Get Your Color Right

Reading Time: 3 Minutes

Today, we're focusing on a key Distinctive Brand Asset: the color. In just three minutes, we'll explore what makes a good color choice and how to evaluate its effectiveness in the modern world.

Colors are one of the most emotionally impactful assets for creating a brand's first impression. In every startup or venture I've built in the past, color has been a hot topic of discussion among all participants. (Besides the name, of course.) Even the most experienced partners have personal feelings and opinions about it.

However, don't base your decision solely on personal feelings. The most crucial factors for your color choice are:

1️⃣ Your Emotional Positioning

2️⃣ Your Competition

Let's explore these two factors:

1️⃣ Emotional Positioning

Before selecting colors, it's crucial to establish a Strategic Brand Foundation. This should include your brand's emotional positioning based on your customers' perspective. Once established, choose a color that aligns with this positioning.

2️⃣ Competition

Being distinctive ensures your brand isn't confused with others. If all brands in a category share similar colors, customers may easily substitute them for one another. This is because customers often overlook the nuances we as business people see in our brands. Find new and innovative ways to present your brand.

Color Execution:

Unique Color:

If you can find a unique color that differs from your competition and resonates with your Emotional Positioning, it's recommended to use only one highlight color. This color can powerfully emphasize important messages or buttons in things like pitch decks or digital products. However, avoid using multiple highlight colors in a single slide or product. This signals a need to reassess your main focus.

Color Palette:

If you can't 'own' a particular color in your category, create uniqueness through a color palette. Brands like TikTok, Wimbledon, and Instagram have successfully done this.

💡Takeaway → Ensure your color resonates with your emotional positioning and stands out from your competition.

Disclaimer → Distinctiveness alone does not make a great brand.

Although distinctiveness is crucial, it cannot replace creativity, imagination, wit, and empathy for the audience. Its value lies in ensuring that all credit for such creativity and quality reverts to the brand.

In the next article, we will delve into the distinctive brand asset of mascots and characters.

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