Companies and the marketers that serve them have long understood that logos are among the most crucial factors for helping consumers identify a brand.
Research now shows that the colors in those eye-catching designs can impact customer emotion toward the brand and their overall impression of the brand.
Surveying 184 adults, Jessica Ridgway, a doctoral student from the University of Missouri, offered up a host of generic logos for participants to view. Participants were asked to share the emotions each logo elicited.
She found that participants identified very distinct character traits they felt were associated with each logo, based on the main color used in the design.
Findings By Color
Ridgway’s study revealed emotional responses toward specific colors as follows:
- Blue – Logos that featured this color fostered feelings of reliability, success and confidence.
- Green – This color gave the impression of toughness, sustainability, environmental friendliness, durability and masculinity.
- Purple – This color invoked feelings of charm, glamour and femininity.
- Pink – Logos that featured this color brought up feelings of imagination, youth and being fashionable.
- Yellow – Logos crafted in this color were seen as fun and modern.
- Red – This bold color inspired confidence, self-assurance and expertise.
Ridgway, who is a student in MU’s Department of Textile and Apparel Management, said the findings were most surprising in relation to the color red.
While this color is commonly associated with romance or anger, she was surprised that study participants felt logos in this shade represented assurance and expertise. She attributed the difference to the number of well-known brands, like State Farm, that use red in their logos.
Using the Results
Ridgway suggests her study results should serve as a signal to marketers and entrepreneurs to think closely about the colors selected during the logo creation process and the types of emotions they want to inspire in consumers.
“If a feeling of reliability is desired, blue might be the best choice, while a purple logo may be preferred for a feminine, glamorous brand,” she said. “Simultaneously, the results also remind brand managers that they cannot rely on traditional color associations alone. They must stay attuned to how colors are viewed and applied in popular culture such as in entertainment, as this tends to influence consumers’ color associations.”
The study, titled “A study on brand personality: consumers’ perception of colours used in fashion brand logos” was published in the International Journal of Fashion Design, Technology and Education.
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