Color might be the last thing on your mind while you’re creating print marketing materials, but it matters more than you know. Whether you already have brand guidelines in place or are in the process of determining them, understanding color and emotions is crucial for your campaign's success.
With years spent helping our clients make waves in the print marketing industry, our team at Signature Graphics knows how to use color and emotions to our advantage—and we’re here to teach you, too. Keep reading to learn how color and emotions work in marketing to amplify your audience’s feelings and increase success in your future print marketing campaigns.
The Science Behind Color Psychology
Surprisingly, there’s actual science behind color psychology (and this also shows how it works in marketing). When your eyes process light, different wavelengths result in different colors. Your brain then reacts to that information accordingly. From there, our own memories and experiences determine our emotional response.
Around the world, certain colors widely trigger certain emotions. Cooler tones like blues, greens and purples offer calmer, peaceful feelings, while warmer tones like red, orange and yellow trigger excitement and warmth. However, different cultures can also see colors in a different light, depending on what they associate them with. Black might symbolize death and mourning or sophistication and boldness in some cultures, while white is symbolic of innocence and purity—but not every culture holds similar values in colors.
The Impact of Colors in Print Marketing
There is also an impact of colors in the print marketing industry. Color oftentimes conveys certain emotions in consumers. Depending on how you want the audience to feel when they see your brand, you may select particular colors over others. On top of that, you can provide contrasting calls to action to differentiate your content from the actionable item you want your readers to complete. Actively strategizing your color choices in various areas ensures you get the proper emotional response and physical action from consumers.
Curious to learn more? Check out our blog, How to Use Color Schemes in Print Marketing.
Color Combination and Emotional Targeting Strategies
Not only can you elicit certain emotions from your audience, but you can also use particular color combinations to target specific consumers and demographics. For example, brighter colors might appeal to a younger audience, whereas neutrals mean more to older audiences. Using monochromatic color schemes tends to send a sophisticated message, whereas mismatching colors might bring on the fun. To figure out what works best for your audience, A/B testing to compare what has a larger emotional impact on your audience and garners better results could be useful.
Industry-Specific Print Marketing Colors
Different industries are also associated with certain color preferences. Green might allude to financial industries, whereas reds and yellows might appeal to a food-motivated crowd. Tech tends to do well with blues, blacks and more calming, striking colors that show advanced experience and trust. Health and wellness do well with softer, earthy tones. Whatever industry you use, appealing to your audience is even easier when you consider the colors that apply best to the context of who you’re marketing to.
Need help figuring out color schemes for your marketing? Contact our Kobalt Design team to gain expert insight on your future print design campaigns.
Tips for the Best Color in Print Marketing Campaigns
Once you learn how colors and emotions work for marketing, you can improve your strategy and make your print campaigns even better. Using color strategically can help you make your print marketing campaigns appeal to your ideal audience and get even better results. Here are some of the best ways to apply color in your campaign:
- Strategize early to determine what colors work best for your consumer
- Figure out what emotions you’d like your customer to feel and channel that with color
- Refresh your color schemes and choices according to your ideal audience
- Select colors that reinforce your brand and industry
- Try A/B testing to see what’s working and what isn’t
- Let a professional analyze your current strategy to determine the best approach
Want to work with a professional to select your most strategic color choices for your best print marketing results? Our team at Signature Graphics has years of experience designing, printing and delivering print marketing in Spokane, Washington and all over the country. Reach out today to learn more about our services and print marketing solutions.
