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What Color Tends To Make People Want To Buy?

Posted by sugarpink12 on 7/27/2007 at 11:54 AM ET 125 Points

I have heard that certain colors may pursuade people to feel and act with certain tendencies? I've heard of comfort colors, eating colors, does anyone know which color pursuades people to spend money? Thanks.

Posted by Tracey on 7/27/2007 at 7:17 PM Accepted

Here's an article that might help you: http://desktoppub.about.com/cs/color/a/symbolism.htm
Posted by Peter (henna gaijin) on 7/27/2007 at 8:55 PM Member

Don't forget, colors are cultural. The impact of a color will vary a lot based on what country (and often even within countries when working with different sub-cultures).
Posted by Juliet on 7/28/2007 at 1:37 PM Accepted

Hello

By sheer chance I happen to have a couple of books to hand which discuss the impact of colour.

To quote Hanna McNamara in her book "Niche Marketing for Coaches" (A round of applause please, as this is the first marketing book I've ever read):

"...there is a whole psychology behind colour....there are 4 big considerations:

1) Culture: think about what colours mean in different cultures. In the western world white is seen as a clean, fresh colour - but in China it's the colour of death

2) Considered purchase vs impulse buy: If you are trying to encourage people to buy on impulse, then go towards reds, oranges, blacks or blue. If you want to attract people who plan ahead, they prefer colours like pink, light blue, navy. These are the colours that will attract people who consider things before they buy.

3) Status: Consider the status of your target clients - bright colours can appeal to people who are from a lower income, whereas the people who are in higher income brackets tend to use more classic and subtle colours.

4) Geography: In colder climates people seem to like colder and neutral colours, whereas in hotter climates, such as Latin America and Africa, people are more comfortable with brighter, much stronger colours.

In terms of the language of colour, blow is a quick summary:

RED: Energy, speed, danger and excitement (interestingly you may have noticed that most fast food restaurants have got red in their logo. The reason is that red is a very intense colour and inspires you to feel hungry)
BLUE: Trust and reliability
YELLOW: Warm, stimulating, happiness, but also the colour of fear and betrayal
ORANGE: Warm, vibrant, encourages impulse purchase
GREEN: Fresh, cool, nature, growth and hope. But it can also be associated with illness and superstition
PURPLE: Royalty, spirituality and dignity
PINK: Soft and nurturing. Too much can be seen as childish
WHITE: Purity, cleanliness. Death in Asia
BLACK: Sophisticated, up-market - especially when used with gold and silver. Can symbolize death and the occult
GOLD & SILVER: Prestige. Silver can be used to give something more of a scientific association."

This was in a chapter about website design. However I have to agree with T_Squared's comments.

Hope this helps.

Best wishes
Juliet
Posted by arthur.cohen on 7/30/2007 at 10:32 AM Member

It's certainly true that you should use your brand or product colors as designed and if applicable be aware of cultural differences, but colors do make a big difference, and testing can tell you what works for your audience and encourages the response you are looking for.

And as noted the publics interepretation of and reaction to colors changes. No one wants those 60's Avocado kitchen appliances any more--except Zippy, I think.

I always test colors, and often my testing results in significant lift in response rates. In direct mail I tested a yellow BRE vs white, and got a 10% lift in response. I test the color of teaser copy, etc.

For many years, red was the hot color in more ways than one. In two color materials, red and black were the winners. Then blue took over.

In the online world, we are usually using our brand's frame, and color testing is restricted to call outs, buttons, and other parts of marketing materials. Marketing Sherpa reported some recent studies where testing the color of action buttons (as well as the text) was successful.
Posted by janverhoeff on 7/30/2007 at 11:08 AM Member

Branding your product can include color. An unusual color that speaks your language would be appropriate to use for a brand. Or choose traditional colors, brown for family and home, green for money, red for attention.

http://brandyourmarket.com

Jan

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