Colour is a powerful tool and for many businesses, an asset which must be seriously safeguarded. Tiffany’s were onto this idea almost two centuries ago. Their iconic blue colour was selected shortly after it opened its doors for business, dating all the way back to September 18, 1837! Today, that robin egg blue is a stronger brand identifier than the Tiffany’s logo.
When a business embraces a colour for a brand, what they are trying to do with that colour is attract attention, have that colour resonate in a consumer memory, and allow that colour to draw on positive associations.
When consumers look at a piece of printed material, the first thing people see is colour. What get’s noticed next are shapes and symbols, followed by numbers, then words. Further research shows that 60% of the time people will decide if they are attracted to a message, based on colour alone.
Colour consistency and recognition are key factors when considering that consumer decisions are made in seconds. If the colour is not right or is not recognised, brands can erode.
It helps when companies invest in styleguides. That way, colours get assessed in various colour modes, rgb, cmyk and spot. It’s often helpful to make the brand colours spot colours to allow for more consistent reproduction and in some cases, reduce costs via fewer printing units. As another safeguard, try to test your corporate colours on a variety of paper stocks as colours can vary between printing devices, paper stocks and coated finishes.
One thing’s for certain, protecting a brand colour like you would any asset, is key to reaping the rewards available through a successful brand colour. Check out some of our recent branding projects and the colours that they have invested in.
