Wednesday, July 23, 2014

COLOR PSYCHOLOGY – By MaddaliSwetha




INTRODUCTION:

Color psychology is the study of color as a determinant of human behavior. It is study of how people are affected by different color stimuli varies from person to person. Generally the meaning of colors can vary depending on culture and circumstances.

Color is a form of non verbal communication. It is not a static energy and its meaning can change from one day to the next with any individual - it all depends on what energy they are expressing at that point in time.

Let’s us a view of small Meanings of Colors in Color Psychology:


1. Red is the color of energy, passion, action, Love the power, ambition and determination. It is also the color of anger and sexual passion.

2. Orange is the color of social communication and optimism. From a negative color meaning it is also a sign of pessimism and superficiality.

 3. Yellow is the color of the mind and the intellect. It is optimistic and cheerful. However it can also suggest impatience, criticism and cowardice.

4. Green is the color of balance and growth. It can mean both self-reliance as a positive and possessiveness as a negative, among many other meanings.

5. Blue is the color of trust and peace. It can suggest loyalty and integrity as well as conservatism and frigidity. 
Indigo is the color of intuition. In the meaning of colors it can mean idealism and structure as well as ritualistic and addictive.  
                    
6. Purple is the color of the imagination. It can be creative and individual or immature and impractical.   
The color meaning of turquoise is communication and clarity of mind. It can also be impractical and idealistic.

7. Pink is unconditional love and nurturing. Pink can also be immature, silly and girlish.

8. Magenta is a color of universal harmony and emotional balance. It is spiritual yet practical, encouraging common sense and a balanced outlook on life.

9. Brown is a friendly yet serious, down-to-earth color that relates to security, protection, comfort and material wealth.

10. Gray is the color of compromise - being neither black nor white; it is the transition between two non-colors. It is unemotional and detached and can be indecisive.

11. Silver has a feminine energy; it is related to the moon and the ebb and flow of the tides - it is fluid, emotional, sensitive and mysterious.

12. Gold is the color of success, achievement and triumph. Associated with abundance and prosperity, luxury and quality, prestige and sophistication, value and elegance, the color psychology of gold implies affluence, material wealth and extravagance.



13. White is color at its most complete and pure, the color of perfection. The color meaning of white is purity, innocence, wholeness and completion.

14. Black is the color of the hidden, the secretive and the unknown, creating an air of mystery. It keeps things bottled up inside, hidden from the world.


HOW COMPANIES STUDY CONSUMER PSYCHOLOGY?

Color is used as a means to attract consumer attention to a product that then influences buying behavior. Consumers use color to identify for known brands or search for new alternatives.

 Variety seekers look for non-typical colors when selecting new brands. And attractive color packaging receives more consumer attention than unattractive color packaging, which can then influence buying behavior.

Hence, at first before introducing any product in market – companies gives more importance to how consumers use color to identify for known brands. As such as toys color is pink, bikes are in red or blue or black, cars – white or black or red or yellow, and sports – red or white.

COLOR SYMBOLISM:

Color symbolism in art and anthropology refers to the use of color as a symbol in various cultures. There is great diversity in the use of colors and their associations between cultures and even within the same culture in different time periods. In fact, the same color may have very different associations within the same culture at any time.

For example, red is often used for stop signs or danger. At the same time, red is also frequently used in association with romance, e.g. with Valentine's Day. White variously signifies purity, innocence, wisdom or death. Blue has similarly diverse meanings. (Source – wiki)

COLOR CODE:

A color code is a system for displaying information by using different colors. Color codes are often difficult for color blind and blind people to interpret.

Hence,

TARGET MARKETS:

To develop a successful business, you need to identify the people or businesses you are aiming to sell your products or services to; it is therefore important that you identify and understand the colors that will attract your specific market.

With many businesses now being global, color has also become global. Know your the market you are trying to attract and speak the color language that they will best respond to.

Thus, Color psychology is the study of color as a determinant of human behavior. It is study of how people are affected by different color stimuli varies from person to person.

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