Colors by Gender

People associate gender by colors. Aren’t baby girls brought home in pink blankets while baby boys are wrapped in blue ones? Yes, there are no specific rules about what colors are feminine and masculine. Studies have been conducted over the past 70 years that draw some generalizations. Let’s take a look at what one study says about color and gender.

Joe Hallock conducted a study in 2003 in which he compared color preferences among various demographics from 22 countries. 57% of the men said blue was their favorite color, while 35% of the women said it was their favorite.  Why is blue so popular? Blue is associated with clean water, clear skies, authority, truth, and tranquility – making it a favorite among all age groups and genders.

What was interesting in this study is that 0% of men listed purple as their favorite color while 23% of female respondents chose it as their favorite. This was the most notable gender difference in color preference.

The least favorite color for men at 27% was brown. The least favorite color for women was orange with 33% disliking this color. In this study, male and female participants disliked many of the same colors. Interestingly, the least favorite colors were very similar to the colors the participants considered cheap or inexpensive.

Do you have a favorite color? What is it?

Using Color in Your Marketing

Most people make up their minds about something within 90 seconds of their initial interaction according to research. Approximately 60 to 90 percent of that assessment is based on colors alone.

Companies can distinguish themselves from their competition and influence their customers by their color choices. Colors can influence a person’s mood and emotions. They can induce a positive or negative feeling about a product or an offer.

How can this affect your marketing? Color can play a major part in the success of any marketing campaign. Think about the colors used in your logo and your website. These and any ads you use will directly impact a customer’s decision-making behavior.

Branding

Your logo should reflect your company’s personality. Colors can portray a distinct identity. If you use black and silver for your brand colors, these would indicate a masculine brand. A pink logo would point to a feminine brand. A logo with many bright, vibrant colors would indicate a bold, energetic and outgoing company.

Your company should choose logo colors that reflect your identity.

Ads

Ads are different from logos and websites. Ad are offer-specific and usually have a short life-span, so their design is constantly changing. Your ads don't have to match your logo. They're specific to the offer for which they're created.

Websites

A website, like a logo, reflects the personality of your brand. The design of your website must deliver your brand's message successfully. A website that uses colors, fonts, and images that don't give the user a strong sense of the company will drive traffic elsewhere.

If you have a call-to-action button on your home page, the button should be in a different color than the rest of the page so that it stands out to visitors. The obvious contrast in color redirects a buyer's focus from the content to the completion of the sale.

Companies should be sensible about their color choices in their logo, website, and ads. Many factors affect the way a customer interprets a brand and the right color and design choices can boost your sales.