Is your brand an optimistic yellow? A wise purple? Or does a soothing aqua blue feel more on-brand? Choosing your brand colour is an important step in crafting your visual identity. Your band colours contribute greatly to how you are perceived by the public and should capture the core ethos of your brand. Building a brand colour palette is both an art and a science and so, we asked colour psychology coach, Alison Rood, to break down the process step by step.

Meet your expert...

Name: Alison Rood

Role: Colour psychology coach and a digital transformation specialist.

Favourite colour: My favourite colour has been red since the age of five. I have a strong relationship with red; I used to wear red dresses with matching red shoes. Back then red gave me energy and I still wear red if I'm attending an interview to give me a confidence boost."

With Alison's expert insight, we've developed a series of prompts to think about when figuring out the answer to the all-important question—what colour is your brand?

1. What is your favourite colour?

Ahead of our talk, Alison asked participants a simple question: what is your favourite colour and how long have you liked it?

Interestingly, the majority of our audience had been fond of their chosen colour for a very long time. This came as no surprise to Alison who is familiar with the correlation between colour preferences and childhood—what we're surrounded and influenced by as young children shape our perception of colours as adults. That is not to say our favourite colours don't change over time, major life events can alter our colour preferences—consciously or subconsciously. "In a way, choosing your favourite colour is an exercise in identifying who you are."

But what does your favourite colour have to do with identifying your brand colours? Well, it is a perfect starting point. Your favourite colour says a lot about your values, priorities and style—which likely translate into your brand ethos and mission. With the rise of the personal brand, the lines between personal and professional continue to blur, so why not inject a bit of your own personality into your branding?

2. What does this colour evoke?

You must be careful and intentional about how you apply colour in your branding because it ultimately impacts the way people perceive and interact with your brand. Having an understanding of the effects of the four psychological primary colours will give you a foundation from which to build a colour palette that accurately reflects your brand.

• Red. Red triggers a physical response, it is often felt throughout the body and can even activate our flight or fight instinct. It is associated with intense emotions: passion, fear, anger, etc.
• Yellow. Yellow is the strongest colour in psychological terms because it triggers a real emotional response. Although commonly associated with happiness and positivity, yellow also speaks of warning and makes some people feel anxious.
• Blue. Look to the sky and the sea and you'll understand why blue is associated with depth and expanse. Blue triggers a mental response, deeper blues encourage focus and lighter blues have a calming effect.
• Green. Green is the colour of balance and harmony. It sits between the physicality of red, the intellect of blue, and the emotion of yellow. Green feels fresh and prosperous.

Insights from "The Little Book of Colour: How to Use the Psychology of Colour to Transform Your Life", by Karen Haller.

If your service is international, you should also bear in mind that different cultures hold different meanings for colours. Thoroughly research the associations of each colour within your target audience before deciding on your brand palette.

3. What do you think of when you see... ?

Colour is the first signalling language our ancestors had. We see colour before we take in words. Often, we only perceive colour subconsciously. However, developing your awareness of how you perceive colours, will inform your own colour decisions. Practice consciously noticing the colours around you and how they make you feel. For example, on an Autumn walk you're surrounded by a rich palette of reds, oranges, and golden yellows. Does this make you feel comforted and warm? Calm? Or does the fiery undertone make you feel energised and active?

According to research conducted by Color Communications Innovations, 85% of our initial recognition of a brand or service is based on colour alone. Naturally, our familiarity with a brand influences our buying choices so how your brand colour resonates with consumers is extremely important. We buy emotionally, and then reason with logic afterwards. Brands use colour to capitalise on this behaviour. Here are a few examples of colour's emotional powers being used in branding...

• Tiffany. The iconic Tiffany Blue, aka. Robin's egg blue has a specific Pantone shade and is thoroughly trademarked. The brand describes it as a cool, fresh, aquatic blue shade. It speaks of vibrancy, optimism, and escape and transports you into a world of timeless sophistication filled with luxury and delight.
• Glossier. Glossier's pale pink with a slight shimmer to it is representative of what they champion as beauty: fun, freedom and presence. It is also a way to connect with their younger target audience
• Versace. Versace's gold instantly signifies opulence and elegance. When paired with muted backdrops the gold speaks to assured confidence and refined quality.

The takeaway? Your brand colours need to do more than look nice. Brand colours need to tell a story and evoke an emotional reaction from your audience.

4. What colours are your competitors using?

Because of the clear emotional connotations of colours, certain industries tend to congregate around certain colour palettes. However, differentiating yourself from your industry's conventional colours will help you to stand out amongst your competitors.

Fashion brand Moda Operandi conducted a rebrand back in 2019 to distinguish themselves from their black and white competitors. Their new colour palette is something of a rainbow, with playful shades of pink, blue, yellow and more. Their bright new colour scheme was a bold marketing move, and it paid off.

Although you want to build a unique colour palette, remember to stay true to your brand values and the tastes of your dream clientele. Brands are constantly switching up their look but the art lies in retaining the original authenticity and trust of the client base.

Watch Alison Rood's full talk here, or follow her on Instagram for more colourful content!