The power of colour in marketing
If you’re re-branding your company, or creating a brand for the first time, you’re sure to be thinking about the company name or the design of your logo. But are you also considering the importance of colour? Studies into the psychology of colour suggest that your colour choice could be crucial, having a marked impact on the way your clients see your company – even how they feel about it. In fact, your choice of colour might even be responsible for whether your clients buy into your products or services – or leave them on the shelf. The effects of colour Whilst it’s true that we all react differently to colour, it’s widely acknowledged that different hues and tones affect our cognitive behaviour. Research has shown that colours really do have the power to make us happy or sad, relaxed or energised – even to leave us with feelings of confidence or trust. So how does it work? When we see a certain shade, our brains are stimulated to react, recalling strong memories and powerful emotions associated with that colour. See red and yellow together and it’s quite likely that even without an image of the ‘golden arches’, McDonalds will come to mind. When US-based Colour Marketing Group ran a study into the effects of colour in marketing, they found that when you add a colour element into your logo or company branding, you boost brand recognition by up to 80%. We invest so much time and money in getting our marketing right and increasing brand loyalty, but perhaps we don’t always pay enough attention to our colour choice. Pin your colours to the mast In a recent post, we looked at how Archetypes can be used to define and portray the character of your brand. In a similar way, any colour that you choose to align with your brand, needs to sum up the personality and ethos of your company – and not work against it. Colour clues If you’re keen to get your colour scheme right, but don’t know where to start, we’ve looked at the personality of some key colours commonly used in the branding palette and what emotions they’re likely to evoke in your customers. Red Not for the faint-hearted, red is an extremely strong and distinctive colour, and one that’s associated with danger, passion, excitement and energy. In branding terms, it packs a powerful punch and signifies strength, confidence and power. It can help you stand out from the crowd, especially if your competitors are steering clear of it in favour of safer colours. Orange There’s a certain exuberance and optimism about the colour orange and it always comes across as fresh, youthful, vibrant and creative. It’s a good choice for brands that want to tap into their clients’ spirit of adventure or show an energetic and lively side. Its popularity in the 70s, also gives it a slightly nostalgic feel that may strike a chord with customers of a certain age. Yellow The colour of sunshine, happiness and friendliness, yellow communicates joy, energy and a certain clarity of thought. It’s also an extremely bold colour to adopt for branding purposes so should be used carefully to avoid your brand looking cheap or down-market. The golder tones of yellow are a good choice, giving your designs the vibrancy you want but with a more professional, high-end feel. Green Not surprisingly, green is often used to represent nature and the environment, and symbolises growth, life and sustainability. A darker shade of green however is more likely to represent wealth, prestige and abundance – in the US it’s also the ‘colour of money’ so often used for financial institutions or large, corporate organisations. Blue Choose blue and you’ll be in good company. This calm, cool shade is the most universally used colour in branding and emits trustworthy and communicative properties. It’s corporate, reliable, harmonious and widely adopted by companies who want to express their authority and status. Purple Purple conjures up images of royalty, nobility and luxury or elegance. It’s also a hue that has a spiritual and mysterious side. It’s often appreciated more by a female audience, especially when using a lighter, more lavender shade. It’s probably one of the less popular colours to work with for branding purposes, despite Cadburys adopting it so successfully. Pink Although an intrinsically feminine and romantic colour, pink can work very well in branding terms and comes across as confident, fresh, exciting and modern. While paler pinks have long been used for products or services aimed at women or little girls, today pink is being adopted far more widely for genderless brands. Black While other colours may be more memorable, the use of black can be a powerful way to portray a brand that is sophisticated, formal or luxurious. It’s a distinctive colour that asks to be taken seriously – and one that suggests exclusivity. It has to be used carefully and lightly though, or your brand may end up looking too funeral. In the study, Exciting Red and Competent Blue, it is found that a consumer’s purchasing intent is greatly affected by colors because of their impact on how a brand is perceived. So the colours influence how consumers view the personality of a brand. Many attempts have been made to associate consumer reaction to different individual colours: But the truth of the matter is that colours don’t always mean a certain reaction and depend more on the personal experiences that translate to specific feelings. So one individual colour can be perceived differently by two different people. Colour seasons If limiting yourself to one colour seems too restrictive, you might prefer to identify a ‘colour season’ that captures the essence of your brand. The Brand Stylist, Fiona Humberstone champions this approach. This will give you a complementary palette of colours to work with, whilst still allowing you to remain loyal to your brand character and values. Spring This season is for brands that are warm and approachable with a youthful and forward
Change your marketing with the power of purpose
