When using the power of color psychology, you need to understand how each color affects your audience. 

We will cover 5 colors this week and 5 additional colors next week.

Here is a quick overview of 5 colors: Pink, Purple, Brown, Black, and White, and their meaning in the Western Hemisphere.

Pink is the most calming of all colors and is used in housing our most dangerous criminals, as studies show pink drains energy and calms aggression. Pink is seen as a color of compassion and sweetness.

Purple is the color of the robes of kings and queens, the most royal color.  Also associated with wealth, prosperity, and rich sophistication.  If overused in a common setting it is associated with putting on airs and being artificial.  Young adolescent girls will select all shades of purple as their favorite. Used carefully it will lend itself to an air of mystery, wisdom, and respect.

Brown is the color that shows strength and reliability, down-to-earth, trustworthy. In large quantities, it can seem stark and empty, like a desert devoid of life. Men are more apt to select brown as their favorite color.

Black, associated with authority and power. In the western hemisphere, it is often associated with grieving.  It evokes strong emotions and can be overwhelming.  Remember in the old western movies, the cowboy with the black hat was the “bad guy”.

White is sometimes called a non-color or neutrality. Associated with purity, (wedding dress); cleanliness, (a doctor’s coat), and safety (things go bump in the night). 

What are your thoughts on these colors and how do they affect your emotions?