Your business’s logo and branding are the first things that any potential customer will see when they research you online. If you don’t have a strong, cohesive brand or professionally designed logo, customers may think that you aren’t as experienced or knowledgeable as your competitors. Strong branding indicates a company that consumers can trust, because it shows that the business owner has invested time and money into creating a business image that is professional and meaningful. Before you get started on your company’s new logo and branding, consider these tips for choosing the right colors for the design.
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The main reason that branding colors matter, in your logo design and beyond, is because certain colors evoke very specific emotions in your audience. Choosing the wrong brands colors can subconsciously affect your customers’ opinions of your company, making them associate your logo design and branding with something negative. Choosing the right branding colors, on the other hand, can create positive, trustworthy associations for your customers. If you’re an international company, you also need to think about how your branding colors appeal to different cultures as well. A color that Americans associate with success may represent the exact opposite in a different country.
Using the same branding colors throughout your website, social media, and marketing materials creates a strong, cohesive brand identity that customers will grow to associate with your company’s services and products. Even seeing a similar logo design being used by another company will make them think of your company instead. In addition to using your branding colors in your logo design, you’ll also use them:
When finding your brand identity, it helps to work with a marketing expert who has made a careful study of color associations and branding colors. For instance, an expert knows that red is associated with youth, excitement, passion, and anger and will realize that it shouldn’t be the prominent branding color in a logo design for an assisted living community. Before working with a branding consultant, make a list of the key emotions you want customers to have when thinking about or associating with your brand. Do you want them to see your logo design and think trustworthy, reliable, forceful, and innovative? Once you have made your list, your branding consultant can use it to strategically pick appropriate branding colors.
As we’ve said, certain colors have certain meanings to the public, and you can use that to your advantage in your branding colors and logo design. Having a general sense of what each color means will help steer you in the right direction when considering your overall branding. Keep in mind that these color meanings aren’t universal and won’t have the same meaning for each person who encounters them. Plus, these general associations work in North America but may have different associations in other countries:
There is no one right way to choose your branding colors; however, there is a simple formula you can use to get started. This formula will help you choose your color scheme, which you can use throughout your logo design and marketing materials. You will want to choose three colors in total: your base color, your accent color, and a neutral color. Your base color should be representative of your brand’s most significant trait, mission, or vision. Your accent color is the one used the most after your base color. Its meaning should complement and build on your base color, and pair well with it visually. Finally, your neutral color is a background color chosen to avoid competition with the other two colors. It can be a lighter version of one of your other two branding colors, or it can be a shade of white, gray, or black.
It might go without saying, but you should research your competitors and review their branding and logo design before making any major decisions. You want to avoid using any similar design motifs or branding colors in your company branding—not just because you don’t want to rip off another company’s hard work, but also because you don’t want to create even a hint of confusion about the differences between you and your competitors. You want to stand out from the pack and market yourself as wholly unique and different from your competitors, so that your customers find it easier to choose you over all others.
Once you have redesigned your business logo and chosen your color branding, you need to create a color branding guide for your marketing team. Your branding must be cohesive across all marketing and advertising—anyone creating anything with your company logo needs to know exactly where to find marketing materials and a style guide that shows them exactly what branding colors, fonts, and design styles they need to use. Without a branding colors guide, you risk employees choosing the wrong shades of colors and diluting your company branding.
Does your business need help from an expert to create a new logo design or branding colors in Vermont? At Group6 Interactive, we know that your company’s logo design is more than just an image or icon—it represents your brand and conveys a lot of valuable information to your customers. We have extensive experience in creating logo designs and branding materials for companies across all industries, and we can help your company stand out from the competition and create a memorable branding experience. To learn more about our branding and logo design services in Vermont, New Hampshire, and New York, or to schedule an initial consultation, call us today at (802) 342-4656 or contact us online.
