Effects of color on consumers

A color is a powerful tool in attracting consumers to a product; it accounts for 85% of why one decides to buy a product. (Hemphill 275).The psychology of color, therefore, should be understood by marketers to be used effectively. Colors are associated with meanings by humans, selecting the right colors for a product design and company branding is essential because of the huge impact on sales. There is no single set of rules laid down to govern color choices, but there are three basic principles of color, hue is the wavelength of a color and it determines the label, value is how bright a color is and saturation is how pigmented a color is.

Color increases brand recognition. Purchasing behavior among consumers is adversely affected by brand recognition. A successful color manipulation enables consumers to pick products they recognize easily among other products in the market. Color also does more than establishing brand recognition; it also reflects a company's personality and conveys a company's traits. Colors are chosen by companies for their store designs logo to communicate specific qualities about the product not just to look good.

Consumers are attracted to color because of their age, gender, personality and cultural background. Fast-food restaurants often use orange, red and black to demonstrate a sense of urgency to consumers. Gender also affects color choice as 76% of women prefer cooler colors compared to 56% of men. (Hemphill 276).

Color is not just a by the way when it comes to company branding and product packaging. Colors that reflect on company image and consumer preferences have to be selected marketers. Color trends are not permanent and marketers should be up to date on the trends.