The Power of Color Psychology in Branding and Marketing

Color is governed by associative learning. It is an intuitive force that influences consumer behavior, brand recognition, and cultural awareness. In marketing, color is power.

Color and Brand Recognition

Color influences consumer behavior to make brand associations more recognizable. According to the Theory of Behaviorism proposed by John Watson in 1913, human behavior is influenced by external factors:

The theory argues that humans’ associations with an object are always in conjunction with our internal experiences. Similarly, color schemes are associated with a customer’s past experiences. These connections evoke emotional responses to symbolize a brand’s image.

For example, the Jewellery company Tiffany trademarked its signature color “Tiffany Blue”. Paired with blue, Tiffany subconsciously triggers a memory in a customer’s mind regardless of whether the product is present. This color becomes a deeply engraved feeling crucial in understanding humans’ innate association with color. Therefore, distinctive colors become a part of the product itself.  

Environmental Color Associations

Watson’s Theory of Behaviorism applies to brand image. Still, our environment also influences our associations with color to a tremendous degree. It is commonly accepted that color has a direct association with our everyday lives, one of which is luxury.

Until the 18th Century, an ounce of “Tyrian Purple dye” used up 250,000 mollusk snails and was very labor-intensive. This meant only the royalty had exclusive access to purple dye. As humans internalized the color's association with royalty, this influenced how consumers make purchasing decisions in the present.

Lauren Labrecque, a professor of marketing, hypothesized that the associations of a color evoke a sense of sophistication from brands. According to her, there is a “positive relationship” between sophistication and the luxuriousness of purple.