Without us even realising it, colours subtly influence how people perceive brands and products. Each colour carries its own set of psychological associations that can evoke emotions, trigger actions, and shape brand identity.
For instance, red delivers a feeling of excitement, passion, and action - think Coca-Cola's logo or sale signs. Blue... trust, security, reliability, peace - often popular in finance, healthcare, and technology brands. And green… growth, nature, health - often used by eco-friendly brands and organic products.
Some of these are pretty obvious but others, a little more subtle.
Colour meanings can also vary slightly across cultures, age groups and contexts so experts carefully consider the target audience - and combine this with effective messaging and visuals.
So what does our Plum branding mean?
When we came to refreshing our own brand we wanted the colours used to convey what Plum Ideas is all about.
We decided to move away from our old purple and green, towards a more modern and dynamic combination of rich yellow and a strong dark grey.
Yellow represents creativity, positivity, warmth and energy, while grey is perceived as stable, trusted, practical, professional and authoritative.
We feel this sums up us at Plum Ideas perfectly!
Have you ever thought what your branding says about you?
We live with our brand day in and day out but do we question whether it is still relevant to our customers and prospects and whether it reflects what we stand for in modern society? Brands evolve!
A great example is Nationwide Building Society, which unveiled a significant rebrand in 2023, marking their biggest visual overhaul since 1987. They know that they need to stay competitive in a modern banking environment and reflect changes that are happening in the market. The iconic house logo has been simplified, using geometric shapes for a more modern look. A custom typeface inspired by 1980s advertising adds a touch of heritage. The wordmark now features a lowercase "n" for better flow. "Building Society" has been removed from the logo for a cleaner design. And their new motto, "A Good Way to Bank," highlights their commitment to ethical practices and member focus.
Maybe now is a good time to take stock of your brand? Contact us now