THE MATTER OF COLOURS

WHAT IS RIGHT, AND IF SO: WHY?

Whether at the beginning of an entrepreneurial activity or during a planned relaunch, the question of the right colour accompanies almost all entrepreneurs through the years. Except for those who simply don't think about it. But is there even THE right colour? The answer to this is clearly: no! That was obvious, wasn't it? As is so often the case in marketing, a little explanation is needed. Because choosing a corporate colour is not something that should be done on the side. And the answer is not the same for every company, either. But let's start at the beginning!

THE RIGHT COLOUR? FOR WHOM?

Firstly, you should always consider for what or for whom you want to choose "the right colour". Are you a sole trader, or are you looking for a colour for a large company? In the former case, your personality is important. An example? A few years ago, a client came to us with clear ideas about the colour scheme for her new logo: a combination of pink and brown. A really beautiful combination! But ... not for this customer, that was immediately clear to us. Why? Because it didn't suit her - and that's the first, important point! As a sole trader or a small business based on you as a person, you should ALWAYS be authentic! Don't try to present yourself with colours that "don't suit you". Back to our entrepreneur. She sat in front of us wearing jeans and a light blue blouse. When asked what colour she sees when she looks in her wardrobe, the answer came relatively quickly: light blue. You probably guessed it: the client's new logo was light blue, just like the entire presentation around it. And? Everyone who saw her new logo and knew her was of the opinion that it suited her 100%! So ask yourself: What is my colour? In this case, the colour according to the contents of the wardrobe was actually only rhetorical, because, with this customer in particular, the answer was obvious even to every colour muffle. With myself, for example, the answer would not be so obvious. When my daughter was little, she liked to draw pictures for me. Did she learn quite quickly to ask the right question: Mamaaaaa? What is your favourite colour today? My logo would probably have to be rainbow-coloured ;-)

WHAT ABOUT COMPANIES?

And what about the choice of colours for companies? Which colour should I choose as the corporate colour? In the past, everything was so simple. If you wanted to stand out, you simply used a red logo. If you wanted to present yourself in a serious way, you chose blue. Many things still work today, but in recent years we have experienced a strong change in perception and thinking. Individuality is more and more in demand, the market is flooded with companies that are all in the same line of business. Imagine if all banks had a blue logo (because they are serious, of course), as well as all tax consultants and lawyers (because they are also serious). And of course, every other company, because everyone naturally wants to appear reputable. On the market, one discovers many different colours instead. Let's just take a quick look at the banks. There we have blue of course (e.g. Deutsche Bank), red (e.g. Sparkasse), yellow (e.g. Commerzbank), green (e.g. fidor Bank) and many others. It is important that you are clear about what you would like to convey right from the start. Not only the right colour, but also the appropriate choice of images is part of this, but that is another story and shall be told another time. But the two are mutually dependent. If I want to appear friendly, open-minded and choose dark colours and a gloomy mood, it doesn't go together. So something lighter is better. That narrows down the choice, but we don't have a definite answer yet.

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR MY COMPANY?

Be clear about who you are and what you want to communicate to your partners and customers. In large companies, there are also many great opportunities to kill several birds with one stone. Involve your employees in the decision. Create a corporate identity that your employees are proud and happy to carry out into the world. Just like our client, you can also ask yourself as a company the question: What do we stand for? What suits us? Experience shows: If the choice is authentic and presents the company honestly and sympathetically, there is no wrong colour. Who else would have thought that a telecommunications company with the corporate colour "magenta" could ever be successful? Or that a white, bitten apple would become one of the best-known logos in the world? See for yourself and simply google the most famous logos. You will see that the selection includes all kinds of colours. Sure, some confirm the clichés of blue (serious) and red (signal colour), but you will always find well-known global brands that prove the opposite.

CONCLUSIONS:

Choose the colour that suits you and your company, feel free to involve your employees in this question. And if you would like to have the whole thing moderated and accompanied .... just give us a call.