COLOURS PSYCHOLOGY IN BRANDING

"What is your favourite colour?" from this question, it is very probable that you will know the answer with ease. Whatever colour you choose, it is sure to be a colour which fits the personal identity you want to expose. Then how important is it for us to have to understand the psychological influence of colour invisualizing a brand, so that it fits with the personality and reality you wish to communicate to your target market?

We need to know that in nature colours are divided into four groups: primary, secondary, tertiary and neutral. Primary colours are the base colours, which cannot be mixed from other colours. The colours included in the primary colour category are red, blue and yellow. Secondary colours are the results of mixing primary colours with the proportion 1:1, i.e., orange as the result of mixing red and yellow, green is a mixture of blue and yellow, while purple is a mixture of red and blue. Next are the tertiary colours, as a result of mixing a primary colour with a secondary colour, an example of which is yellowy—orange which is obtained by mixing yellow with orange. And finally are the neutral colours, which are the result of mixing the threebase colours with the proportion 1:1:1. This colour often appears to balance contrasting colours, and usually the result of this mixture will approach black.

In our daily life, without us being aware of it, these colours have already become a part of who we are, for example if someone really likes yellow, then if we pay close attention, that person will almost certainly have a happy, bright and energetic nature. The same is true in the choice of colour in branding visualisation. which is important to facilitate the public in associating with the brand identity which the brand owner displays, whether the company wants to look very professional, full of dynamism, or looking approachable. All of this must fit the target market, vision, mission and brand development strategy of the company.

Of course you often see brands which offer cafe retail, which have a brand identity coloured brown which is easily associated with the products an offer, combined with inspirational natural colours in the design interior. All this is undertaken so that the consumer feels comfortable for as long as they are enjoying their drink, and it is often used as a meeting place for long chats with relativesThis is because the colour psychology helps in creating a complete brand experience, without forgetting product quality, service, andthe brand reality itself.

Have you also noticed that fast food restaurants are often decorated with red, orange, or yellow? This is not just a coincidence, because scientific research shows that red, orange and yellow push visitors to have a faster eating rythm. Of course, after you finish eating, there is little possibility ust to sit and chat with your relatives.

Another case is children’s books and toy brands and products, which usually use bright colours. Children prefer these colours to dark colours. From these cases we can see how important the process of choosing and integrating colours is in the branding process.

It is not just the meaning of the colours which you need to consider, but you must research first the attitudes and preferences of your target market. Local cultural factors can also play a role in making the meaning of a colour different. As an example, be careful of using the colour white in China, because it is often associated with mourning in their culture. Often the public in a tropical country will respond more easily to warm colours, while the opposite is true for those in areas with a colder climate. Finally, colour does not just remind us of a display and communicate brand personality, but indirectly colour influences a person's behaviour. Knowing this, then of course in conceptualising a brand visual identity we have to pay attention to various aspects to be wiser in balancing colour and the psychological aspects displayed, because in each application, all colours must be applied with the same, consistent colour configuration.