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“I found I could say things with color
and shapes that I couldn’t say any other way – things I had no words for.”

Georgia O’Keefe

We gratefully live in colour. It is everywhere around us and we sometimes forget to recognize it as a powerful psychological tool for ourselves and our businesses. Its use, or misuse, can lead to positive or negative messages, influence people, encourage or discourage sales or it can have a calming or energizing effect on an audience. Yet, many entrepreneurs do not give it a second thought when choosing their business colours or the ones that they wear when meeting clients. They will pick a favourite colour for their logo instead of analysing their business attributes and choosing a colour that fits the psychology of their brand.

Linking one’s business to a colour has a lot more impact now that we all have a Web presence. Colours have different meanings to different cultures and if you are planning to bring your business to an international level or tapping into a multicultural niche, you should be very careful about the colours that you will use to promote your business. For example, in our Western culture, white is associated with purity and peace (peace dove, white flag, wedding dress) but in most Asian cultures white is the colour representing death. So a lot of thought has to be put into using white if you are going to promote your products to Asian cultures as it may not have the desired impact.

When you present yourself to potential clients, attend a networking event or give a presentation, the colour that you wear will also have an impact on the image that you are sending to your audience.

Here is a quick overview of some colours and their impact.

BLACK ■■■■■■■■■■■■

• Powerful, mysterious, classic and elegant.
• Associated with strength, authority, and stability.
• Colour of choice of formal events and influential people (black tie attire and tuxedos, graduation robes, lawyer and judge robes).
• Too much of it creates distance and detachment, or an occult and mysterious feeling (Goths, black magic, darkness).
• When worn, since it absorbs light rather than reflecting it, it has a thinning effect, thus the popularity of the little black dress.

WHITE □□□□□□□□□□□□

• Compression of all colours of the spectrum, it is a powerful hue to use.
• Commands respect because it is high maintenance (don’t touch or it will soil).
• Associated with purity and cleanliness (wedding and baptismal gowns, health care professionals’ overcoats, hygienic environments) and is bright and visible.
• Also associated with efficiency and clarity.
• When worn, white reflects light and therefore will highlight everything. You cannot hide behind white.

RED ■■■■■■■■■■■■

• Dynamic, provocative and aggressive. If you want to get noticed, use red.
• Warm colour associated with passion and life (love, red roses, fire, blood), with danger and urgency (stop signs, red traffic lights, red flags, fire trucks) and with energy, movement and excitement.
• Because of its extremely high level of vibrational energy, red can quickly become aggressive and confrontational if overused.
• Better used as an accent colour than as the base colour.
• Stimulates a person’s response and makes them more prone to act on impulse.
• When worn, red will give you energy but if worn over a long period of time, it can also drain you.

BLUE ■■■■■■■■■■■■

• Has a large spectrum of associations. It has a calming effect, while stimulating thought process (ideas coming “out of the blue”) but can also calm you to the point of feeling depressed (feeling “blue”) if overused.
• Favourite colour of the majority of people on the planet probably because much of our natural surroundings are blue – the sky, the ocean, even the glaciers.
• Cold hue associated with loyalty and credibility (blue uniforms – army, police – political groups, flags).
• When worn, the darker shades of blue convey success and power. It has a happy and grounded disposition. Certain hues can seem unfriendly, rigid and arrogant (royal blue).

YELLOW ■■■■■■■■■■■■

• Optimistic and creative and has a high impact.
• The most visible hue of the chromatic spectrum and as such, is often used to attract attention (ambulance, yield sign, school bus, yellow pages).
• Warm colour associated with the sun, happiness and leisure.
• Conveys innovation, well-being and creativity.
• Too bright, in too much quantity or paired with black, it can be perceived as aggressive (nuclear warning sign, hornet).
• Not many people can wear pure yellow in a flattering way. It is better to use its lighter or golden variations.

Every single other colour is derived from these three primary colours, and each hue will have its own impact on your professional image. Therefore, before choosing your brand colours, your professional outfits and accessories, ask yourself what impact you want to make, which type of clientele you are trying to attract, and what lasting impression you want people to have of you and your company. Most importantly, discover your brand attributes and pick the colours that will support your brand and marketing strategies in the most efficient way.

What are your colours saying about you?

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