We often talk about the content, concepts and methods of marketing. What about the look? Something as simple as color has such an impact. How do you choose the right colors for your product, event, logo or website?
Are you old enough to remember color wheels? Or to remember your mom having makeup consultations based on the season? “Color Me Beautiful” was a hit book about seasonal color analysis in the 1980’s. The idea was a simplified version of a previous publication and was based in research and writing from the early half of the 18th century having to do with chemistry and dyeing fabrics–the idea of a color wheel was born then.
So, how do you navigate the color wheel? It’s arguably more complicated now, with the addition of tones between colors, light and dark, the appeal of contrasting or opposite colors, the idea of monochromatic choices, and on and on. There is way more than, “I have Autumn hair with a Spring undertone to my skin.”
People always want their logos and promotional material to stand out. What is the perfect combination that will draw the eye of buyers? My advice on how to choose important colors in your business is twofold.
1) 
Use your gut. Unless you are colorblind, and I do have some good friends in this category, you probably know what you like and what doesn’t speak to you. Go with it. There aren’t such hard fast rules today that you cannot veer from. I mean, the first make up color wheels were in the 70’s….seriously? Have you seen those pictures???
2) My second piece of advice is to consult an expert. Your gut instinct and your personal taste can take you far. However, it’s possible that it can only take you “so” far. Knowing what to pair with a pair of black pants isn’t the same as knowing what colors will draw attention from consumers, which will work well with the back-light of a computer monitor and which will be most visible and attractive on particular types of packaging. I have been amazed countless times at how my talented graphic designers have developed an idea that I thought was already fully formed! Graphic designers have a lot of time invested learning about color. Not only about the color wheel, but about how colors translate digitally, in print and in different types of presentation.
When your foot hurts, you see a podiatrist. Tooth ache? Dentist. Color choices? Color professional. Aka, graphic designer. Personally, I think it works best when the designer is also working in consort with your marketing team and not in a bubble and…yes…that’s what we do. Want to know if you’re a Summer, Fall, Winter or Spring? Be in touch and we’ll do our best to figure it out with you. Should be fun—I love makeup.