When trying to pick the color of your brand, it is natural to go with the one that makes the most sense to the industry you are in or the color that sends off the message you are trying to portray: (red=passion, orange=friendly, yellow=energetic, green=environmental, blue=leadership, purple=royal)
But sometimes the color that makes the most sense isn’t the one you should go with. Why? Because you HAVE to pay attention to competition. If your competitors already use that color (or even use that color as an accent color) AVOID IT. Be different and stand out. Pepsi-cola made their colors blue, red, and white, despite the fact that coca-cola used red and white. What happened? 50 years later, they are trying to move towards a mostly blue logo.
So, who does it right? Tiffany & Co. They are ALWAYS the robin’s egg blue and the ONLY one at that. No matter what season or year, everyone knows exactly what’s coming when they see that robin’s egg blue bag or box, and that visual excitement is a great brand in full force.
Or take FedEx’s orange & purple. The corporate world is full of blue logos, white envelopes, and brown boxes. What is more noticeable than an orange and purple envelope sitting on your corporate desk or in the mailroom?
Make your color different. Don’t be a “me-too” brand in an industry by blending in with the other competitors. A brand’s strength lies in its ability to stand out.
*Information gathered from The 22 Immutable Laws of Branding.
