Guerrilla Marketing: How Colors Affect Your Marketing

The colors you use in your marketing weapons -- stationery, signs, office decor, brochures, business cards -- play an important role in motivating people. Colors speak loudly and clearly about your business. But they give forth mixed messages.

Guerrillas know well the hidden language of color -- and know that colors speak louder than words. They stimulate emotions, excite, impress, entertain, persuade. They generate negative reactions if you don't understand them. Lasting impressions are made within 90 seconds and color accounts for 60 percent of the acceptance or rejection. So don't select the colors you love.

Instead consider their meaning to prospects.

Here is what colors mean to people in their emotions and in a business context:
Red evokes aggressiveness, passion, strength, vitality. In business, it is great for accents and boldness, stimulates appetites, is associated with debt.

Pink evokes femininity, innocence, softness, health. In business, be sure you're aware of its feminine implications and associations.

Orange evokes fun, cheeriness, warm exuberance. In business, it's great to highlight information in graphs and on charts evokes positivity, sunshine and cowardice. In business, it appeals to intellectuals and is excellent for accenting things. Too much is unnerving.

Green evokes tranquility, health, freshness. In business, its deep tones convey status and wealth; its pale tones are soothing.Blue evokes authority, dignity, security, faithfulness. In business, it implies fiscal responsibility and security. Plus it is universally popular.

Purple evokes sophistication, spirituality, costliness, royalty and mystery. In business, it's right for upscale and artistic audiences.

Brown evokes utility, earthiness, woodiness and subtle richness. In business, it signifies less important items in documents.

White evokes purity, truthfulness, being contemporary and refined. In business, it enlivens dark colors and can be refreshing or sterile.

Gray evokes somberness, authority, practicality and a corporate mentality. In business, it is always right for conservative audiences.

Black evokes seriousness, distinctiveness, boldness and being classic. In business, it creates drama and is often a fine background color.

©2006 Jay Conrad Levinson and Mitch Meyerson