Diversity in Advertising- Blog #5

This week, rather than talking about diversity in advertising as a broad subject, I decided I wanted to take a whole different look on diversity in the world of advertising. Everyone knows there is diversity in the world and that we need to change our advertising motives/plans based on what type of audience we have. There are all types of different diversity in advertising especially when it comes to people and their age, gender, race, religion, etc. but I want to look more specifically at one certain part of advertising and how diverse it is; this being diversity of colors in advertising.

Diversity of Colors Used in Advertising

I read an interesting case from my management book the other day and it really opened my eyes to a whole different part of diversity that I had never thought of before; the use of colors in advertising and how it is used in other countries. Advertisers have to be extremely careful when choosing colors for specific advertisements based on location and what the product is for. Every color has a psychological connection to some type of thought or feeling whether it is good or bad. A few examples: (Colors in Advertising)

·         Red: speed, power, excitement, stop

·         Green: health and nature

·         Blue: serenity, clarity, intellect, and precision, formality, elegance

·         Yellow: happy, energetic, rejuvenation, sunshine

·         Purple: luxury, high quality, feminine

·         Orange: adrenalin, cheapness, energy

·         Pink: feminine, baby, calming, sweet, angelic

·         Black: exclusive, excellence, formal, traditional

·         White: purity, calm, clear-cut

Deeper Analysis: Wendy’s Example

Wendy’s is a fast, well known food chain that seems to fit the idea of colors in marketing perfectly. Wendy’s markets its food and service with the very vibrant colors of yellow and red. The colors seem to pull consumers from what they are doing to come in and enjoy their food. The red seems to, in this case, stand for speed, excitement, and stop. The whole point of Wendy’s is “fast food”, when consumers see the red they think of fast service. Red has the ability to stimulate a person’s appetite as well, making it an excellent tool in the food industry. The use of red on Wendy’s signs gets hungry consumers excited and draws them to stop by and eat. Yellow on the other hand is another color used in Wendy’s marketing. Although it is not as prominent as the red in their color scheme, it still plays a key role in connecting with the consumers. The yellow suggests happiness. When you mix all the meanings together, the message you get is: stop here and eat, we will provide you with fast service and you will be greatly satisfied with your dining experience.  (Marketing and Color Theory)

Outside US Borders

The idea of color, emotion, and marketing seem to be the perfect combination. An issue arises, though, when the concept is taken outside of US borders. Different colors mean different things depending on where you are. For example “…yellow signifies happiness in the U.S., the color symbolizes sadness in Greece” (Kurtz, 2011, p. 166). This is where the question of whether or not global firms should change the colors of its logo or packaging depending on the country in which it is marketing. I am half and half on an answer for this question. I think that it should change depending on location because companies don’t want to lose consumers just because one of their main colors may represent a bad emotion or feeling. On the other hand, I don’t think that companies should change because the colors seem to signify the company worldwide. Take McDonalds for example; McDonalds is world famous for its golden arches. This is usually the first thing that pops into a person’s head when they hear the word McDonalds. By changing the color of the arches just because there is one located, for example, in Greece, we are stripping McDonalds of its image; what it is known for.

Conclusion:

Colors are very important in marketing because of all of the feelings they convey; it helps a company’s product sell itself in a way. Colors bring the idea of diversity to a whole new level and there are so many things that need to be considered when using them. The only issue that needs to be well-thought-out about this topic is one of which I already brought up earlier: global marketing and the use of colors. It is a tough subject but it is one that every global firm needs to take into consideration.

Resources:

·         Colors in Advertising:

http://library.thinkquest.org/08aug/01276/colorsanddesign/colorinadvertising.html

·         Marketing and Color Theory:

http://marketingcolor.blogspot.com/

·         Kurtz, D. L. (2011). Boone & Kurtz contemporary marketing (15th ed)