Howdy - Marisol here! Have you ever sat down to create something and wondered what colors you should pick? You may even wonder “why does it matter? Can’t I just pick colors that look good together?” Yes, you should always pick colors that look good together; however, most colors signify a greater meaning. This is especially true when you are creating imagery as part of internet advertising.
Knowing these meanings can be extremely beneficial when picking your next color pallet, both for yourself and as part of banner advertising. It’s important to realize that just because you use a certain color in an image doesn’t mean that your feeling will automatically be perceived. The color and emotion you want your brand to represent must be used consistently. Let’s take a look at what a few different color meanings and some brands that use them.
Red
Red is the most popular color when it comes to marketing because it immediately grabs the eye. It signifies excitement, power, passion, boldness, and energy. Red can be very bold depending on what shade you use, so it’s important not to overdo it when working on some pay per click ads. Some brands that use the color red for branding are Target, Kmart, Coca-Cola, Netflix, Toyota, and CNN.
Blue
Blue is another popular choice when marketing because both males and females are fond of the color. It signifies trustworthiness and strength. If you want your business to be perceived as truthful, blue may be a color that you consider for social media marketing. Some brands that use the color blue are Facebook, Ford, American Express, Twitter, Walmart, and NASA.
All of these brands are ones that you would want to trust. For example, if you don’t trust Ford, would you buy a vehicle from them? Same goes for American Express and a social media outlet; they want you to feel that you can trust them so you buy their product or use their services.
Yellow
The meaning for yellow is a little obvious that it’s associated with happiness and energy. It tends to have a cheerful effect. Bright yellow is used to catch your eye. It’s the reason some taxis and road signs are painted this color. Audiences usually don’t like when too much yellow is used, especially in website marketing, so it’s important to use it sparingly.
Some brands that use yellow are Sprint, Best Buy, Ferrari, Ikea, Shell, and of course, McDonalds. Those yellow arches mean happiness for any child!
Green
Green can mean many different things. It symbolizes goodwill, health, freshness, and harmony. Green is perceived as a peaceful color and tends to also symbolize stability. Darker green can be used to symbolize money so if you’re going for a more peaceful feeling with your online marketing, you may want to consider a lighter green.
Some brands that use green are John Deere, Spotify, Whole Foods, Girl Scouts, Animal Planet, and Holiday Inn.
Orange
Orange is always a fun color to use. It makes customers feel like the brand is cool, enthusiastic, creative, and cutting-edge. Orange is a versatile color because it takes the energy from red and combines it with the happiness of yellow. If you want your business to have a friendly cheerful business appearance in any online marketing campaign, orange may be the color you consider using.
Some brands that use orange are Nickelodeon, Crush soda, Payless, Hooters, Harley-Davidson, and Gatorade.
Okay folks, there you have it. There are 5 colors used in working with branding in pay per click advertising that have a greater meaning. Don’t be afraid to think outside the box with creativity. Sometimes the meaning is in the colors used, not necessarily the image itself. Now that you’ve learned this, I promise you will think of these meanings from now on whenever you look at a logo. I do it all the time and my friends think I’m crazy but isn’t it neat to know the greater meaning behind something?!
