colors, emotions, authority: the role of psychology in branding

In a store, all the tastiest treats are placed on the lower shelves near the checkout: chocolate, gummies, chewing gum. Many parents know the emotional outburst of their child before leaving the store because clever merchandisers have strategically placed the cookies so that the child can see, reach, and grab their favorite treat.

This simple and common example proves that specialists actively use psychology in ads and brand strategy to attract and retain consumers.

A brand is a set of associations. It can exist separately from the product, but it is always linked to the target audience, which means it affects them.

Perception is a complex mental process consisting of sensations, experiences, emotions, and ways of thinking. Influencing a person's sensory organs allows us to create a holistic image in their mind, in our case, a brand, and to shape desired consumer behavior.

The influence of a brand on consumer perception is expressed in specific psychological techniques, which we will explore below.

Colors: mood regulator

More than half of the people on the planet are visual. People who are easier to perceive and process information through their visual senses. This fact highlights that when creating a brand, we consider a set of color schemes in the visual concept and can justify them.

What is color psychology?

It is a theory about how different shades of colors influence a person's perception, behavior, and mood. It's important to note that the reaction to a particular color is also influenced by several other factors: social experience, cultural code, gender stereotypes, and association with an object.

How to choose the right colors for your brand?

Colors have different interpretations of their meaning and influence on human psychology and emotions.

Blue: color of peace, safety, and stability.

Yellow: color of joy, friendship, and energy.

Purple: color of luxury, magic, and wonder.

Green: color of harmony, peace, associated with nature.

However, there are colors that can evoke both positive and negative associations:

Red: color of energy and love, as well as pain, aggression, and danger. The signature color of the jewelry brand Cartier is red, reflecting passion and desire. Road signs are also red, but their function is to warn drivers of danger.

Black: color of elegance and austerity, as well as anger and death. Clothing from the fashion house Chanel evokes a sense of luxury and sophistication, which black color conveys. However, in Russian culture, black symbolizes mourning, which is expressed in the corresponding dress code.

To choose the right color schemes for a brand that effectively resonate with the consumer and create a positive associative chain about the company's image:

1. We focus on marketing goals: we use bright and saturated colors to attract attention.

2. We choose a color according to the product's characteristics: orange juice is orange, and alternative colors cause suspicion and distrust among the audience.

3. We consider the company's brand platform: a brand actively promoting a sustainable lifestyle will most likely use green in its communication as a symbol of nature, or a shade of blue, which is calming and safe.

4. We refer to the target audience profile: children's products can use both a bright and colorful palette, as well as muted, delicate pastel shades.

It's important to say that brands use not one color but entire combinations to create visual and creative concepts. For example, in the project to develop a brand identity for the real estate agency EVO, we use a combination of blue and orange, which attracts the consumer's attention through contrast. With this color scheme, we enhance the brand's metaphor of the close interaction between the client and the realtor.

How did a color get a company name?

The signature color of the jewelry brand Tiffany&Co is blue, named after the "Blue Book" catalog, which features sketches of jewelry. Today, this color is perceived as a shade of blue or turquoise. If you type "Tiffany color" into the search bar, the browser will display the signature color of the Tiffany&Co brand. The audience identifies it this way because the company has been emphasizing the color scheme in its communication for many years, using it in all channels of interaction with the consumer.

Storytelling: activator of emotions

We launch emotional branding through storytelling, which immerses the consumer in the brand's philosophy. This strengthens the emotional connection with the audience and increases its loyalty. We don't just list the advantages of the product to the consumer, but we put them at the center of our story and narrate for them or about them.

What is storytelling?

Storytelling or "storytelling" is a technique for presenting information where, instead of facts and figures, the audience sees the drama and characters they empathize with. The buyer watches the plot or becomes the central character.

How to create a story?

