Using Color To Sell Your Project

Color Sells

From vari-colored Volkswagen Beetles to candy-colored iMac computers, color is the world's new language. Color is the very first thing we notice. It's also the last thing we forget. Color shapes the way we think in an immediate and visceral way. In fact, color is the primary tool in the arsenal of every serious marketer. Take Henry Ford, for example - that master marketer. Ford declared that his mass-produced automobiles were available in any color, "as long as it was black." He understood the straightforward impact of basic black - not to mention the power of snappy copy. But the eye gets tired, and the days of Henry Ford are long gone. Now, black is just one option in the full-spectrum world of color merchandising. Car manufacturers, like everyone today, play the color game. Though car colors don't change quite as often as fashion colors, auto manufacturers keep a very close eye on the constantly changing color landscape. Why. Because they know color sells. So if the pros use color to position and sell, why don't you?

Color Breaks Through

You've probably noticed that some companies are known instantly by their colors. IBM is called "Big Blue". McDonald's has its golden arches. Would you even think about buying a roll of film without the famous, yellow Kodak box? Why do you recognize these relationships? Because color breaks through. It really is the first thing we see. Corporations spend huge amounts of money - sometimes the equivalent of a small country's GNP - and devote countless hours to finding just the right color, or color combination, for their corporate identities. Take FedEx, for example. The designers of that classic logo must have chosen orange with some trepidation. Now, to the public, orange implies speed and service. With computers at our fingertips, color will become an even more expressive tool. New color technology allows everyone, from designers to small business owners, to make and appreciate new color connections. With  colors, you too can build an identity that is both indelible and recognizable. Over time, that identity will make it easy to get your message across. Develop an identity program with your favorite colored paper and contrasting inks. Or, mix and match papers: choose one color for your letterhead, another for your business card and a third for your envelope. And remember - white is a color, too. Express yourself and be heard!

Color Speaks

In a society faced with information overload, color communicates with refreshing simplicity and punch. That's because it has strong associative meanings. Consider red. Red increases appetite. Even subtle, soft shades of red can make you feel warm, congenial, hungry or happy. Marketers play upon their knowledge of color's strong associative meanings, using carefully chosen hues to express delicacy, strength, sophistication, innovation or affordability. Color can quickly communicate a range of ideas: from plush and expensive to simple and affordable; from strong and trustworthy to fresh and inventive. You already know that black suggests everything from death to luxury and that purple is usually associated with royalty. Although you might wear gray clothing, you'd never buy gray laundry detergent to wash your whites and brights. To understand the many shades of this associative language, examine the world around you. Take a look at the products, packaging, stationery and marketing materials you admire. See how different colors are used to underscore position and personality. Once you've chosen your colors, be consistent no matter what you print. That way, every time you communicate with people, you will strike a chord before they read a word.

Color Attracts

With today's explosive competition, getting noticed is quite a challenge. There is, however, a quick, efficient and inexpensive way to cut through the information overload. Use Color! According to market research, color elicits a powerful subconscious response. As a result, it makes an impression much faster than either pictures or words. And since people are generally unaware of this color phenomenon, the effect, while powerful, is also subtle.