Whenever you come across a banner or a decal, what is the first thought that comes through your mind? Is it the typography of the display, design or color scheme?
Some may assume that it largely depends on how the display looks, but Brazilian graphic designer Paula Rupolo believes people are naturally drawn to color first. Part of this has to do with the fact that colors evoke specific emotions, Fast Co. Design explained.
"Colors are the first thing you notice in a logo, what gets fastest to our brains," Rupolo told the news source. "Then you read a logo's shape, icons, or typography."
Based on this, business owners may think that choosing a color palette may be the first thing to do for a marketing campaign, but Rupolo added that may not be the best solution. Based on her color swapping experience, where she switched the color scheme of competing brands like Coca-Cola and Pepsi or Microsoft and Apple, Rupolo found that color means a lot more to an organization than we might think.
"[W]hen you get to own a color as much as Coca-Cola does, you don't need much more around it," she said.
With this in mind, there may be value in designing a high-quality logo or slogan before incorporating a color scheme. For example, spas are known to be relaxing and peaceful. If a local business used a vibrant red over a calming shade of blue, green or white, it could create the wrong message to onlookers.
Color association is also why it is hard for organizations to reinvent themselves after being in their respective industries for many years. When the targeted audience is so used to connecting specific colors, change can pose a slew of challenges to a marketing department.
Despite these concerns, the change is not impossible. For example, McDonald's wants to launch its sustainable food efforts, but the fast food chain believes it will have more success in Europe, so more restaurants will be using shades of green and yellow. Doing this in the United States may not be as successful because we are so used to seeing golden arches on a red background.