Blog

Why Your Marketing Campaign Strategy Should Incorporate Print

The modern world loves marketing. Well, businesses have always loved marketing but in the digital age, it seems the love has seemingly turned into an obsession as most marketing tactics have moved online. And it makes sense—a lot of us spend a large chunk of our time on social media and checking our emails, so brands will naturally try to speak to us there. That said, we also still live in the real world. We drive past billboards, we ask people for their business cards, and we see flyers in the cafes, restaurants, and events that we go to.

Similarly, your marketing campaigns shouldn’t be solely confined to the digital realm. Doing so means missing huge opportunities to promote your company and resigning your interactions with customers to only the moments when they’re using their electronic devices.

The most effective marketing campaign strategies combine a mixture of online and offline initiatives, ensuring that people cross paths with your messaging as many times as possible, without being overly loud or aggressive. That journey starts with print, and here’s why.

Why Use Print Campaigns?

More than half of people say that they find print marketing to be the most trustworthy type of marketing. Whereas digital marketing can be easily modified according to how people respond to it, print marketing often takes a lot of in-depth research, where brands have to really spend time getting to know their customers. They also have to create and be confident in the campaigns that they deploy in print, especially because it’s expensive and time-consuming to make changes retroactively.

The result is that print campaigns tend to be carefully put together, based on a lot of background knowledge, and extra creativity. Compared to a website or email format, where brands are confined to a digital platform, print campaigns have total freedom when it comes to aesthetics.

We’re not saying that print is the only way forward—digital campaigns are undoubtedly impactful too—but that print campaigns are a springboard for any comprehensive marketing strategy. As our National Account Executive, Tyler Diebold, says “creating a multi-channel campaign that includes print is the best way to set yourself apart from others.”

Ways to Incorporate Print in Your Campaign

Nathan Gardner, another National Account Executive on the team, explains that print campaigns should be part of a larger campaign. “It’s unlikely that you’ll see a high ROI from sending one set of postcards, but if you create a list of highly desirable prospects, target them with multiple channels of marketing and send them engaging content—and you’ll see results.”

So, let’s put things into context. Say a company is targeting insurance agents in the US. They send 10,000 postcards to agents asking them to scan a trackable QR code and enter their details to view exclusive content. With this information, the company can send engaged prospects emails and newsletters, or contact them via phone. From here, they can then mail the top 1-2% of insurance agents a branded kit with printed goodies. This entire funnel gives the company a competitive advantage because they’ve invested in the best-fit prospects both online and offline and have shown their value with unique rewards.

The Benefits of Print Campaigns

There’s no shortage of perks when it comes to print campaigns. Not only can print techniques be seamlessly integrated into people’s daily lives, but they do so while also capturing people’s attention. Think of it like when you get a surprise letter in the mail—it’s not uncommon to get a letter, but when it’s personalized, it feels like the sender has really thought about you, and that memory sticks in your mind.

Tyler breaks things down further by saying that “you’ll likely catch more of a prospect’s time in a print marketing campaign.” In the over-saturated digital space, people’s attention spans are shorter than ever, and a digital ad can easily be skimmed over. A physical print item, however, demands more time. People tend to read what they have in their hands or something that addresses them directly in the offline world. Print marketing has a special way of, in Tyler’s words, “cutting through the digital clutter”.

Who Should Use Print Campaigns?

There’s enough print for everyone! In the same way that businesses across all industries can use digital campaigns, any company can tap into the world of print marketing too. Naturally, software and tech-based companies prefer to use print in tandem with multi-channel campaigns, but they generally find that their print approach really resonates with users because it’s different from what they expected.

Tyler also recommends print campaigns for companies that cater to a specific area like landscaping, restaurants, or businesses that can use local mail services to reach people in a timely manner. Additionally, healthcare companies pair well with print marketing because they can send important information directly to large groups of people, including demographics that may be most at risk but don’t go online much.

In short, a successful marketing campaign needs to make space for print. Print tactics add that little layer of care and customization that makes a brand remarkable.

So, are you ready to make strides in your print campaign? Check out our direct mail services, and discover how we can help you create an ROI-positive plan for your next marketing strategy.

