What Brand Colors Should I Choose for My Small Business?

If you’re a small business owner, you’ve already had to make a lot of decisions – choosing your brand colors may be next.

You’ve likely decided:

• The name of your company
• What your company does
• How you will set your company apart
• And much, much more

One thing you may have trouble deciding is what color you want to represent your company. Maybe you’ll decide to go with your favorite color or two, and there’s nothing wrong with that. But if you’re not sure your favorite color is best for your business, we’re here to share a few principles to guide your decision.

What’s in a color?

Most of us don’t realize it, but colors communicate different things to us. That being said, the colors you choose say a lot about your company and overall brand identity. Depending on the colors you use, people may subconsciously assume certain things about your business. In the creative industry, this is part of Color Theory – a concept that explains the ways colors interact with each other and how we perceive color.

Below we’ve listed some of the adjectives associated with the most popular colors.

• Blue: trusted, established, traditional (think Ford)
• Green: fresh, healthy, environmental, growth (think Whole Foods)
• Orange: active, energetic, friendly (think Nickelodeon)
• Red: exciting, confident, powerful (think Coca-Cola)
• Yellow: warm, friendly, approachable (think Snapchat)
• Black: bold, timeless, quality (think Nike)

If any of those words describe how you’d like your company to be seen, the associated color is a great place to start.

Remember, there are endless variations of those colors. For example, choosing “blue” right now could lead you to navy blue, periwinkle, or even teal. Hunter green could be a better choice for your business over celadon green, or vice versa. With so many choices, it may take some time to investigate and choose the right color for your brand. But, ultimately, a deliberate, thoughtful, and strategic choice will effectively communicate the essential qualities of your business.

Additionally, some industries have more direct ties to specific colors. For example, if you own a landscaping company, a shade of green would make more sense as your primary brand color than a shade of red. While no one can force you to “play by the rules,” it’s wise to at least consider if there are certain colors that make the most sense in your industry.

How many colors should I choose for my brand?

A monochromatic logo is often seen as sophisticated and professional. A logo with two complementary colors is bold and attention-grabbing. We typically suggest choosing two strong and timeless colors for your logo. These colors will be the brand’s primary colors. Over time, these colors will become a characteristic and recognizable part of your brand.

Too many colors competing against each other will dilute your brand. If you’re worried that fewer colors will be too boring, you can add variety and flexibility to your brand with a color palette. Here you can include a few sub-brand colors to create context around your one or two-color logo. Neutral grays or tans are great accent colors. Bright pops of color can be used sparingly too. Just remember that accent colors are just that…accents. They are not meant to be used in large amounts or in every design, only to complement and enhance your brand colors. At the end of the day, you want your brand’s colors to attract people, not overwhelm them.

Feeling colorblind?

If you’re still not sure what colors you’d like to represent your brand, we’d love to chat and help however we can. Contact us today, and let’s build your brand together!