Research has shown that, subconsciously, people make judgments about a person, place, or product within 90 seconds of a first viewing. Between 62% and 90% of the assessment of a place, product or company is influenced by colour. This means that your choice of logo and company branding could make or break a consumer’s decision to become a customer or client.
Green is the colour between blue and yellow on the spectrum of visible light. It takes up a larger portion of the spectrum of colours visible to the human eye than any other colour — which means one shade of green can have totally different associations to another.
For example, a dark forest green is considered a very manly, traditional, sophisticated and a calm colour. Its association with the natural world makes it ideal for outdoor pursuits. Hence it is an ideal choice for a brand such as the National Trust, Land Rover or Jaguar cars each of whom which wishes to be associated with traditional values and for Land Rover which is associated with country pursuits.
The Starbucks company originally chose brown for its logo (to reflect its product) but once they began selling food that colour was no longer appropriate. Their now-famous green logo suggests the cleanliness and freshness required for food outlets and is also a calming colour in it’s shop interiors, making them a relaxing place to be.
On the other hand green also means “go” and a lime or bright green has a high level of energy. A bright green stands out amongst other colours and we generally think of it as healthy, and youthful. Any product wishing to create a feeling of “freshness” would choose a bright green for its brand: cleaning suppliers, hygiene products, beverages and mint sweets all tend to use green in their identity design.
Because green represents growth, and evokes a feeling of relaxation and healing, it is frequently used to represent eco-friendly companies and products.
It is the colour of healthy vegetation, so it reminds viewers of nature and health. It suggests cleanliness and freshness and so is also a good choice of colour for businesses in the food sector, though for different reasons, many food outlets also choose red for their branding. Read about the power of red here.
Greens of all shades are seen as tranquil and refreshing and overall are perceived as giving a positive message and are associated with trust.
If natural ingredients, sustainability or environmental awareness are a key part of your brand’s identity, or you wish to inspire confidence and security you may want to choose green to be the central colour in your branding.
Know your market!
As with all colours, the associations vary throughout the world. In the East, as in the West, green is thought of as the colour of new life, nature, fertility and youth. However, in China, green means exorcism and infidelity and it is a forbidden colour in Indonesia. In Latin America, green symbolizes death, yet in the Middle East, it is associated with Islam, wealth, strength, fertility and good luck.
It certainly pays to know your market if you may be trading world-wide!