The Best Printed Marketing Merchandise for Your Company

Good marketing and sales strategies are characterized by a versatile, multi-pronged approach that includes print marketing, digital marketing, and branded merchandise. The question is how to use each element for optimal impact. Let’s look at how printed merchandise can level up your marketing game as well as how to find the best marketing merchandise to fit your brand. After all, everyone loves some company swag!

Why Use Marketing Merchandise?

Custom branded merchandise is a vital part of any marketing campaign and it can be used in several ways. Handing out branded gifts at events can help you attract new customers, and wearable merchandise, such as branded t-shirts and hats, can function as advertising. Where printed merchandise arguably makes the biggest impact, however, is in securing prospective clients and building client relationships that last.

Nathan Gardner, National Account Executive here at Printing for Less, explains how merchandise can be used alongside more traditional printed media, like postcards and flyers, to encourage prospects to enter and progress through the sales funnel. “There is a place for both print media and merchandise. For example, a company could send out 1,000 postcards and then send an engraved Yeti Mug to the first 50 or 100 people that respond.”

In other words, the first stages of building brand awareness can typically be achieved with print media. And once members of your target audience have expressed an interest, you can refocus and engage with them by sending customized branded gifts. Integrating marketing merchandise into your branding strategy can accelerate the sales pipeline and show your potential customer that you are dedicated to them.

It can also set you apart from the competition because let’s face it: receiving a gift is a treat. As Tyler Diebold, our National Account Executive says, “Packages catch people’s attention for a longer period of time, and the recipient is going to be excited and curious when they open it.” When it comes down to it, marketing merchandise is memorable and can fulfill longer-term functions more than any other type of marketing material.

Things to Keep in Mind When Ordering Merchandise

Designing and ordering branded merchandise is not quite as simple as slapping your logo onto products. It’s important to think about the purpose the merchandise will serve and to then tailor your messaging accordingly. For example, if you are reaching out to a prospective client with the aim of booking a meeting, choose merchandise that aligns with the goal. We’ve helped produce branded magnetic sand hourglass kits, which function both as a stylish office accessory and a fitting medium for letting your prospects know that it’s the perfect time to learn about or integrate your product or services.

It’s also important to think about how you are personalizing the merchandise. “Each company should be making sure that the package relates to their branding and messaging,” explains Gardner. “Your merchandise needs to align with the rest of your brand.” At the same time, you should ensure that your branded gifts—which cost more than printed media—are reaching people that have already started to engage with your brand.

Perhaps the most important thing to remember is to be original. You don’t want your merchandise to be forgotten amongst a stack of other promotional goods. Interactive gifts or kits are a reliable way to charm the recipient and create a dynamic experience.

Some Popular Merch Options

Your imagination is the limit when it comes to custom marketing merchandise. But we do have a few suggestions if you are looking for inspiration. To start, there are classic options, like branded t-shirts, pens, mugs, magnets, hats, and drink koozies. These types of branded merch are practical and functional. People are likely to hold onto and use these items. Most of these products also have the added benefit of providing free advertising for your company. The risk with popular merch, however, is that they can get lost in the fray of other promotional items.

We, therefore, suggest thinking about a more interactive approach when it comes to your branded merchandise. For example, if you are giving a branded mug, think about pairing it with a bag of coffee or tea. Branded DIY projects—think a wooden airplane kit—give recipients a unique and memorable experience and can be accompanied by clever and evocative messaging, like “let’s soar to success.” Of course, that’s only the tip of the iceberg, from wearables to games to homeware to food—there are plenty of products that can be customized with your brand.

Some of Our Favorites

We’ve worked with many clients over the years, so we’ve seen our fair share of custom merchandise campaigns. While each of them has had its merits, there are a handful of projects that have particularly stood out. (It’s worth pointing out that if we remember these campaigns, the recipients of the merchandise surely remember them too!)

Tyler Diebold highlights a Printing for Less client—a security company—that has branded golf kits. “They send out a tin with branded golf balls and a driver head cover to people they want to book a meeting with. Because it’s a security company, the messaging is centered on ‘keeping your team out of the rough’, and ‘focusing on birdies, not breaches’. They also offer the recipient a free driver if they schedule a meeting with the team.” Thanks to its originality and effective messaging—not to mention its incentive structure—the golf kit campaign has been a big hit.

