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Jessica Ridgway found that the specific colors used in a companys logo have a significant impact on how
that logo, and the brand as a whole, is viewed by consumers.
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Logo Color Affects Consumer Emotion Toward Brands, MU Study

Finds
Study shows blue logos invoke feelings of reliability, red logos invoke expertise
April 08, 2014
Story Contact(s):
Nathan Hurst, hurstn@missouri.edu, 573-882-6217

COLUMBIA, Mo. Many studies have shown that a companys logo is one of the most
important aspects of marketing and advertising a brand, or features that distinctly identifies a
companys product or service from its competitors. Now, a researcher at the University of
Missouri has found that the specific colors used in a companys logo have a significant impact
on how that logo, and the brand as a whole, is viewed by consumers.
Jessica Ridgway, a doctoral student in the MU Department of Textile and Apparel Management,
surveyed 184 adults using generic logos of different colors for fake companies that she created.
She then asked participants to describe the emotions they felt toward the fake companies upon
seeing each logo. Ridgway was able to identify key characteristics that each logo invoked,
based on which colors were used.

The study revealed that blue logos invoked feelings of confidence, success and reliability; green
logos invoked perceptions of environmental friendliness, toughness, durability, masculinity and
sustainability; purple logos invoked femininity, glamour and charm; pink logos gave the
perception of youth, imagination and fashionable; yellow logos invoked perceptions of fun and
modernity; and red logos brought feelings of expertise and self-assurance.
Of all the feelings associated with logo colors, the feelings associated with red logos were the
most surprising, Ridgway said. Traditional emotions based on red include aggression and
romance, but red logos did not invoke those emotions in study participants. This can probably
be attributed to the fact that red is used in logos of many well-established brands such as State
Farm, McDonalds and ESPN, so consumers have pre-existing emotions associated with brands
using that color.
Ridgway suggests that before designing logos, brand marketers think critically and strategically
about what kind of emotions they want their consumers to feel toward their brands.
The results of this study demonstrate that brands should use logo colors that are associated
with the personality traits they want their brand to have in the eyes of consumers, Ridgway
said. If a feeling of reliability is desired, blue might be the best choice, while a purple logo may
be preferred for a feminine, glamorous brand. Simultaneously, the results also remind brand
managers that they cannot rely on traditional color associations alone. They must stay attuned
to how colors are viewed and applied in popular culture such as in entertainment, as this tends
to influence consumers color associations.
Ridgways study, A study on brand personality: consumers perception of colours used in
fashion brand logos was published in the International Journal of Fashion Design, Technology
and Education. The MU Department of Textile and Apparel Management is housed in
the College of Human Environmental Sciences.
--30-Published by the MU News Bureau, 329 Jesse Hall, Columbia, MO 65211 | Phone: 573-882-6211 | Fax: 573-8825489 | E-mail: munewsbureau@missouri.edu
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Websites
http://munews.missouri.edu/news-releases/2014/0408-logo-color-affects-consumeremotion-toward-brands-mu-study-finds/
http://smallbusiness.chron.com/effect-brand-awareness-consumer-buying-behavior68186.html

The Effect of Brand Awareness on Consumer

Buying Behavior
by Craig Berman, Demand Media

Brand awareness can help your product stand out on crowded shelves.

Related Articles

How Brand Awareness Affects Perception

Brand Loyalty's Influence on Consumer Behavior
The Significance of Branding as a Marketing Strategy on Consumer Behavior
The Effect of a Brand on Consumer Behavior
Role of Perception in Consumer Behavior
Types of Consumer Buying Behaviors & Product Decisions

Brand awareness is a key component of marketing efforts, as harried consumers

overwhelmed by the amount of commercial messaging they see or hear use mental
shortcuts to make their decision. Imprinting in their minds what your brand is and what it
stands for can increase sales, particularly in areas where few obvious differences are
apparent among competitors

Studies
Consumers employ heuristics to make their purchasing decisions, using mental shortcuts to
streamline the process and avoid being paralyzed by the number of available options or the
need for constant comparisons among competitors. Multiple studies have shown that brand
awareness is a prevalent choice tactic for consumers inexperienced in buying a product. A

1990 Hoyer and Brown study first linked brand awareness to consumer preferences, and the
findings have been confirmed in several subsequent efforts.

Buying Habits
Studies have shown that customers decide more quickly from among a number of options
that includes one known brand than they decide with a set that includes only unfamiliar
ones. Upon exposure to other brands, the instances of selecting the original based on
awareness declined, but most still chose the same high-awareness brand they picked
initially. Consumers in a study conducted under the auspices of two Australian universities
sampled fewer brands in product trials when there was awareness of one of the brands than
in studies in which all were unknown.
Related Reading: Role of Perception in Consumer Behavior

Implications
Building brand awareness can increase your market share in a number of ways. Being the
first to get your brand implanted in customers' minds increases the barrier to entry that
other brands may face later. If your industry is more competitive or already has established
players, youll likely have to be more aggressive in your approach, but you still can become
one of the brands consumers consider if they become more aware of your name. The
Australian study also indicated that the awareness effect is mediated by cost, so increasing
brand awareness cannot necessarily be followed by an increase in the price of your product
or service.

Techniques
To build brand awareness, you must make sure your target market is exposed to your
products and recognizes them in multiple ways. An identifiable logo and distinct brand
message can present the repetition that can make your name memorable. Getting your
brand exposed to the audience can take place via multiple distribution platforms, from direct
marketing to traditional advertising to social media to public relations. While the strategy for
each particular campaign may vary, a consistent depiction of the brand, and a commitment
to following up on the promises made in the initial exposure, help bring your product to the
forefront of consumers minds when its time to make a decision to purchase