Like all great thinkers and inspirational leaders, Simon Sinek was perhaps a bit ahead of his time. The marketing theories he shared back in 2009 are just gathering momentum now, and in many circles, being heralded as the way forward. At that time, he delivered what is now seen as a game-changing TED talk, ‘How great leaders inspire action’. He spoke passionately about why some companies manage to rise above their competitors and create success, when in essence they’re selling similar products to everyone else. Think Apple. Apple is just a computer company like many others – but what is it that sets them apart? It’s not just their products – a whole host of tech companies out there make similar phones and computers. What sets them apart is the way they think, their ethos and how well they communicate that to their customers. So what do they do with their marketing and branding that’s so different? Marketing with a purpose As Simon, bestselling author and leadership expert says in his Ted talk, companies like Apple have got it right because they market themselves differently from everyone else. To explain, he uses what he calls the ‘golden circle’. Most companies approach their branding by working from the outside in, with WHAT, HOW, WHY. They tell people WHAT their products are (we make great computers), HOW they’re different to everyone else’s (they’re beautifully designed and easy to use), and then WHY they do what they do (we want you to buy one). Successful companies like Apple turn this approach on its head, working from the inside out. They start with WHY. So their marketing message would be more like this: “With everything we do, we aim to challenge the status quo. We aim to think differently. Our products are user friendly, beautifully designed, and easy to use. We just happen to make great computers. Want to buy one?” This simple switch means they put more effort into telling us what kind of company they are and what they believe in, rather than just telling us what they sell. This helps them attract customers who share their beliefs and want to become a part of their story. That’s what sets them apart from other companies who just sell computers. In the words of Simon Sinek: “Your customers don’t buy what you do; they buy why you do it.” Be more like Apple The point is, marketing is no longer just about presenting a front to the world. Now it’s much more about giving your customers the real deal. In an age where higher ethical standards, fair trade and sustainability are top of the agenda, consumers want to see brands doing a bit more, giving something back. In short, we want to admire brands, look up to them, aspire to what they’ve achieved. We want to be part of their story. Harness the power of purpose If you’re inspired by the simplicity of the golden circles and feel ready to harness the power of purpose for your business, how do you start? Think about your company and what your WHY is (making money is not the answer!). Why did you set up your company in the first place, what did you set out to achieve, what’s your mission and what do you really believe in? Once you know this, you’ve identified your whole purpose for doing what you do. Once you’ve discovered your WHY, make sure those beliefs and ethos run through everything you do. Every piece of printed material you produce, every Facebook post, every brochure, has to come from that place. Keep it consistent and your customers who share your beliefs will buy into what you do and feel compelled to remain loyal. It’s important to think about your existing and potential customers and redefine your buyer personas aligned to your company WHY. Consider why your customers choose to buy into your services, what core values they share with you and why they remain loyal. Do your customers choose you because you’re a small company with big competitors and they prefer to support the ‘little guy’, because you ‘do the right thing’ or just because they believe in the way you like to work? This thought process will help you understand the main messages to focus on with your marketing. Try it out Now all you have to do is give it a go and see how successful your business can be when you embrace the power of purpose. And don’t worry; you don’t have to change everything overnight. As Mike Battle, CEO of Lapland UK, points out, running a business is “never about getting to a destination but about heading in the right direction. Your job is to continually get better, and it’s never finished – but understanding your purpose keeps you on the right track”.[1] Our purpose at Uniquity is to help ambitious businesses realise their potential. If you’d like some help to discover your brand’s purpose, or want to find out more about using it to transform your marketing, call us today on 07803 207 590 or book your consultation here. [1] Source: https://www.virgin.com/entrepreneur/purpose-new-branding
Why Uniquity, Why Now.
I’m absolutely thrilled to be officially launching Uniquity – a marketing agency for ambitious financial services firms. Uniquity means ‘the quality of uniqueness’. I chose this name because we’re experts at finding out what is truly unique about your business – and then using that knowledge to create distinctive marketing with the power to transform your potential into performance. I’m incredibly passionate about helping financial services firms who forge close relationships with their clients and offer a fantastic service, as well as those using technology to help make financial advice more accessible. As this is my first blog, I thought I’d share part of the pitch that helped us secure a place at Start-up Incubator. It expresses why I’m doing this and how I hope it will help you: “In my career to date, first as a Financial Adviser and then as a Financial Services Marketer, I never fail to get an interesting reaction when I say, “I absolutely love financial services!” I understand that for many, money can be seen as scary, complex and quite frankly boring. And this isn’t helped by product-pushing ‘shouty’ marketing that we all get exposed to every day. Uniquity wants to change this. We’re a financial services marketing agency helping to make money more interesting, relevant – and above all, human. We do this by making sure your marketing is delivered to the right people, at the right time. Financial services plays a huge role in our day-to-day lives and it’s evolving every day through digital transformation. I’ve been in the corporate world for over ten years, working with some of the UKs best-known financial services brands. Uniquity has the skills, data and technology to help financial services businesses transform their marketing and in turn help more clients. Some of the best financial services firms often undersell themselves, or don’t yet have the resources to have their own marketing departments – I founded Uniquity to help those businesses realise their potential. Small and medium size companies have the advantage that they can move quickly and take advantage of the latest data and technology. A marketing budget can go a long way if your message is engaging and effectively targeted with a customer centric approach. Then you can tell your authentic brand story in a new and interesting way. I’d love you to support Uniquity and join in my mission to help more people engage with their money.” Since setting up Uniquity, I’ve been overwhelmed with the support I’ve received from the industry – thanks to all of you that have already become clients. I hope we’ll be able to support many more of you with your marketing over the coming years, and play a vital role in helping you transform your business. Please do sign up for our regular updates, they’ll provide you with lots of useful marketing views and content. Laura JanesFounder