Nathan Gardner recalls a client in the software sector that sent out NERF guns to C-level executives with a set of target cups. “Each cup featured common problems that could be solved with the company’s software,” he recalls. “You would never think that sending a NERF gun to an executive could work, but it did by catching people’s attention.” Nathan sums it up well: when it comes to custom merchandise he says, “the weirder the better.”

Discover our merchandise printing services

In the end, branded merchandise can have a big impact if it is used strategically. At Printing for Less, our package printing, laser engraving, and pad printing services take your custom marketing merchandise from idea to reality. If you want to integrate high-quality merch into your marketing or sales strategy but aren’t sure where to begin, get in touch with us at info@printingforless.com. We’re happy to help!

Customer Outreach: 3 Ways to Reach an Audience with Print

Print marketing is both more popular and more effective than digital: 56 percent of customers find print to be the most trustworthy type of marketing, and a recent study found that people are more likely to remember print ads than digital ones because they make a stronger first impression.

In today’s digital world, online marketing eclipses traditional marketing in terms of sheer volume. But print marketing is both more popular and more effective than digital: 56 percent of customers find print to be the most trustworthy type of marketing, and a recent study found that people are more likely to remember print ads than digital ones because they make a stronger first impression.

Traditional print media is therefore essential to a good customer outreach campaign. And there are several ways that businesses can reach their target audience via print marketing.

Why Use Print Marketing for Customer Outreach?

It’s no secret that online advertising plays an important role in customer outreach. However, print marketing remains a valuable tool for generating sales, with the ROI of direct mail advertising almost double that of online display advertising.

With browser-based ad blockers and anti-spam email filters making it harder to conduct online marketing, print marketing offers a reliable and direct route to customers. Response rates are higher for direct mail than email, and print allows for a broad range of formats.

While we are obviously biased towards print here at Printing for Less, we do acknowledge that it is a new era. Regardless of the statistics, there isn’t a need for competition between print and digital. Rather, we want our customers to take advantage of the modern digital avenues and create a partnership between their digital and print campaigns. With that said the following tips are focused for reaching customers exclusively via print media. And with options like standard flyers and trifolds to unique die-cut brochures, they are sure to catch the recipient’s eye.

Best Print Practices

Print marketing is an effective means of customer outreach—but only when it is done in a thoughtful, goal-oriented manner.

Clarity is key. When creating paper-based marketing materials, ensure that your messaging is easy to read quickly, as people won’t spend a lot of time on it. And have a clear call to action so your customer knows what to do next, ideally in a larger or more distinctive typeface than the rest of the piece.

When planning a direct mail campaign, it is important to identify your audience and delivery strategy. Do you need to reach everyone in a specific location—using Every Door Direct Mail (EDDM), for example—or do you need to identify potential customers based on information such as their age, gender, or lifestyle?

Print Marketing Merch & Why It’s Useful

Printed marketing media comes in several formats. Some of these, such as personalized mailers, are intended for direct mail marketing, while items like business cards may be distributed in various ways: in stores, at conferences, or during one-on-one interactions.

1. Business cards

The humble business card does a lot of heavy lifting when it comes to customer outreach. Functioning as a mini billboard for your business, a business card should convey only the most essential information while still securing the interest of the customer.

According to Katie Young, Printing for Less’s Director of Sales, these snappy pieces of literature get prioritized above virtually any other form of print marketing. “Business cards are one of our most popular items because if someone is only going to have one print piece for their business, it’s typically a business card.”

2. Brochures

While business cards are most effective in their classic, wallet-friendly format, brochures are available in a broader range of sizes and styles. Brochures include items like single-sided flyers, trifolds, and gatefolds, all of which can be customized with techniques like holographic foil stamping, spot UV coating, and die cutting.

Along with business cards, brochures are the most in-demand products at Printing for Less. They are a great way to convey larger amounts of information along with images and eye-catching details, and they can be either mailed or distributed in person.

3. Personalized mailers

Mailers can be personalized for an individual recipient. A retail study found that 86 percent of consumers say personalized marketing leads to a buying decision.

At a basic level, personalization involves printing the recipient’s name somewhere on the mailer, but it can also include more advanced information such as the recipient’s age, hair color, or profession. Specific images, text, and color schemes can be added based on any field from the mailing list data set.

