In psychology, there are many different factors that can influence the way we think, feel and act. But did you know that simply seeing a colour can instil certain emotions within us? Whether consciously or not, our inner state is influenced by our environment. Through their work, designers, brand professionals and marketing teams can leverage the power of colour psychology to help businesses achieve their specific goals.
From curating the perfect brand image, to developing a positive public sentiment towards a company, businesses can combine colour psychology with merchandise design to influence how people feel towards their brand. So, if you’re planning your next branded merchandise campaign, or developing designs for your merchandise giveaway, understanding colour psychology can help you achieve the results you desire.
What is Colour Psychology All About?
In simple terms, colour psychology is the study of how colours impact emotions and behaviours. In the world of marketing and branding, this is used to understand the relationship between different colours, and consumer behaviour and impressions.
However, colour psychology is not as simple and clear-cut as we once thought. Whereas colours can be broadly categorised into ‘positive’ and ‘negative’ colours, the true impact of colour is much more nuanced.
There’s no right or wrong colour for your brand. It’s all about making the best choice of colours to reflect your brand values and message.
Read on to find out how to begin applying colour psychology to your merchandise design!
How to Use Colour Psychology in Merchandise
Before designing any merchandise, it’s important to understand your brand colours. What is the meaning behind the colours you’ve chosen, and are they still a good representation of your brand today? Brand colours have the strongest impact on influencing customer impressions. You can maximise recognition and brand recall by aiming to use at least some of your brand colours in your merchandise. If you’re working on a specific campaign, you can create a colour palette that is slightly different to your signature colours (as long as you adhere to your brand guidelines!).
An effective merchandise campaign will use colours that spark the desired emotions within your audience while also capturing consumer attention. This can be done by creating contrasting colour combinations or by using colours that are closely associated with the brand’s mission. For example, if you’re trying to get a powerful political message across, going for bright and bold colours could be the right option. If, however, you’re promoting a self-care brand, focusing on a soft and serene colour palette would be the way to go.
At the same time, breaking away from what is usually expected could be a great way to differentiate your brand. If every brand running an environmental campaign uses green, opt for a different colour to help your brand stand out.
Best Practices for Choosing Merchandise Colours
Apart from aligning your chosen colours with your brand identity, it’s also important to consider who your target audience is. Who will be receiving your merchandise, and in what setting will they be using the products you give?
Try choosing colours that are appropriate for your audience based on their demographics and suitable for the context. This will help you ensure that your brand’s message is communicated effectively.
To ensure that you’re choosing the right colours, you can carry out testing to experiment with the impact of different options. Ask your audiences which colours they prefer, and refine your merchandise design before ordering the final product.
Another factor which will come into play when choosing your merchandise colours is culture. The same colours may be perceived differently depending on the location your audience is based in. If you’re launching a global campaign, you may want to tweak your merchandise colours for audiences from different cultural backgrounds.
Finally, being consistent with your merchandise colours will help to maximise the impact of your campaign. Whichever colours you choose, incorporating them in your digital marketing efforts and offline advertising will reinforce your message!
Ready to discover the power of colour psychology for yourself? Get in touch with the team at Print&Merchandise to find the perfect colour combination for your branded merchandise!
