Use of Color in Marketing and Branding - Essay Example

Color and Marketing Strategies Introduction Use of color in marketing and branding is not just a thing of the present but something that was used even by ancient traders. Use of specific colors in marketing and branding is used as a method of identity as well as identifying oneself with the loyal customers. We have come across different websites, job cards, brochure, posters and other materials dawning some different colors. The trick is that color does not only enhance the appearance of a brand but also influences the behavior of the customer. This paper takes the opportunity of analyzing use of color in marketing and branding. The paper looks into use of colors in different geographical locations and makes a comparison analysis as to the reason behind the use of colors. Branding Strategies Most of the fast food companies in the US are painted using reds and orange colors. Most of the marketing psychologists argue that this is not a coincidence as the use of those two colors is believed to be able to encourage people to eat faster and leave. That is what actually what McDonalds the largest chain of first food does. A visit of any McDonald’s outlet will give you shades of red and orange colors a strategy that is believed to be attracting a lot of attention. On the other hand in a general perspective it is easy to come acrossred and black colors in adult websites. This is because these two colors have meanings of love and sexual connotations hence only associated with adult websites. Another example is the use of bright primary colors which are easily noticed when you come across children toys books and their websites. The reason behind this is because it is argued that children are able to respond in a fast and positive manner to these colors than they can to muted blends or pastels. However, it is important to understand that use of color is different amongst countries and cultures depending on their perceptions and attitudes and the preference of the target audience. For example, most of the people have been known to associate the white color with peace and brightness but ironically this color symbolizes death within the Chinese culture. On the other hand purple has been used to represent death in Brazil. This indicates that colors have different meanings depending on the geographical locations. Another example is that the Yellow color is scared to the Chinese while it is a sign of sign of jealousy and sadness for the French. Unbelievably green color has been used to mean jealousy in North America while this color in Kenya is used as a symbol of prosperity and wealth in relation to agricultural production. The list is longer and longer and the difference in color is based in geographical regions and culture. In addition to this, most of the people who live in tropical areas that experience intense heat have been associated with warm colors while those who live in temperate regions are well versed with cooler colors. The mainstream culture of most of the people in North America can be associated with certain qualities or emotion (Doyle, 2001a) s. There are various definitions regarding branding. According to American Marketing Association, branding refers to the name, sign, symbol, or design that is meant to identify a good, product, and services and distinguish from one seller to another. According to this definition, branding is not just the concept of marketing your product and making it known but it is the concept of differentiating a product or a service from one seller to another and this involves color too. (Hong-Bumm, 2003) Describes branding as a promise; in this context, Hong Bumm suggests that branding is creating a promise to satisfy the consumers in terms of quality and satisfaction. Another interesting definition about branding is suggested by (Balmer, 2003)when they suggested that branding involves taking something that is common to the eyes of the consumer and making it more meaningful and valuable. This is a true concept according to the current trends in branding of products. This is because branding has everything to do with manipulating the consumer’s perceptions and understanding of the product. Having described what branding means it is important to shed some light on the use of color in different locations. A good example is the Pepsi and Cola wars that we read in the media now and then. Pepsi is a large multinational company that has branches all over the country and so does Coke. There has been supremacy battle between the two companies. Some of the battles between the two rival companies have been won on color of their brand something that only few psychologists have been keen to analyze. Coke uses the red color as their trademark while Pepsi uses the blue color. A close look at the US national flag will indicate the presence of these colors. This is the reason why these brands keep toppling each other from the top position. However, one a keener look someone can easily notice the difference in sales in other countries depending on the color representation. Pepsi has been able to register slightly lower sales in China mainly due to the type of their brand color. The red color is related to an excitement, strength, sex, passion, speed, and danger for most people. The Chinese related the red color to their flag and their cultural heritage. This explains the reason behind the success of Coke in Asian region (Aaker & Joachimsthaler, 2000). The red color is also strictly forbidden in funerals meaning that the color is mainly associated with happiness. On the other hand, the blue color represents wisdom and this color is not so much famous compared to the red color which is also believed to be a symbol of blood shed while seeking freedom. On the other hand, Pepsi is a well-known brand for most of the people living in the temperate region. Their blue color is mostly associated to water something that psychologists relate to water and coolness. A closer look at the performance of these two companies in temperate and tropical regions will give you reliable data. While sticking to the Asian Pacific region it is also important to use a corporation like McDonald to explain the same phenomena. As already mentioned earlier, most fast foods companies are identified by red and orange colors which are assumed to mean eat and move faster. Use of red and orange color is something that is common in McDonalds Company. The red color is an identity and very populous in China. This explains why McDonald’s sales are usually on the rise in countries like China. The trick behind this is because of type of color that the brand has (Keller, 2003). Conclusion Use of color as a branding technique is very important in maintaining sales. For this reason it is important to understand that brands do not change from one region to another depending on the variable cultures in the world but remain the same. It is believed that the same brand name like coke and its color has various results when it comes to performance due to cultural backgrounds and perceptions in terms of color. This paper can conclude that the differences in perception and cultural background play a major role in determining the performance of a certain brand depending on the brand color. The paper also concludes that the most famous color brands experience higher attention and sales than other brands. Works Cited Aaker & Joachimsthaler. (2000). Brand Leadership. London : Free Press. Balmer, J. (2003). Corporate Brands: What Are They? What of Them? European Journal of Marketing, 37 (7/8), 972-997. Doyle, P. (2001a). Building Value-Based Branding Strategies. Journal of Strategic Marketing, 9. 255-268. Hong-Bumm, K. (2003). The Effect of Consumer-Based Brand Equity on Firms’ Financial Performance. Journal of Consumer Marketing, 20 (4), 335-351. Keller, K. (2003). Conceptualizing, measuring,and managing customer-based brand equity. Journal of Marketing, Vol. 57, pp. 1-22. Read More