The colour is ubiquitous and is a source of information. Colour wields enormous sway over our attitudes and emotions. People make up their minds within 90 seconds of their initial interactions with either people or products. About 62‐90 percent of the assessment is based on colours alone. So, prudent use of colours can contribute not only to differentiating products from competitors but also to influencing moods and feelings positively or negatively and therefore, to attitude towards certain products. Given that our moods and feelings are unstable and that colours play roles in forming an attitude, it is important that managers understand the importance of colours in marketing.

 

The colour is a tricky thing. You have to use it in the right way, at the right time, with the right audience, and for the right purpose. Findings of the study are that managers can use colours to increase or decrease appetite, enhance mood, calm down customers, and, reduce the perception of waiting time, among others. When it comes to picking the “right” colour, research has found that predicting consumer reaction to colour appropriateness is far more important than the individual colour itself.

 

When it comes to colour techniques, the use of contrast is particularly important, and it’s probably the one that will lead you to butt heads with your designer the most. Contrast is how one colour stands apart from another. It’s what makes text or objects distinguishable from the background. Choose colours and contrast that is readable.

Red and green, two complementary colours, present a sticky problem. Some people have colour blindness and cannot distinguish between certain colours, and red and green are a common problematic combination. Colours with heavy amounts of red and green in them get bungled up, too.

These are some of the points you should keep in mind, next time you are trying to incorporate a color scheme for your brand or marketing campaign.