What Color Palettes Say About Your Brand
One of the main reasons why so many people love the autumn season is the beautiful array of colors all around us! This month for our “What is a Brand?” Series, we’re going to be covering color palettes. What does a color palette say about your brand, and how do you choose one?
When designing your logos, packaging, and websites, we know color isn’t just about what looks pretty, or good. We also don’t just pick yours or our own favorite colors for brands - that’s just not how it works if you want to see results (at least, not usually). In fact, there’s a whole science behind color. Up to 90% of first impressions people have about brands and products are based on color alone. Whether consciously or not, colors evoke specific thoughts and emotions for people, so your color palette is critically important to how your clients and potential clients engage with you.When thinking about a color palette that’s right for your business, you should first ask yourself: What feelings and impressions do I want to inspire? From there, it’s time to build!
Here are some of our favorite color palettes we’ve created here at Dox Design:
Eola Pets
Dog walking, sitting, training, and baths… Eola Pets does it all, and that means happy pets, happy pet parents! What colors do you associate with happiness and sunshine? The answer is obvious, but as a business based out of Florida, we wanted to take it a step further.
Our designs were inspired by the Florida environment and atmosphere. We wanted to go with a tropical and retro vibe which meant choosing colors that leaned more neon (without being too flashy or blinding to the eyes). Tropical greens, yellows, blues, and peach really represented the fun-loving and out-going staff, and inspires audiences to feel invited, but also trust that Eola is staffed by professionals.
Prepare and Plan
In preparing for the upcoming busy season, it’s always a good idea to plan early (right now, for instance!). Start thinking about what your ultimate goals would be by the end of the year, and plan ahead several weeks in order to reach them. If you haven’t already heard of S.M.A.R.T. Goals, now is a good time to look over your objectives and make sure they are: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-oriented. One method of planning ahead would be to establish these goals and then work backward.
Another way to plan for the month ahead is to write out a list of priorities. What are the most important things that you and your business will need to accomplish, versus the least important? It’s a good idea to work collaboratively with any staff, too, to make sure everyone is on the same page about objectives and to make sure your staff is trained and equipped to meet them.
The Barkday Planner
One of the most unique pet businesses we’ve seen, The Barkday Planner plans your pup’s birthday (or “Gotcha Day”) and delivers everything from event planning, cakes, party favors, and more. Given that this is a party biz, we’ve got to evoke a lot of energy joy, right? What better way to do that than with bright colors that make you think about sprinkles, ice cream, and balloons!
The best way to learn more about color palettes is by example. Check out The Barkday Planner on Instagram and see how their brand gets you in the mood to party, party, party!
Pet Fit
Maybe bright, flashy, and peppy isn’t right for your brand, and that’s okay! Sometimes you want to seem a little more down-to-earth according to what service you’re offering. That’s what we kept in mind when we were working with Pet Fit, a Maryland-based pet walking business.
We knew Pet Fit was a more gender-neutral brand, more focused on the outdoors and all the adventures nature has to offer. That meant when coming up with a color palette we needed to inspire audiences to feel like this brand is active and adventurous. We accomplished that with more earth-tone and muted colors. We chose greens, browns, and blues to represent grass, dirt, and sky.
Where to Start in Choosing Your Color Palette
As demonstrated above, you should never be afraid to be on the lookout for inspiration! Check Dox Design out on Pinterest! Bonus points if you create your OWN account, too! That way, you can “pin” all the brands that inspire you. Our Pinterest is chock full of diverse branding inspo for you to try out with your brand.
Other resources for you:
Check out our DIY series on the blog on How to Successfully DIY Your Pet Brand Part 1: Colors and Fonts
Is your Business Hot or Cold? Check this blog post out to help with your color choices!
And, October 22nd just happens to be National Color Day! To celebrate, we wanted to offer you some FREE color palettes we’ve created. If you know what feelings your brand is trying to evoke, browse these color palettes and see how they align with your brand!