How much of your business relies on color? Are you thinking in black and white (like I often do for myself) or do you have certain colors that are part of your image?
I was in a meeting yesterday talking about a great photographer named Dave Scott (www.davescottphoto.com) and the person I was with stops and says, “where do I know that name? I think I get his mailers.” All I had to say was, “yellow envelope?” “Yes! That’s him!”
This is a great example of how Dave’s use of yellow in his identity has increased his recognition among people that receive his mailers.
How can you use color to increase your recognition among the fray?
Simplify: By reducing the number of colors, you can create contrast and reduce visual confusion (unless that’s your goal, but that’s another blog post entirely…)
Consistency: Using the same color palette in all areas of your marketing increases identity recognition. Without consistency, people won’t equate a certain color to your identity.
Intentional: Be intentional about the colors you choose. They should be a reflection of the personality of your business. A male professional photographer shooting sports probably doesn’t want to use Cyan, Pink and White to promote his business. Use colors that relate to the industry that you are targeting.
I will definitely be using this lesson of color recognition to further the designs that I create for my customers.