Colour is the primary influence for virtually everyone when they buy something. That’s why it is a primary factor in the consumer-packaged goods (CPG) industry.
Merchandisers know that people react to specific colours in unique ways. When you can harness this power for your website or your next marketing investment, it could positively impact your sales and profits.
How Does Colour Influence a Person’s Emotions?
A person’s emotions hold more weight than any other decision-making factor when shopping. Up to half of a consumer’s buying choices are influenced by their feelings, often creating an impulse to buy something.
The correct colour can increase a person’s willingness to look at, read or engage with the information it contains. Each shade and hue evoke a unique response.
| Colour | Consumer Response to Colour |
| Purple | This unexpected colour delivers a sense of freshness to the consumer. It creates feelings that connect to ideas of power or luxury. |
| Pink | Many shoppers associate this hue with their childhood. When used as a marketing option, it often represents hope, joy or innocence. |
| Blue | This colour creates feelings of calmness for consumers. Since it builds a foundation for relaxation, people feel more secure when making a challenging purchasing decision. Blue is often used for communication. |
| Yellow | The warmth of this shade grabs a customer’s attention without causing apprehension or angst. It offers feelings of optimism that boost energy levels, which is particularly helpful for sales. |
| Orange | People feel happy with this colour, offering emotional motivation and enthusiasm. It speaks to a person’s determination, which is why it’s seen with products often associated with productivity. |
| Green | This colour reflects the tones we see in nature. Consumers can feel both invigorated or relaxed when this colour is used. |
| Red | When consumers see this colour, they often feel an adrenaline rush. Their hearts start beating faster, creating intense emotions usually associated with love. It develops a sense of urgency that works well for impulse purchases. |
Why Is Colour Important for Customer Choice?
Colours influence the behaviours and perceptions of consumers in surprising ways. When you pick the right shades and hues to represent your brand, each target market or demographic will feel more connected to your business.
Research from the University of Loyola found that colour increases brand recognition for consumers by up to 80%.
People respond to visual stimuli, and colour drives that process. Think about how fast your eye goes to a full-colour page instead of one printed in black and white. When you use the right tone for your marketing efforts, your brand can break through the noise of hundreds (or thousands!) of businesses competing for the same transactions.
Colours can be used to relay price, quality and value of the product or service. There are cheap colours, like bright yellow, and expensive colours like black. Consumers make a subconscious decision about a product or service within seconds and the majority of these decision are based on colour alone. Aligning your product or service with the correct colours will attract the customers that are more likely to make a purchase.
Businesses can even use colours to align products or services with seasonal promotions. During Easter, you’ll see brands using pastels to describe items. At Christmas, you see more gold, green, and red.
When you incorporate colour into your marketing, you’ll find it is easier to make meaningful connections with consumers. Doing so will build more trust in your business, leading to additional sales opportunities.