“There’s really no limit to how many things you can personalize on a mailer,” Young says. “For example, you can personalize a certain address to be matched with a certain message.”

Brainstorming Your Customer Outreach Campaign

A successful customer outreach campaign requires both practical and creative planning. First off, a business needs to have a clear idea of their budget for the campaign. Only once the budget has been established can it decide what it needs and in what quantities.

And then comes the merchandise itself. What format should the print media take? What will it look like? What message will it convey?

Nathan Gardner, National Account Executive at Printing for Less, suggests that individuality should be encouraged in virtually all cases. “It’s really important to make your marketing stand out. You have to make your campaign personalized or different from everyone else’s to really see results.” 

Some Examples We Love

Successful customer outreach can take many forms. Sometimes, simplicity is key: one business just enjoyed their most successful campaign by offering customers a free pillow if they visited the business’ store. Who could resist?

Another company used print marketing to serve a more long-term strategy, using dynamic QR codes to gather data about where people were engaging with the media, thus identifying potential hotspots for business.

Tyler Diebold, National Account Executive at Printing for Less, gives a third example, citing a health technology company that offered customer incentives and included a clear call to action. “Sempre Health ran a ‘good driver discount’ campaign that partnered with health insurance companies to offer large discounts to customers who refilled their prescriptions on time. The business sent a mailer to their customers asking them to enroll in the program to be eligible for discounts.”

Reach Out with Printing for Less

Business cards, brochures, and personalized mailers are all great tools for reaching new and existing customers. Need assistance putting together your next customer outreach campaign? Give us a call at 800-930-7978!

What is Poster Marketing?

Does your company include poster marketing as part of its advertising strategy? If not, you’re missing out on a huge opportunity to grab your audience’s attention and turn prospects into buyers. 82% of consumers trust print ads like posters over other forms of advertising when making a purchasing decision. Let’s explore how your company can start incorporating poster marketing as part of its print strategy.

Poster Marketing and Print Strategies

If you want to increase sales, potential customers need to interact with your brand multiple times. In fact, it typically takes seven interactions before a prospect makes a purchase. Utilizing poster marketing along with your other print strategies like newsletters and direct mail helps to increase the number of interactions customers have with your brand. This builds brand awareness and trust, and ultimately improves sales.

Melanie Handl, Printing for Less’s Team Lead, notes that combining poster marketing with other print marketing materials increases the ROI for both strategies.

“If you want to make sure your poster message really hits the target group, you should send a postcard to the same demographic or area that your posters were displayed. Having your advertisement appear in front of your target audience in a couple of different ways can help solidify the message and increase the ROI on both pieces.”

Since 77% of consumers make purchases based on the brand, developing brand awareness should be a top priority for companies. By combining poster marketing with your current print strategies, you can increase the number of interactions prospects have with your company, boosting that all important brand awareness.

How Poster Marketing Works in a Digital World

We live in a digital world, so it’s no surprise that online advertising is essential if you want to attract customers. But that doesn’t mean you should ignore print. In fact, poster marketing can help you drive traffic to your online platforms.

Including your company’s handles on posters lets customers know how they can find you on social media. You can also use posters to promote a unique hashtag, encouraging viewers to interact with your brand online.

Interested in promoting a key landing page or sign-up form? Add a QR code to your poster that directs viewers to the target page. Using poster advertising alongside digital advertising adds memorable touchpoints to the customer journey, helping your brand stand out from the rest.

What Does Successful Poster Marketing Look Like?

So now you understand the importance of posters in advertising, awesome work! But how do you create one that will catch your customers’ attention? Below we’ve outlined our top strategies for designing a poster that creates a buzz.

Keep It Simple

While you may be tempted to use intricate fonts and detailed designs, save the complicated illustrations for a different advertising medium. According to Printing for Less’s National Account Executive, Nathan Garder, simple is best when it comes to poster marketing. “You want posters to look visually appealing without looking cluttered. Less is more. Customers may only give a quick glance, so you have a very brief moment in time to catch customer attention.”

Stay Consistent

To make the most of your marketing campaign, it’s important to use poster advertising alongside other marketing strategies like social media or direct mail. But you need to keep a consistent brand image across all channels. This means using similar visuals and messaging in all your ads. Doing so will make it easier to recognize your brand and you may see a spike in sales. Brands that maintain a consistent brand image increase revenue by 33%.

