A question I get all the time is: “what colors should I choose?”. The answer isn’t as simple as ‘#D2ADEF’ (a delicious shade of purple) or following the latest trends. The colors you choose should be a reflection of your brand's unique personality.
Your Brand as a Person
Before you start selecting colors, it's crucial to have a solid grasp on who your brand is. Think of your brand as a separate entity from yourself—a unique individual with its own personality, values, and mission.
If your brand was a person, who would it be?
- Would it be cheeky and clever like Ryan Reynolds?
- Or grounded and authentic like Tom Hanks?
- Or perhaps nurturing and transformational like Oprah Winfrey?
The persona you attribute to your brand will shape every aspect of your branding strategy, including the color palette.
Identify Brand Personality Words
Your next task is to find 5-10 brand personality words that describe your brand. These words will serve as the cornerstone of your branding strategy, guiding not just your color choices but also your voice, message, and overall brand experience.
Example:
If you have a vegan ice cream brand, your brand personality words might be:
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Eco-friendly
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Compassionate
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Innovative
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Wholesome
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Pure
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Indulgent
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Inclusive
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Vibrant
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Authentic
How Brand Personality Affects Color Choices
Once you've established your brand personality words, it's time to think about how they translate into colors.
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Eco-friendly and Pure: You may opt for natural, earthy tones like greens and browns to reflect your brand's environmental commitment.
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Compassionate and Inclusive: Soft blues, beiges, and creams can evoke feelings of kindness and inclusivity.
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Innovative and Vibrant: If your brand is all about pushing boundaries and embracing change, bold colors like electric blue or zesty green might be more appropriate.
TLDR:
Determining your brand's personality is an essential step in creating a meaningful, memorable brand experience. By investing the time to explore your brand personality, you'll be better equipped to choose a color palette that genuinely resonates with your audience. And remember, a great color palette is not just aesthetically pleasing; it's a powerful tool that can help communicate your brand's core values and message.
Step #1 for creating any color palette is identifying 5-10 brand personality words. If you need some inspo, you can shop from this list.
