades, with more passion and energy in its deeper shades.

Pink can be associated with passivity and its unwillingness to be serious. It can be represented as over emotional with a lack of will power and self-worth, which could go against your brand if the wrong tones, or too much pink is used.

Yellow

Yellow is a friendly and cheerful colour often associated with playfulness and positivity. It is a colour which makes people feel happy as it represents the sun creating more comforting and warming emotions. Bright yellow certainly grabs peoples attention with an enthusiastic and uplifting effect.

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Using the wrong yellow hue can quickly have the opposite effect and create a vibe of caution and illness so use this colour wisely when it comes to branding or your labels. Too much bright yellow can easily become overwhelming.

Red

Red is a very powerful and loud colour which grabs people’s attention. It has a playful feel and symbolises excitement, energy and passion. Red is often used professionally to capture attention, elicit emotion, and convey confidence. This is a very popular colour choice when it comes to marketing.

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Red can also be very aggressive and indicate danger and anger so can easily represent bad feelings so be careful not to overdo it.

Purple

Purple is a powerful colour which offers a luxury, sophisticated and quality feel. It is a cheerful and playful colour and sometimes associated with escapism and spiritual images. Using purple within your brand can convey high value goods and a high end product.

Adding too much purple, however, can easily become too much and represent feelings of arrogance and frustration which can be unsettling. Having the connection of royalty it can sometimes portray a pompous feel which can be off-putting for some.

Orange

Orange is a very energetic colour with it’s vibrant tones which can easily stop and make you notice it is there. Using orange within branding represents fun, optimism and self-confidence. It communicates something which is affordable yet of a decent quality and also reflects sociability and excitability.

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Using darker shades of Orange can have the most negative associations of being over-bearing and superficial meaning it is a colour to be used sparingly or rather carefully. It is often used to attract a younger audience as they tend to respond well to the vibrant colour.

Black

Black is a very bold, dramatic colour which is often associated with professionalism and seriousness but can also be used to show sophistication and feelings of elegance, believe it or not. Think Chanel or YSL for example which both ooze sophistication and use the colour black as their brand.

Using black with another colour is great as it’s often seen as a neutral colour within marketing and can easily be used against pink, golds, oranges or yellows.

Black can however be seen as scary, dull, unapproachable, or overly serious so needs to be used very carefully to portray the right message.

White

White is the purest of colours which can be illuminating, clean and fresh when it comes to design and brand. Sometimes simplicity is all you need and using white is the perfect colour for a plain yet elegant design or brand.

Using white against bright colours is a rather powerful combination to be considered.

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With no real warmth to the colour it can, however, create a feeling of coldness, distance and portray an impersonal message.

Gold

Gold is the champion of all colours (think gold medals and coins) which represents wealth, quality, and extravagance. It is a warm colour which is optimistic and oozes sophistication and elegance, suggesting that a product or service is expensive and exclusive.

The brighter, shinier notes of gold are the most eye catching and uplifting to use within branding.

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Using too much gold can have a negative effect as it can represent pretentiousness or be overwhelming. When using gold digitally it can easily look light a dull, dirty yellow which doesn’t give off positive feelings.

Silver

And last but not least let’s talk all things Silver. Another of the metallic range but a cooler tone which is sleek, modern and elegant and like gold, it can be associated with wealth and quality.

It is calming and soothing which has uplifting tones and a sense of mystery to it but often used to add a level of luxury to a brand or brand design.

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With it being a cooler tone it can create feelings of coldness, loneliness, insincerity and dullness depending on the tone and amount used within branding or design.

What Colour Fits Your Brand?

So after a quick run down of what different colours mean and how it can change how your brand is perceived maybe it’s time to have a think about what colour best fits your brand.

We know we’ve covered just the basics but there are thousands of variations of each colour and using a variety of colours within your brand is a whole other blog post.

Our team help our customers choose the right colours, materials and finishes for their products labels which show case your brand and entice customers to pick you over your competitors.

For more information, samples or quotes for your labels just get in touch with our team today who will support you with your label enquiry from start to finish.