Have you ever looked at a company’s logo and wondered what the meaning behind it was? What was the designer thinking when they chose specific colors?

Many companies use a color to represent themselves, or in the case of the NBC peacock logo, multiple colors. When the network was owned by RCA, to celebrate their new color TVs, the company used the multicolored peacock to show that it could only be fully experienced on a color TV.

So when your start-up is looking to create a logo for yourself, what should you be looking for? Different colors are associated with different feelings and you want to make sure your company is properly represented in the color of your logo, which will develop into your entire company’s branding.

 

Here’s a brief guide about colors and their meanings:

Red: Energy, love, bold, passionate. (Coca-Cola, Target)

Orange: Social, friendly, active, fun. (Nickelodeon, Amazon)

Yellow: Optimism, happiness, forward thinking. (McDonald’s, Cheerios)

Green: Soothing, natural, fresh, growth. (Starbucks, Animal Planet)

Blue: Calm, trustworthy, dependable, strong. (Facebook, General Electric)

Purple: Creative, luxurious, success, uplifting. (Hallmark, FedEx)

Black: Powerful, serious, exclusive, mysterious. (ABC, Chanel)

 

Color can be extremely influential when people are making a decision. Many purchasing judgments are made based off of visual perception, and a lot of times, the color is a main reason for someone to buy an item.

Brand recognition increases based on color and can take your company a long way. So if you’re building a sophisticated and exclusive company, you might want to avoid going with a bright green, and instead go the way of Gucci and Prada and opt for the black to show your elegance.

For a more comprehensive look at the psychology of colors, take a look at this guide and find out what color will be the best fit for your company.