The importance of color when developing a corporate identity

Classic palette of errors in choosing a corporate color

What should the creation of a logo begin with: developing a form or choosing a color scheme?

Have you thought about it? It's not worth it: both options are wrong.

So, mistake #1

Absent or weak product, market and target audience analysis

Trying to guess the mood and tastes of a potential buyer based on the superficial feelings of the designer or the creator of the product will be 99% fruitless. The correct choice of color should be based on careful analysis:

  • Product – the color of the logo should convey the positive and attractive aspects of the offered product;
  • Market – be afraid to choose the colors of the nearest competitor – will overwhelm the reputation and the product will disappear against its background;
  • CA – the color is selected according to the public's expectations: they want reliability – we choose blue, creativity – yellow, attention – red, etc.

Without careful analysis, trying to choose the right color consciously turns into catching a crane in the sky.

Mistake #2

Lots of details and colors

Genius is always simple. This is confirmed by the logos of the most famous brands, which receive billions of profits in part due to the correct concept of their own trademark. Therefore, when developing a site logo, waffle towels, jackhammers or any other products, try to reduce the number of details and the color range of the picture to the necessary minimum. A huge number of little things and dozens of color shades will cause surprise and headache in the buyer rather than admiration, so you will not have to count on an increase in sales in the presence of a colorful and detailed logo.

A simple example – Apple's original logo depicted Newton sitting under a tree with an apple falling on his head. Tell me, would you buy a computer with such a logo? Probably not.

And the modern logo of this company can be drawn by any schoolboy. With closed eyes. At night. In dream. Because he dreams of becoming the owner of a tablet or phone with a cherished apple.

Mistake #3

A game with tones

A favorite prank of novice designers – play with tonal transitions. It looks beautiful and impressive on the computer screen – there is no dispute. But when a carefully crafted logo goes to a printing press or is converted to another digital format, it often turns out that smooth and colorful transitions have turned into a dirty and not at all attractive picture.

Therefore, when developing a corporate style for a business, try to take similar, complementary or individually complementary colors that will create a palette that is pleasing to the eye. If you still decide to use monochrome colors, try to minimize the gradation. the buyer will catch the essence, and nothing else is needed. 

Mistake #4

Cultural perception

Mistakes in corporate color are absolutely unforgivable when a company brings its products to the international market. Before launching an advertising campaign in another country, try to study its culture and traditions, and then look at your logo through that lens. The history of trade has in its archive many cases when a brand failed in a particular country only because it did not bother to adapt to the vision of its product through the eyes of local residents.

Mistake #5

Rejection of testing

The choice of color scheme for the trademark can be considered correct only after social testing. Refusing to test the developed concept for people's perception, you can find yourself in a very unpleasant situation when it turns out that out of 100 people, only 10 will want to buy the product, and this ten will include the creator of the product and the designer with the entire team.

How to choose the right color for corporate style

Human psychology and color are closely related. In marketing, the right color is responsible for the brand's recognition, and therefore for the stability of its existence on the market. In order to choose the right color, you must first of all take into account the specifics of the product and the interests of its buyers. But the purely technical problem can be solved with the help of programs such as: Adobe Color CC, Colorzilla, COLOURlovers or Color Palette Generator.