Why I Hate Color Psychology + 7 Brand Color Palette Mistakes to Avoid
Color psychology, the study of how color impacts our behavior and emotions, has long been used by marketing and branding professionals to choose brand color palettes. After all, if the right color combination could influence your target audience to make a purchase, why not?
The problem with color theory? Too many brands have relied on it for too long, making every industry oversaturated with similar looks! That’s why I do not recommend making this critical brand identity decision purely based on color psychology.
On the other hand, you also shouldn’t choose your brand colors simply because you like them. There should be a level of reflection, research, and strategy involved in the process.
If you’ve recently launched your business or you’re ready for a rebrand, you might have already read several articles on how to choose brand colors. Most (if not all) likely focused on color psychology and mentioned how up to 90% of our buying decisions are based on color alone.
But what if we thought about this in a new light? We also know that color boosts brand recognition by up to 80%. So rather than relying exclusively on color theory research, entrepreneurs should focus on meaningful hues that help them increase brand awareness by going against the grain.
Read on for the top seven mistakes I’ve seen brands make when selecting their color palette—and how to avoid them.
Relying on color psychology
Continuing with my hot take on color psychology, let’s look at some examples.
Consider how many banks use blue in their brand color palettes because it symbolizes security and trust. It’s already difficult to tell them apart. It is boring, and it’s hard to understand the difference between them quickly.
Then there’s orange, used by many companies in tech and marketing because research shows it conveys creativity and energy. While these businesses think they come off as hip and modern, they are actually getting harder to differentiate.
Although color psychology has its place in marketing, much more research still needs to be conducted. Color is highly subjective. Our cultures and experiences affect the meaning we attach to colors. There is no universal guide on what appeals most to everyone!
My advice? Remain authentic to yourself and align your brand color palette with the message you want to convey to attract your ideal clients.
Choosing colors just because you like them
When solopreneurs tell me why they have chosen specific colors for their business, I often get very wishy-washy answers along the lines of, “I don’t know…I just like them.”
This is not a good enough reason! Just liking a color is the same as hiring a graphic designer to design your logo based on nothing and saying it's good enough just because it looks nice. Basically, there is NO SUBSTANCE.
Instead, your brand colors should be based on your personal inspiration.
When I create brand color palettes for my clients, I pull from their stories and experiences. First, I ask each client to meditate with me for a minute. Silence. Just breathe. Then, I tell them to think of images that float into their mind that make them feel safe, anchored, and happy, especially those that calm them when they’re feeling overwhelmed and stressed out.
Our businesses should help anchor us. The colors we choose should remind us of WHY we started, WHY it's important to us, and WHY our business needs to work for us. It's our livelihood, but most importantly for solopreneurs, it's our passion! Most of you exited corporate America (perhaps with a few other hand gestures as you left the corporate world behind) to do what you want, the way YOU want. That includes how YOU choose YOUR brand…don’t let corporate America dictate your colors too!
Let’s look at my brand color palette for Boss Diploma as an example:
Yellow: As my favorite color but sadly, it isn’t a color I can personally wear. However, yellow evokes energy for me and speaks for my business vibes. Yellow also vividly reminds me of the mountains of Arashiyama in Kyoto, a place I truly love and was my home once upon a time.
Turquoise: This blue is inspired by elements of Muay Thai, a martial art form I practice. The color also reminds me of movement which speaks highly to my energetic BOSS vibes.
Hot Pink: This in-your-face pink was pulled from a neon sign from one of my favorite video games, Streets of Rage. When I think of this pink, I think of confidence even more energy, and kicks to the face (I’ve played way too many hours of this game to even mention here…)
I LOVE these neon colors for their vivacity and how they grab attention! They reflect my high energy level, which ripples into all areas of my business. I want clients to know that I am excited to help them and for them to get equally excited about working with me. I want my level of confidence to translate into their business, how business owners value themselves, and use this surge of energy my work has injected to seriously propel them forward. See — color means something when YOU put meaning behind it. And no, I will NEVER choose orange as a color for my business because it’s the worst color for me in ALL respects (see ya!).
Overlapping your brand colors with your personal colors
Here’s another thing many solopreneurs have shared with me with regards to color. If it’s a color they like to wear, then their business should wear it too…and vice versa. Please don’t do this unless your business colors match your seasonal color palette. I’ve previously explained the importance of knowing the difference between your brand color palette and your seasonal color palette. Remember, just because certain colors work for your wardrobe doesn’t mean they’ll work in your brand.
While I chose yellow for my brand, and it’s my favorite color, I should never wear it because it makes me look jaundiced. But this sunny yellow combined with the turquoise and hot pink I’ve chosen captures my energy, which I want to reflect in every aspect of my business.
My personal (also known as seasonal) color palette includes deep hues like rich reds and blues. These look great on me, but they wouldn’t convey my vibrant, energetic brand identity and excite prospects and clients as intended!
Rushing through the process
Many small business owners pick a brand color palette just because they like it or are trying to stick to industry standards. I say forget all that! With the high volume of marketing that consumers are bombarded with daily, making your brand pop is crucial.
We’ve already discussed the importance of selecting meaningful brand colors. This also includes assessing all the significant elements of your brand identity, such as your:
Mission, vision, and core values
Brand characteristics
Target audience
Competitive analysis
Before creating your visual brand identity, you need to know who you are, who you’re for, and who you’re up against. As mentioned earlier, you should connect emotionally to your brand colors. They should help remind you of what you stand for and illustrate that message to your audience.
But many skip these steps, jumping in and wasting their time and energy on ineffective branding and marketing.
Forgetting about your target audience
Once you’ve defined your mission, vision, and values, you should identify your ideal clients. Ask yourself:
Who are they?
What are their pain points and goals?
What will appeal to them?
How do you want them to feel when they encounter your brand?
How can you represent your brand authentically with your colors and attract these ideal clients?
What could potentially offend them or leave the wrong impression?
Since colors hold different meanings in various cultures, you may need to be wary of this as you research and choose your brand colors.
Failing to research your competitors
Don’t ignore the competition! You need to research your competitors’ brand colors to find trends and patterns and learn how you can stand out. As you do, consider:
What colors are they using, and what they say about their brand identities
Reading up on their reviews to learn what their audience is saying about them
What sets you apart, and how can you reflect that in your colors and design choices?
It’s possible to create a fresh brand identity that still attracts your target audience, regardless of industry. It simply takes some research and creative thinking.
Not testing your brand color palette
Finally, don’t just go with the first brand color palette you come up with. Have fun with them and test them out!
Start by gathering your color inspiration and creating a mood board. You can use a platform like Canva or even Pinterest for this.
Play with different palettes based on your primary color(s) to see how you feel about each. You can also try them in various formats, like social media graphics, your website, or business cards. This helps you see how the colors display in print vs. digital to ensure consistency and accuracy.
Refer to your competitive analysis to see how your potential colors compare to your competitors and which stand out best. Do they help portray what makes your business different?
Collect outside feedback! This could come from your customers, friends, or business connections. It’s helpful to get input from a range of people—you never know what you may not have considered.
Tell Your Story with the Right Brand Color Palette
Before you design your entire brand identity around color psychology, think about how to make yours more impactful. What could you do that others in your industry are not doing? What feels true to you? How can you leverage colors to tell your story?
Your brand color palette should center you on your business and be recognizable among the masses!
If you need guidance with your business colors or any other element of your brand strategy, talk to me about my Brand Blueprint service. If you’re just starting out and on a limited budget, book a Power Hour with me, and I will develop several meaningful color palettes for you on the spot during our session!
