Blue – the colour of sea and sky. A harbinger of limitless potential and infinite calm. Blue in colour psychology is a cooling influence that tempers passions and creates stability.

This article is part of a series exploring colour psychology in branding, and how it affects perceptions of a brand and moulds its image. Blue colour psychology presents many options for brands to promote feelings that will resonate with their audience and increase trust.

Colour psyohology is incredibly significant in branding. Where shapes prompt recognition, colour elicits an emotional response. Colour is how you create a connection with your audience, so getting it right is important for your brand identity.

 

Understanding Color Psychology

You’ve probably come across the concept of colour psychology. Very simply, people attribute meanings and feelings to colour based on a number of evolutionary, social, psychological and even physiological factors. These are commonly agreed upon (thanks in part to semiotics) but may have regional or cultural variations.

Colours evoke different emotions and perceptions thanks to the above factors. Blue, for example, may remind you of a clear sky, creating feelings of freedom and inspiration.

In branding and marketing, colour psychology has a massive impact. The colours used for a brand’s visual identity or marketing collateral directly link to how a potential client will feel about the brand. As people tend to remember how things made them feel, rather than facts and figures, creating the right set of emotions is big business to branding.

That’s why your colour choice is so important – and colour psychology plays a huge role here.

 

Focus on Blue colour Psychology

Blue colour psychology focuses on several areas and can have massive benefits in your branding efforts. First, it’s important to break down what blue generally shows, before looking more granularly at its uses.

Blue is a primary colour and is a cool colour. Cool colours are seen as calming and tend to recede in space, making them less overwhelming than warm colours like red and orange.

Blue is the colour of trust and dependability. It is used to reduce tension or anger due to its calming nature. It creates the impression of open space in a harmonious manner and reminds people of the sky or sea.

In many ways, blue is the opposite of red. Where red is used to draw attention and increase the pulse, blue has the opposite effect. It is perfect for health and healing brands as it slows the pulse and promotes calm. The corporate world favours it, where trust is a key message to build loyalty. Idealistic, orderly or authoritative people gravitate to this colour. Check out the infographic below for some more facts about the colour blue.

 

Colour in Branding Blue Psychology Infographic

 

Emotions and associations in blue colour psychology

Communication and trust are key among the emotions and associations people have when they see blue. As blue has a calming effect, it is frequently used to build a sense of calm or serenity.

It’s also important to note that, like any colour, different hues create different emotional responses. Here are some examples of different blues and their uses:

  • Turquoise builds a sense of peace, clarity and cleanliness – a consequence of having some green in the mix. This makes it perfect for brands who want a fresh and honest vibe, making it good for therapeutic services and clean-living brands.
  • Sky blue (as its namesake suggests) can be associated with clear skies, building a selfless, calm and open feeling. It is generally associated with brands building a calming space, making it a good choice for healthcare and customer service businesses.
  • Pale blue shows a sense of freedom, inspiration and creativity. Again, it has similar associations with the sky, but the deeper shade creates an impression of endless space and possibility – perfect for creative brands.
  • Azure, being more pure than the other hues so far, has a determined, purposeful feel. It is often associated with ambition, making it perfect for brands who want to show that they’re aiming to grow and evolve.
  • Navy is a deep shade of blue that has more classic appeal. As such, it’s more serious than other blues, building a knowledgeable and responsible effect. It is used in more traditional or conservative businesses.

 

Examples of successful brands using blue in their branding

There are many examples of blue being used in branding. – in fact, it’s one of the most widely used colours. In 2019, a study of the Global 500 in 2019 discovered that 37% of their logos were blue.

Here are a few examples of recognisable logos that use blue.

 

Meta

The Meta logo uses blue to promote trust and more importantly, communication. Blue is associated with intellect and the mind so is used to show clarity and communication. As such, many companies with products and services that allow communication use blues. Other examples include Samsung and AT&T.

 

Barclays

Barclays uses a pale blue branding, which is especially prominent in the logo. This shade represents freedom, giving consumers the impression of a less stressful way of looking after their money. Tech is also associated with blue and Barclays has one of the top-rated banking apps.

 

Dell

Talking of tech, Dell also uses blue to promote a tech aspect. This shade of azure has a determined, purposeful appeal. The brand wants to be associated with reliable hardware and solutions that work for its users so this works particularly well.

 

Blue in Branding

As already mentioned, blue is a very popular colour in branding. This is predominantly due to associations with trust – brands want to be trusted, and using blue helps to create a dependable appeal.

Different shades can be used to create different feelings and can be found in various brand identities. Social media companies like Facebook and LinkedIn use it to promote communication. Car manufacturers Ford and Volkswagen use it to show the dependability of their products. Disney uses it to show inspiration and creativity, while Tiffany & Co’s distinctive robin egg blue shows clarity and serenity.

It’s important to remember that blue has some negative emotions associated with it. It can often be seen as rigid, conservative or predictable. At its worst, it is spiteful and self-righteous or unforgiving. At its best, however, it is a colour that promotes calm and trust, so when used well creates devoted brand loyalty and trust in a company.

It’s also important to note that as it’s so common in branding, blue logos tend to blend in. If you’re looking for a brand that is more unique and eye-catching, blue may not be for you!

Various parts of the world also hold a different meaning for it. In North America, it is associated with liberalism, the opposite of its usual conservative roots in the UK. In Egypt and Greece, it is seen as a spiritual colour that wards off evil and in China it represents immortality. Latin America think of it as a sombre colour associated with mourning and serenity. These considerations are worth noting if you intend to build a brand that will be prominent in these countries.

 

Conclusion

Colour psychology is an important part of getting your brand right. Simply picking a colour because you like it is often not enough when it comes to branding. Instead, think about what you want your audience to feel or experience and match your colour choices appropriately.

For blue colour psychology, understanding how it promotes trust, freedom or reliability are key factors in determining the correct shade of blue for your brand. Causing conflicting emotions through your choice of colour is a surefire way to create confusion in your audience – which acts as a barrier to purchase.

Overall, blue is a great company for any industry from tech and communication to design. Knowing what your choice shows is vital to match it to your brand identity.

 

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