1. Define the brand archetype. Often, the founder conveys their archetype to the company, thereby endowing the brand with their character, qualities, and traits. We reflect the brand's personality through its brand style, identity, ToV, and communication strategy. We communicate to the audience what the brand believes in.

2. Create commercials. We tell the brand's story using a lively plot, using the hero's "emotional journey" and a narrative arc with a climax and resolution.

3. Use UGC content. The audience trusts people who are like them. This technique allows us to emotionally, simply, and without pathos, tell the story of the product from the perspective of an ordinary user.

4. Participate in collaborations. We cooperate with other brands with similar values. With charities that will raise the company's social responsibility. This way, we tell a story, reinforcing it with the experience of another company, which contributes to the birth of new content.

5. Participate in podcasts. This is a modern way to sincerely tell the brand's story, raising various topics and discussion points.

It's important to note that storytelling goes through all manifestations of the brand in the media environment: through product presentations, customer mailings, design concepts of spaces.

How to infuse every detail with a story?

Surf Coffee is a Russian coffee shop brand whose distinguishing feature is the theme of surfing and a bright tropical style. When you enter the coffee shop, you're transported to Hawaii. This feeling is created through the brand's story, which is present in every detail: in the brand's identity, in the interiors of the establishments, in the opportunity to obtain a surfer's license.

The brand also tells stories about its collaborations, for example, with the cosmetics brand MANTRA. It seems that coffee and cosmetics have nothing in common, but the companies have jointly developed coffee-scented cosmetics. When interacting with the product, the consumer immediately builds an associative chain: they remember surfing and Hawaii, and they want to drink a cup of coffee. This experience strengthens the emotional connection with the brand.

Storytelling is an exchange of energy between the product's creator and the audience. We use it to evoke emotions and impressions in the consumer. The story told is passed from customer to customer, spreading to the entire audience.

Authority: influence on consumer choice

We encounter this technique in our everyday lives: a coach motivates us to achieve victory, a father gives advice to his sons, a doctor talks about prevention. A brand is a personality, so it can also be an authority for the audience.

What is authority in psychology?

Authority is the generally recognized and informal influence of an individual or group of people in a particular area. Authority is manifested through leadership qualities, competence, empathy, purposefulness, and honesty.

How do brands influence behavior?

Authority has a cumulative effect and is formed over a long period of time through various tools:

1. Build trust and transparent communication.

1. — Tell the audience about your ideology: communicate your values and mission through your identity, ToV, key message, advertising creatives, and promotion.
2. — Create an open channel for feedback: listen to customer reviews and respond to them promptly.
3. — Serve your customers: create a positive experience for every interaction.
4. — Build a strong connection with consumers: shape a positive brand image through branding and communication strategy.

2. Strengthen your expertise.

1. — Share experience and knowledge: publish articles, maintain an expert blog, conduct webinars, and lectures.
2. — Become a thought leader in your niche: participate in forums and conferences, share your opinion on podcasts.
3. — Develop the CEO's personal brand: reveal the director's expertise through social media, interaction with the media, and their personal participation in events.

3. Promote yourself on social media.

1. — Create active profiles on social media: regularly publish engaging content tailored to the interests and preferences of your target audience.
2. — Form a community around your brand: encourage interaction, hold contests and promotions.
3. — Collaborate with influencers: invite them to review your product to attract new customers.

This complex of methods shapes the company's authority in its field for the audience. For example, Apple conveys an innovative approach and high technological capabilities through all communication channels: identity, advertising, promotion. Apple has shaped the perception of the brand among consumers as an authority through the personality of its founder: Steve Jobs. Books have been written about him and films have been made about him, where his product, which changed the world, is also promoted.

Everyone looks forward to Apple's annual presentation of new products. Before and after the event, users actively post their impressions about the new iPhone or AirPods. The hype planned by the company on the internet has a psychological impact on the audience.

Coca-Cola or Pepsi: which to choose?

