Color and the Art of Persuasion

I was in an art museum once when a toddler — no more than two years old — walked up to a projection on the floor that rotated among several large corporation logos. Several flashed by and then the famous “golden arches” of McDonald’s appeared. The little girl immediately exclaimed, “Mmm, french fries!” She couldn’t yet read, but she already associated the bright yellow “M” shape with yummy fast food fries.

Brand recognition like this happens all the time, in ways we usually don’t even realize. But there’s a growing body of research that suggests the driving force behind our brand recognition — and subsequent purchases — is color.

I love color. I love picking out colors that work together — the ones that attract each other and react to each other when side by side. It’s fascinating that color can play such a big role in how we feel about something or even why we buy something. The KISSmetrics infographic below explores that relationship, and provides some interesting statistics on the impact of color and marketing on the consumer.

Consider this fact: over half of shoppers won’t return to a website if they don’t like the overall design. That’s something to think about the next time you’re updating your website, creating a new marketing piece, or redesigning your logo.

Still feeling skeptical? Just ask a two-year-old about brand identity!