Lien Design knows the importance of color and how color affects buying action. This is why we pay close attention to the coloring of the packaging designs we create. Have you ever bought anything at a store, let's say in California, because it’s associated or related to your favorite color? Have you been attracted to any product because of the color used on the packaging design?
Color has a significant effect on our emotion as humans. For instance, brighter color such as white, pink, red, blue, etc, creates more positive reactions in people. Such colors produce happiness and enthusiasm within us, while darker colors such as brown and black creates the opposite effect. Green induces withdrawal while black induces anxiety and red can be interpreted as an aggressive color according to color experts. It’s important to note that there are some events in our lives that have been associated with certain colors. Take for instance, the Valentine’s season. During this season, red becomes the dominant color and most products are usually packaged in red in order to influence buying.
COLORS AND CUSTOMER BEHAVIOR
Colors play significant role and influence on how a buyer gets attracted to make a purchase. Here are some of the well-known colors and how they influence your spending:
Red
Red has been associated with love. This means that red can be arousing and must be strategic in usage. This is why red is dominant during love seasons such as Valentine’s Day, Christmas, Thanksgiving, etc. Consumers tend to buy more of the products packaged in red during love seasons. This means red shouldn’t be used on every product. Products about love, gifts, emotions, etc, are better packaged in red. Colors are strategically placed to influence your spending and action.
Blue
Blue walls in the stores make relaxing and pleasant feelings for customers but the red effect is inversely. This is why it’s quite difficult to see walls with red background at the store except during love seasons. I feel blue is quite neutral since almost everyone likes blue color. Blue creates confidence, loyalty, dependability, trust, maturity, etc. Blue is popular among financial institutions. According to a 2003 study published in the Journal of Business Research, consumers are 15% more likely to return to stores with blue color background than orange color.
Black
Black is the favorite color of many people around the world. Many perfumes, clothes, male shoes, etc are packaged in black color. Black is the signature color of sophistication and can make blushes and lipsticks that are not expensive look expensive.
Green
Most packaging designers choose green for color branding because green is associated with the environment. Products are branded in green to win the love and loyalty of buyers who love the environment.
Pink
Pink is one of the sweetest colors out there and loved by many ladies around the world. According to a study published in the Journal of Orthomolecular Psychiatry, pink creates calming effects. Scientists have discovered that the sight of pink color slows people’s endocrine systems and calm down muscles. Relating this to buying product, consumers tend to spend more when they are relaxed and calmed.
White
In packaging design, white stands for purity, simplicity, honesty and modernity. White is generally seen as a color for honesty. About 75% of known skin-care brands are branded in white. Lovers of simplicity, purity, and honesty can easily purchase products branded or packaged in white color.
Purple
Purple is the dominant color in the beauty industry. It’s popular among anti-aging products. Buyers tend to induce loyalty among buyers and lure them to buy to the features of the product.
Orange
The orange color can be used to represent affordability and fairness. This is why you get to see stores that offer affordable products designed in green color. This strategy is to force loyalty from consumers who are more interested in affordability.
Colors can be effective on every level of a sale of a commodity from brand logo, image, signage, display, packaging and even the product itself. Colors have a very powerful effect on peoples’ perceptions and emotions. In many cases, the first thing we pay attention to when buying any product is the dominant color. Color sums up our assumption about an item once we sight the product. Colors are very useful and very important tool for designers and marketers.