Choose The Right Location

A catchy slogan and bold design won’t do you much good if your prospects can’t see your poster. That’s why it’s important to display posters in highly trafficked areas amongst your target audience.

Before you pick your poster’s location, think about where your customers spend most of their time. If you’re targeting young adults, hanging posters on a college campus could be a great idea. If you’re targeting families, consider placing posters in shopping centers or at businesses near schools.

Make It Readable

Chances are your target audience isn’t going to closely examine your work like it’s the concert poster of their favorite band. So it’s important that your message is easy to read from a distance. Rather than trying to cram an entire paragraph onto your ad, focus on a strong statement or attention-grabbing headline. You’ll also want to use a simple font that’s easy to read. The two most common font styles used for posters are Serif and Sans Serif. They each offer a different look and feel, but either style can work for poster advertisements.

Don’t Forget Your CTA

If you want to maximize your ROI, it’s important to include a strong call to action (CTA) on your poster. A CTA will let viewers know what action they need to take to continue interacting with your brand. When crafting a CTA, choose action words that engage your audience. Examples of action words you could try include are:

discover
share
explore
learn

Use a Quality Commercial Printing Partner

At Printing for Less, we implement high-impact print marketing strategies to help get your brand noticed. We want to help you create posters that will grab your prospect’s attention, that’s why our products use premium paper and arrive at your doorstep in well-protected packaging. Whether you need a single large poster or several thousand, we’re excited to work together to bring your idea to life.

If you’re interested in learning more about how we can help your company create a captivating poster shoot us an email at info@printingforless.com. We’d love to connect.

Get A Quote on Custom Poster Printing

10 Types of Paper: Choosing the Best Option for Any Need

When designing marketing materials, do you take time to think through what type of paper you should use? While paper might not be the first thing that comes to mind when planning a campaign, it can greatly impact a design’s presentation. We want your business to put its best foot forward and create eye-catching products. So, we’ve created this guide to help you understand the different types of paper and how to choose the best one for your project. Let’s dive in.

There are How Many Types of Paper?!

Most people don’t realize how many different types of paper there are to choose from. From text weight paper to glossy finishes, you truly have an endless amount of options. To better understand which type will fit your needs, look at some of the most common examples below.

Text Weight Paper

Text weight paper is lightweight and thin. This style is easy to roll and fold, making it perfect for brochures, letters, and interior pages of magazines. Our house text stock weights come in 60#, 70#, 80#, and 100#.

Cover Weight Paper

Cover weight paper is heavier and less likely to bend than text weight paper. It’s commonly used for business cards and greeting cards. Our house text stock weights are 80#, 100#, 120#, 160#, and 200#.

Synthetic Paper

Unlike traditional paper, synthetic paper isn’t created using wood pulp. Instead, it’s made using recyclable plastic stock that can weather many elements. According to our Custom Solutions Team Lead, Melanie Handl, synthetic paper is one of the best styles for companies looking for a sturdy option. “It’s tear resistant, water resistant, and is easy to clean with warm, soapy water. We see the synthetic papers used as menus, door hangers, informational sheets in hotels, and maps that need to stand up to the elements.”

Adhesive Paper

Adhesive paper is designed to stick onto surfaces like envelopes or boxes. People use adhesive paper for product labeling, address labels, and sticker campaigns.

Uncoated Paper

Paper weight isn’t the only thing to keep in mind when choosing the style of paper you need. The coating also has a significant impact on product appearance and durability. Uncoated paper is rougher and more absorbent than coated options. This makes it great for journals, notepads, or other marketing materials people need to write on.

Dull Matte Coating

Dull matte coating is perfect for companies who want their products to look more elevated without eliminating the option to write on them. Images will appear slightly muted but have more vibrancy than uncoated paper. Many graphic designers gravitate toward this style for their printed pieces.

Gloss Coating

Gloss coating is the most popular option for products that don’t require writing. This high sheen paper makes images more lively than uncoated or matte options. Gloss coating is typically less expensive than matte paper, making it an economical option for teams with smaller budgets.