The Pepsi brand conducted an experiment: when people were asked to compare the taste of two beverages without brand identification, Pepsi tasted better to them. However, the second open test with knowledge of the soda producers showed that participants chose Coke. The result made it clear that consumers are closer to the image of Coca-Cola, which conveys family values. Associations with Santa and the polar bear proved stronger than Pepsi's vibrant advertising campaigns with Britney Spears, Beyonce, and Messi.

Coca-Cola's brand authority is higher due to its philosophy and many years of advertising activity, which has formed a stable positive image in the minds of the audience.

Personalization: an individual approach

Starbucks' famous practice of writing the customer's name on the cup is nothing more than a psychological technique in marketing. At every stage of interaction with the brand, customers expect an individual approach and attention to their person from the company.

What is personalization?

Personalization is the customization of marketing messages, offers, content, and services to meet the individual needs and interests of each customer.

What methods are used in a personalized approach?

This is no longer just a trend but a mandatory requirement for successful customer interaction. In a world where consumers are overloaded with information and have many alternatives, a personalized approach helps stand out from the crowd and gain trust. Here are some strategies for improving personalization:

1. Product recommendations: offer products related to the customer's previous purchases.

2. Personalized emails: use the customer's name and recommend products based on their preferences and website activity.

3. Personalized content: place different content based on demographic and psychographic data.

4. Personalized ads: show ads relevant to the customer's interests.

To set up personalization, it's necessary to collect user data, but do so carefully, as consumers are concerned about online security.

1. Collect data on the website about location, purchase history, and shopping activity.

2. Segment the target audience based on data from the CRM system, which contains the customer profile with psychographic and demographic data. This will help you navigate the consumer's preferences and interests.

3. Conduct various surveys on social networks or communicate with customers personally to understand their needs.

4. Structure the collected data and use it in the marketing funnel, offering personalized content at different stages of interaction with the product.

How does the Ulta brand learn about customer preferences?

The cosmetics brand Ulta creates personalized offers for its customers, taking into account the target audience based on socio-demographic characteristics, shopping activity, and preferences. The brand learns more detailed and personal information through the settings of the online store app, where the customer specifies their skin and hair type and intolerance to ingredients in the composition.

The company analyzes this data and offers the consumer specific products relevant to the customer's requests. For example, for those with dry skin, the service will compile a selection of moisturizing products.

Thus, the brand uses personalization based not only on socio-demographic features but also on personal information that customers provide themselves in the app.

The role of psychology in branding is important. It is necessary to use it skillfully without violating the boundaries of consumers.

Ethical considerations: healthy relationships with the audience

The psychological techniques used to influence consumers raise discussions about the correctness and appropriateness of their use. A brand convinces its audience to trust it. Let's consider the ethical boundaries that should not be crossed:

1. Do not abuse consumer trust. Communicate with your audience honestly and transparently, otherwise, you will lose customer loyalty and damage your company's reputation.

2. Do not manipulate the consumer. Do not deprive the customer of the right to choose when interacting with a product or advertising message. Otherwise, we will leave bad memories of the user experience.

3. Ask for permission. Always request permission to use the user's personal data; otherwise, you will lose the customer's trust.

In our project to develop an advertising campaign for the Aloha browser, we convey the idea of internet safety. In our creatives, we use storylines featuring characters during personal moments. Instead of real people and locations, the consumer sees funny characters and their emotions. Most importantly, it draws attention to the key message: "Not the time for data collection", which makes the concept recognizable at the slogan level.

Thanks to the characters created by neural networks, the advertising creatives do not offend consumer sensibilities or embarrass them. Looking at the illustrations, you want to smile because through humor, we have shown everyday moments from the lives of each of us.

Ethical aspects are not regulated. Each brand independently chooses the line of what is permissible in its communication with the consumer.

It's important to note that applying psychology in branding is an effective method of influencing customers, but it should be built on mutual respect and trust. This way, we build long-lasting and strong relationships with our audience.