Colors Used In Advertisements Affect Buyers Differently

This post was written by Internet Marketing John on December 23, 2009
Posted Under: Internet Marketing Information

The different colors used in advertisements affect people differently, and are known to directly influence an individual’s behavior.

The human brain processes information visually, much faster than any of the other human senses.

This is so true, that regardless of the medium that is presented; visual appearance is still the most appealing.    This is not to say that the other senses should be not be concentrated on, to facilitate visual appeal in advertising.

Of the many ways to increase visual appeal in advertising, color may be the most underused.

Colors used in advertisements, when accompanied with audio and text, is shown to retain the interest of a visitor longer, and keep them on your website for a longer duration.

According to studies made on the subject, many big budget companies spend billions of dollars annually on color market research, to determine which colors used in advertisements work best, and what color combination work best in product and packaging development.

Colorful articles can force readers to complete an article, once they begin reading it.

Various colors used in advertisements have been known to cause different behaviors and emotions in individuals.  Different color combination can make a website look more friendly, or less so.

Blue is supposed to have a calming, and relaxing effect on people.   Red is usually associated with passion or love.

Colors used in advertisements associated with St. Valentine’s Day, or a dating website, do well using red as the predominant color.

Having bright pictures of food and desserts pasted on beautifully decorated colored walls, is sure to tempt the taste buds of customers in a fast food restaurant, or on a food website.

The combination of colors used in advertisements, is intended to get the salivary glands of the customers working to the point that they feel they must devour the food that is depicted.

Strategic lighting when used in combination with colors, can also play on the minds of the consumers.

When you visit a super market, strategically colored lighting is used to enhance the colors of the items you are looking to purchase.

Meat looks fresher and more appetizing, with “daylight” type bulbs strategically placed to enhance the color of the meat.

The light and color combination triggers hormones in the brain, which stimulates hunger in the mind of the buyer.  This same marketing technique is effectively used in many other types of advertising.

Advertisers must be knowledgeable about colors used in advertisements, what they refer too, and how they can be used.

The colors below are generally recognized in our culture to stand for the following:

  • Black stands for elegance, sophistication, seduction, mystery, and emotionally for death.
  • White stands for virginity, pureness, peace, cleanliness, and youthfulness.
  • Gold represents luxury, eliteness, and prestige.
  • Silver stands for prestige and coldness.
  • Yellow stands for cheerfulness, warmth, and happiness.
  • Orange also represents warmth, vibrancy, or playfulness.
  • Red stands for love, excitement, danger, strength, and passion.
  • Pink stands for nurturing, sweetness, softness, and security.
  • Green stands for nature, freshness, and abundance.
  • Blue stands for coolness, trust, belonging, calmness, and reliability.
  • And lastly Purple stands for spiritualism, dignity, royalty or being regal.

Other cultures around the world often attribute different meanings to colors than we do in this country.

In Asian countries, the color white is associated with death. Here in America, black is  associated with death. People living near the equator generally like warm colors. People living nearer to the poles prefer cold colors.

Savvy advertisers determine the colors used in advertisements by their target market, and not by their personal preferences.

If you are designing an advertising campaign targeted towards children; you should use vibrant colors that attract children, like red, yellow, blue and green.

Parents buy the primary colors for their children because they represent trust, sweetness, security, and warmth.  Kids like bright colors and their parents will buy them.

The colors used in advertisements to some extent, can determine the shopping habits of customers.

Impulse buyers are attracted by orange, red, blue, and black.

Savvy companies research colors that they use in their logos, advertisements, web pages, and even business cards to get the best bang for their advertising buck. Look at Mercedes, they use a silver logo.  How classy can you get?

Yes, the colors used in advertisements do affect how buyers react.

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