Gloss UV Coating

If you’re looking for a paper that gives your products an extra pop, go with a gloss UV coating. The glossy shine makes colors appear more vibrant and sharpens images. UV gloss also adds a protective layer to your printed materials, blocking sun damage and allowing you to wick away moisture or water. This makes it a great option for menus, maps, or other products that may get exposed to the elements. However, you’ll need to use thicker paper. Gloss UV coating is only useable on stocks 100# text weight and higher.

Spot UV Coating

Looking to create a distinctive design? Consider giving spot UV coating a try. This coating style adds contrast to images by only highlighting certain sections with the glossy treatment and leaving the rest of the piece matte. Its unique appearance makes it an eye-catching option for book covers or elevated business cards.

Soft Touch Coating

Brands interested in giving their printed products a luxurious feel should consider a soft touch coating. As the name suggests, this coating gives paper a soft velvety feel. Some of its most common uses include business cards, brochures, and postcards. Similar to Gloss UV coating, soft touch coating is available in stock weights 100# and higher.

Choosing the Best Option For Your Campaign

The perfect paper for your project will depend largely on what the piece is being used for. However, Melanie suggests considering your brand image.

“When you’re looking at picking paper stocks, there are endless options. My best advice is to think about what your project is, what your business or organization brand is, and then what you’re trying to portray in the project. A business card or brochure may require more thought than a form letter. Picking the right stock is one part personal preference, one part brand, and one part usage.”

Is the Type of Paper You Choose Actually Important?

The most important component of any campaign is the content. It’s essential that your message conveys your brand’s value and connects with readers. However, customers won’t focus on your captivating copy and amazing design if the execution is off. Using the proper paper can help elevate a campaign and impress your target audience.

A Partner For All Your Printing Needs

At Printing for Less, we have limitless paper options for every campaign. Whether you’re sending a printed newsletter or needing professional business cards, we’re here to help. Unsure what type of paper you need? Let’s hop on a call and discuss your options. Speak with a member of our expert staff at 855-713-2070.

Afraid of commitment and phone calls? (We get it) Reach out on our site and the Printing for Less team can send you samples of our paper types to help inform your decision.

Color Psychology and Why it is Important to the Printing Industry

Have you ever thought about what influences you to be drawn to purchase a product you have never physically held or seen? Is it the graphics? The aesthetic of the marketing campaign? The physical appeal of the models in the photos? The color palette of the design? All of the above?

The look of your marketing campaign can literally make or break your brand. But, did you know color can actually affect us physically and mentally, too? Psychologists refer to this phenomenon as color psychology.

Believe it or not, color affects us in ways most of us haven’t even stopped to think about before. It affects our moods and decisions, and can even affect our appetite and health. We will teach you a bit about color psychology so the next time you are planning a marketing campaign you can utilize psychology to sway your customers in the right direction.

The History of Color Psychology

The use of color to treat the mind and body has been practiced for thousands of years. The Egyptians were practicing color psychology way before the term “color psychology” was coined. They painted therapy rooms orange to lessen fatigue, purple to improve the skin, and blue to relieve pain.

Color has also been—and still is—used in one of the oldest holistic medicine practices in the world. This alternative medicine practice swears by using color to improve health by influencing our moods. With historical roots in India, Ayurvedic Medicine was developed more than 3,000 years ago, calling these mood-influencing colors doshas. Ayurvedic practitioners categorize people into three different doshas based on physical stature and each dosha is said to be influenced differently by different colors. Who needs Advil when we have color?

Although color has been used for therapy for thousands of years, color psychology was not actually studied until relatively recently. The first book on color psychology, Theory of Colors, was published in 1810 by German poet and artist Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. He wrote about the significance of different colors and how he believed different colors could trigger different emotions.

Scientists immediately rejected his theory because it was not backed by scientific research and was mainly based on his own opinions and insights. But, turns out he was onto something because since then, some of his insights have actually been validated by modern research. Who feels rejected now?

In 1942, neuropsychologist Kurt Goldstein tried to back Goethe with experimentation and scientific research, but his hypothesis was deemed inaccurate because he couldn’t get other scientists to back up his research either. But, his research has since played a massive role in modern color psychology.

Modern color psychology has consistently found scientific proof that color does indeed influence humans physically and mentally.

