Why your Favourite Colour Isn't a Brand Strategy
How to choose a brand colour palette that actually works for your business
I’ll start by holding my hands up. I’ve been guilty in the past of choosing my brand colours based on what I like. I started there not really considering anything else tbh. But, when you're building a brand, choosing colours based solely on what you like can leave you with a palette that looks lovely but doesn't necessarily say anything useful about your business, and worse can actually be unusable when put in to practise on your next social media post or your website.
Your brand colours should do more than look good together and they should help people recognise you, understand you and remember you.
So, how do you choose them?
1. Start with your brand, not Pinterest
Before googling brands colour palettes, think about your business and ask yourself: What would I like people to think and feel about my brand when they find me? And by the way, this goes back to the very roots of your business - your strategy, who you are and what you do for people. Does it make them feel calm; feel that you are trustworthy; creative; fun and energetic.
Your colours should back up those feelings. If you've decided your brand is fun and playful, a palette that feels super serious is going to confuse your target audience because they’ll be expecting something else. This doesn’t mean you have to use colours you hate. Promise.
And one last thing, taking a look at the psychology of colour will be super useful. Just look in Google images and you’ll loads of examples of what different colours can mean.
2. Think about your ideal customer
Your future customers will be forming opinions based on how your brand looks from the moment they find you. Think about the last time you picked up a book because of the interesting cover or popped into a café because it looked cute from outside.
Think about who you want to attract: Where do they shop; which other brands might they shop from or follow on social; what design styles might they be drawn to. Also, interesting to look at is are there established colour palettes in your industry and what colours do your competitors use. You can choose to fit in or stand out by going for different colours from your competitors and being unexpected.
3. Too many colours = too much choice!
Having too many brand colours actually makes it harder to be recognisable and consistent. Each colour in your palette should have a clear purpose.
One to three main or primary colours
These represent your brand and appear the most, on your logo and in your key graphics.
Supporting or secondary colours
A couple of colours that work with your primary ones, adding variety and flexibility. Use them across graphics, sections, illustrations, packaging and other brand elements.
And an accent colour(s)
For those moments when you need something to grab attention. Perfect for buttons, highlights, key information and those details you really want people to notice.
Neutral colours
You’ll need these for backgrounds to make sure your text is easy to read. They don’t have to be black and white/cream. You can use darker and lighter shades that complement your primary and secondary colours
Another way to look at colour use is the 60/30/10 rule:
60% — Primary colours
30% — Secondary
10% — Accents
4. Beyond the logo
Your brand palette needs to work across your whole brand, from your website to packaging to social media, so it’s really important to test your colours across everything you do. You need to think about contrast and readability both on and off screen. A dark neutral background colour with a lighter text will be much easier to read, as will your lighter colours with darker text/graphics.
5. Future proof your brand colours
Here's a final acid test for your chosen colours. Can you imagine using them in two years’ time? Or for the life of your brand even? Will they work for your next product launch or in-person event. What about if you need professional packaging or a new website?
A rebrand when you good brand identity gives you room to grow. You don't want to find yourself three months thinking ‘I need a rebrand’ because your current colours aren’t flexible enough.
This one is a tough if you are creating your own branding. Every business is different in terms of what you need, but I’d definitely recommend testing your colours out by mocking up a few pieces of artwork - maybe some social media templates, an email or freebie template, poster, think about what your packaging could look like etc. It will quickly show you if your primary, secondary and accent colours are working together with your neutrals.
Try this little Mellow Made colour check.
Ask yourself:
☐ Do my colours reflect my brand personality?
☐ Do they appeal to my target audience?
☐ Do I know what my colours are for?
☐ Do they work everywhere I need them to?
☐ Would someone recognise my brand without seeing my logo?
If you’re ready to move beyond DIYing your brand…
At Mellow Made Studio, I don't choose colours just because they look pretty together. I look at your business, your audience, your personality and where you're heading next before creating a visual identity that feels like you. Drop me an email to mel@mellowmade.co.uk or fill out an enquiry form