There is a psychology to color when it comes to branding any business, which includes food companies. Color affects consumers in both a conscious and subconscious way, making it a powerful leveraging tool to sell products. There is only a small window (2-3 seconds) when a product is in front of a consumer, so it’s important to make it count. Here are how different colors affect food business branding.
Red and Yellow
These colors are the joint kings in the food branding world. The sight of them immediately stimulate appetite and taste buds. It makes sense why the logo of one of the largest fast food chains in the world, McDonald’s, is comprised of solely those two colors. While these colors are dominantly used in the fast food world, they can still be strategically employed in gourmet brands as well.
Orange
Since orange is just a blend of red and yellow, it is understandable why this is also a popular color in food business branding. In fact, orange has burst onto the scene in the food world, so be sure to use it carefully with context and intent to avoid any cliches.
Green
Green quickly brings the brain to associations with nature and eco-friendly products. However, because so many food brand have caught onto this fact, the associations are slightly weaker in ties. However, the relationship is still there and careful marketing a health food product will lead to your benefit.
Blue and Purple
While cool tones are not generally considered the most appetizing, there is still a place for them in the food branding world. Exercising thoughtful relationships with your colors choices and flavor association still allow blue and purple to be contenders when choosing colors for your brand.
Earth Tones
Browns and warm colors spark feelings of nature and wholesomeness. Earthy food brands are popping up everywhere, but the amount of sales for earth tone packaged foods indicate why. In addition to nature, earth tones can also represent deep and complex flavors. This applies to both savory and sweet foods.
Black and White
White alone represents purity, while dominantly black label connotes a sense of interest and edginess. However, black and white together is an elegant pairing often associate with gourmet and artisanal food products.