Researchers focus on three main areas when studying color psychology—color preference, physiological response to color, and effects of color on human emotion and behavior. Color preference is important for obvious reasons, if a person likes a specific color, they will be drawn to it. Researchers study physiological responses to color by measuring things like blood pressure, heart rate, and brain activity. To study the emotional effect color has on people, researchers use a psychological test called a semantic differential scale where they offer two adjectives opposite in meaning and are asked to place an object, in this case, color, where it belongs in relation to the adjectives presented. And to observe behavior, they run experiments to simply test and observe how different colors affect different choices and behaviors.

Why Color Psychology is Used in Marketing

Every color on the spectrum has been well researched and associated with different emotions. All the hard work has already been done, and you as a marketer can use this research to your advantage, and you absolutely should.

Studies have shown that 93% of buyers are influenced by visual appearance, and of that, nearly 85% are influenced by color alone.

For instance, if you think about yourself walking around a shopping mall don’t you think you would be way more likely to walk into a shop with funky colors and cool patterns rather than a store filled with beige and white clothes? Or imagine you’re walking around your city’s downtown, wouldn’t you think you’d be more inclined to stop and read, or even just notice a poster if it was vibrant and bright as opposed to one printed in black and white?

Color is something you should always be thinking about when beginning a new marketing campaign. You can literally influence your audience with color alone. And although not every person is influenced the same way, there are a few general color theories you should be aware of.

Some Colors and What They’re Good For

The color wheel is generally divided in half creating two categories of colors – warm colors and cool colors. Each is associated with different emotions. Warm colors like red, orange, yellow, and light green provoke emotions such as passion, enthusiasm, energy, and happiness. Whereas cool colors like purple and blue and darker greens elicit calmness and professionalism. However, as much as you may really want to invoke something in your audience, it is not advised to overuse one side of the color wheel over the other; balance is still key.

Purple – Purple is most commonly known as the color of luxury, it’s viewed as regal and dignified. It is also associated with imagination and spirituality making a perfect balance between physical and spiritual. Being a cool color it is known to soothe and calm the mind bringing peace and confidence in decision-making to consumers. Beauty brands like Urban Decay, Aussie, and Tarte all use purple in their logos. Being associated with things such as luxury, imagination, and physicality, beauty and anti-aging brands often tend to sway towards purple.

Red – Red is a very powerful color, it’s a strong color, arguably one of the brightest. It is known to create a sense of urgency and is often associated with fear or love. Its energizing properties grab attention and hold focus. Red is also known to encourage appetite and is often used by fast-food chains. Think about Mcdonald’s, Chick-Fil-A, In-N-Out, Chipotle, and Pizza Hut, shoot, now that I’m listing them it’s harder to think of fast-food chains that don’t use red in their logo!

Blue – Blue is arguably one of the most well-liked colors. It is associated with trust and security and is often used to represent tranquility, peace, water, and reliability. Men often prefer the color blue, so, if your main audience is men, think blue! Further, blue is the most common color used by companies in the corporate space. Think HP, Dell, Intel, and IBM.

Green – The color green is often used to promote balance and harmony and is generally associated with things like money, power, health, and nature. Green can stimulate tranquility within the brain and can lead to decisiveness among customers. Many eco-friendly or environmentally conscious brands use green in their branding, for the obvious reason that the most common color associated with nature and the environment is well… green.

Yellow – Yellow elicits joy, cheerfulness, and optimism. If you are trying to portray anything happy, yellow is probably the color you want to go with! Yellow can also be known to awaken the child in us, companies offering pleasurable, fast-accessible products or services often use yellow in their branding, companies like Mcdonald’s or Best Buy have benefited from using yellow in their branding.

White – White is often associated with purity and cleanliness. It can represent new beginnings and simplicity. As beautiful as it can be when used properly, avoid using too much white in marketing campaigns, as it can be seen as too minimal and boring.

Black – Black is used to portray things like seriousness, power, sophistication, or authority. Black, as a powerful color, can often be overused, and therefore misused. When used correctly black can look extremely sharp and powerful, but be sure to tread lightly.

While color plays a huge factor in the influence of your consumers, it is still important to remember all visual factors play a role in the success of your campaign. But now that you have color psychology in your toolbelt, your campaign can be that much more successful.