The Value of Color Research in Brand Strategy

Is color more than a design? The following research discusses the science of color to consumer perception and the value of that color research to consumer-brand relationships. Specifically, it examines how color influences consumers’ perception and how brands strategically utilize color to distinguish themselves amongst competitors, establish an identity, promote an image, and foster relationships with its consumers. To examine the significance of color to consumer perception and brand imagery, a nonrandom sample of men and women between the ages of 18 and 37 years old participated in a focus group that included color-centric photos and a survey. The results of the nonrandom sample also show that colors used in branding influence consumers’ perception, are used to identify products, and carry meaning that’s evolved into a relationship between the brand and the consumer. These findings were consistent with previous research that found through color, brands effectively establish an identity, communicate a mood, and form a relationship with consumers (Labrecque and Milne, 2011) [1]. The results of the survey also reveal that consumers don’t rely solely on color when recognizing a branding and more can be done to examine how integral color is to manufacturing brand-consumer relationships.