What your personal brand colours say about you, and how to choose them carefully
Your colours communicate for you. Plus, they increase brand recognition by 80%. For your personal brand, personal style or personal spaces, are your colour choices communicating intentionally?
Your colours communicate for you. For your personal brand, personal style or personal spaces, are your colour choices communicating intentionally?
I was recently invited to a Barbie-themed event. When my friend arrived at mine for pre-drinks, as I opened the door in my only pink dress, my friend greeted me with, “Wow Dianne, I was wondering what you’d wear, as your colours are black, white and red!” While I know this sums up my wardrobe pretty well, I was surprised at how well she recalled my go-to palette.
A few weeks later, my husband surprised me with a handbag from overseas. He said he had no intention of buying anything else, but as he rushed for his flight, he simply could not go past a piece in the display window at the airport. Later saying to me, “It was black, white and red - all your colours.”
I also recently had a friend say, “You’re the only person I know who wears black while holidaying in Santorini”.
I love wearing this colour palette, and the feeling it gives me. But, I also understand what it communicates for me.
I’m intentional about the colours of my personal brand, personal style and personal spaces (no red in the last one). So, when it comes to your own colour choices, how intentional are you?
Why colours matter
Research by the University of Loyola showed colours can increase brand recognition by up to 80%.
Studies have also shown people make a subconscious judgement about a product, person or environment within 90 seconds. Between 62%-90% of this swift judgement is based on colour alone.
Your choice of colour raises the stakes for the first impression of your personal brand. So, here are my top three tips for making smart colour choices:
1. Consider the psychology of colour
Renowned artist Georgia O’Keeffe once said:
“I found I could say things with colour and shapes, that I couldn’t say any other way - things I had no words for.”
A lot of our understanding of colours comes down to the meanings we’ve been conditioned to attribute to certain colours.
Colour meanings
Here are some common interpretations of popular colours:
Red
Energy, power, passion, courage and confidence
Examples: Mcdonald’s, Coca-Cola, YouTube, Netflix and Red Cross
Yellow
Sunshine, positivity, happiness, cheerfulness and energy
Examples: Shell, Hertz, Snapchat, Ikea, Chupa Chups and LA Lakers
Green
Growth, peace, nature, health and abundance
Examples: Spotify, Starbucks, Rolex, Heineken and BP
Blue
Trust, authority, intelligence, friendliness and calm
Examples: LinkedIn, Gillette, Yale University, Facebook, American Express and PayPal
Purple
Royalty, wealth, luxury, spirituality and mystery
Examples: Cadbury, Hallmark and FedEx
Pink
Playfulness, love, nurturing, passion and youthfulness
Examples: Baskin Robins, Barbie, Johnson & Johnson, Donut King and National Breast Cancer Foundation
Orange
Energy, optimism, fun, warmth and determination
Examples: Fanta, Nickelodeon, Mastercard, Amazon and Harley-Davidson
Brown
Comfort, reliability, simplicity, sincerity and genuineness
Examples: M&M’s, Gloria Jeans, Nespresso, Hershey’s and Louis Vuitton
Grey
Neutrality, impartiality, balance, intelligence and practicality
Examples: Mercedes Benz, Swarovski, Volvo and Wikipedia
Black
Elegance, power, mystery, authority and formality
Examples: Mont Blanc, World Wildlife Fund and Chanel
White
Purity, simplicity, cleanliness, perfection and innocence
Examples: Apple, Uber and Nike
This list is not exhaustive. For each colour, even tone matters. Navy, for example, is strong and conveys authority - think education institutions. Meanwhile, baby blue is calming and peaceful.
Colours also have different meanings within cultures and across cultures. Outside of the earlier meanings, red, orange, yellow and black for example, also serve as warnings of danger. In China, red is the colour for prosperity and celebration.
Context also matters. For example, I don’t embrace my love of red at home. You’ve likely heard that a red room can raise blood pressure and heart rates. Not my goal for my personal space.
Consider your audience. Is it male or female-skewed? Or, is it trying to be neutral? Certain colours communicate masculine versus feminine energy. Studies have shown that red, orange, blue, black and white are perceived as more masculine than feminine. High levels of brightness are perceived as more feminine. This showed to be especially true for the colour purple.
2. Choose colours you love
Don’t forget your own colour psychology. If you connect with a colour, it’s likely your ideal audience will too.
I have never made a personal brand colour choice I didn’t personally feel an emotional connection to. It usually sparks a fond memory or long-standing preference which I often discover has deep emotional roots from somewhere in my life. This is much like the overwhelming nostalgia you might experience when you catch a familiar scent.
If you’re going to stay consistent with colours in the long term, choose something compelling.
3. Don’t reinvent the wheel
There’s perhaps no better example of not having to reinvent the wheel than the Colour Wheel. Pin it on your Pinterest for an easy reference. And let the Colour Wheel help you pick the perfect palette.
The Colour Wheel
The colour wheel is art and science at its best. It was created by Isaac Newton, who mapped the colour spectrum onto the circle.
Colour harmonies are colour schemes that are pleasing to the eye. Consider these techniques for finding the perfect pairings and colour combinations:
Complementary colours
Complementary colours are opposite each other on the colour wheel. They provide the highest contrast and impact.
Split complementary colours
Split complementary colours are colours on either side of the colour’s complementary colour.
Monochromatic colours
Monochromatic colours are different shades, tints and tones of the same base. It’s generally easier to work with while creating a harmonious look. Note, shades refer to the amount of black in the colour, tints refer to the amount of white and tones refer to the amount of grey.
Analogous colours
Analogous colours are colours that are next to each other on the colour wheel. For example red, orange, and yellow.
Triadic colours
Triadic colours form an evenly spaced triangle across the colour wheel. It helps create a bold palette while adding more versatility than just the complementary colour combination (though the high contrast of complementary colours is bolder).
Tetradic colours
Tetradic colours are four colours evenly spaced on the colour wheel. Keep in mind that the more colours you add, the more difficult it is to work with to create a balance that’s pleasing to the eye.
Warm versus cool colours
If spilt in half, the wheel can be divided into warm versus cool colours. Warm, like the sun, energises. While cool, like water, is calming.
Compare the competition
If you’re picking your colours for your business or personal brand, research your competitors. Most likely your competitors picked the colours they have due to the colour psychology we’ve discussed. Certain colours communicate certain things to your ideal audience. E.g. blue for the insurance or banking industry helps build trust.
The trick for your personal brand or business is finding the sweet spot between symbolic meanings your audience is already hardwired for, and adding your unique touch to stand out in the noisy marketplace.
Wearing what suits you
What colours suit you to wear? Try these techniques at home to find out:
The Paper Test
Hold a white piece of paper up to your face in the mirror.
If you see yellow or orange, you may have a warm undertone
If you see blue, red or pink, you may have a cool undertone
The Vein Test
Look at the veins in your hands and wrists:
If you see green, you may have a warm undertone
If you see blue or purple, you may have a cool undertone
If your veins appear colourless, you may have a neutral undertone
If you have a warm undertone, warm colours will suit you. If you have a cool undertone, you’ll suit colours with this tone.
So, pick the colours for your personal brand, personal style or personal space with colour psychology, your preferences and some tried and tested colour combinations in mind.
