National Clothesline

Few drycleaners recognize color’s messaging power. Some relationships between businesses and colors are inextricably linked in customers’ minds — and with powerful results. Like Coca-Cola’s red label, Tiffany & Co.’s blue box and UPS’s brown trucks.

For savvy businesses, color is more than the whim of a graphic artist. It’s an integral part of a cohesive marketing plan.

Color is a valuable messaging tool that can elicit emotions and cement your brand in

customers’ memories. Color speaks volumes about who your company is and what you’re selling.

Color is basically the silent communicator that conveys an additional marketing message. More often than not, the first thing that captures customers’ attention is color.

Steven Bleicher, an associate professor of visual arts at Coastal Carolina University, who specializes in color consulting for packaging and graphic design, says: “Color, over almost any other design element, has an immediate, associative response in the brain. Some studies have shown that 60 percent of your decision to buy a product or service is based on color.”

It’s not much of a stretch to say that color in a logo could play a significant role in determining how a consumer perceives your service. Take the aforementioned examples: Tiffany’s signature blue has come to represent classic good taste; UPS’s brown now stands for dependability; and Coca-Cola’s red is classic and energetic.

Color can, in fact, make a business more cohesive and a product more pleasing. Most importantly, color can make your business stand out from the rest.

Here is a quick discussion of common color interpretations:

Red is a powerful color, symbolizing energy, passion or even danger. Red works best for action-oriented brands, products associated with speed or power and dominant brands. Red is also considered an appetite stimulant. That’s the reason McDonald’s, Burger King and Wendy’s stores have red roofs.

Orange often connotes adventure and fun. Like red, it’s an attention-grabber and is thought to stimulate appetites, but it’s less aggressive than red can be. Orange is also used to convey value and discounts.

Yellow is equated with sunny warmth and cheeriness. Its vibrant shades bring out feelings of well-being and are thought to stimulate mental activity, so yellow is often associated with wisdom and intellect. Red, yellow and orange are considered hot colors and should be used in the logo of any business that wants to garner attention.

Green is a popular color in marketing these days, for companies want to be considered environmentally friendly. Green connotes cleanliness, freshness and renewal. It is one of the most predominant, naturally occurring colors, so it is often associated with wholesome qualities. It works well for organic and recycled products, or for businesses associated with health and wellness. Drycleaners may find a place here.

The other association for green is cash and, of course, that’s a positive connotation.

Blue is another naturally predominant color. Darker shades are generally associated with security, authority and efficiency. Lighter shades denote a clearness of mind. Blue also symbolizes cleanliness, openness and relaxation and can work well for drycleaners.

Purple, for centuries, has symbolized nobility and wealth, and those associations hold true today. Purple is a powerful color for luxury brands and services, or for companies that want to add an air of mystery to their image. Purple is particularly popular with females of all ages.

Use purple or violet with caution. It is one of the most confusing colors in marketing, because violets with red tints versus violets with blue tints carry entirely different associations. Red tints can hint at aggression while blue tints lend and air of steadiness.

Pink is a stereotypically girlish color associated with frilliness and warmth. It is considered to have soft, peaceful, comforting qualities. Pink is also associated with babies. Food companies use pink to suggest sweetness.

Brown is a strong, earthy color that connotes honesty and dependability. Brown often is cited as a favorite color among men. Its darker shades are rich and solid, while other shades work well as a background color.

Brown often works well with other colors, like yellow or orange.

Black is classic and strong. It can convey power, luxury, sophistication and authority. Black can be used to market high-end products and services.

White, the color of puffy clouds and fresh snow, logically connotes purity and cleanliness. It often is used as a background color to brighten a color scheme, but also can be used liberally to create clean associations for drycleaners. White also can symbolize newness and innovation.

Colors experts caution that colors carry different meanings in different cultures or in different contexts. Certain colors might appeal more to different demographics so, as always, it’s important to consider your audience before making color choices.

Be careful, too, about your choice of shade, as different shades of one color can create very different perceptions. Consider how the colors will be used in the context of your logo and overall marketing strategy to ensure that their silent message — and your marketing message — rings true.