The color yellow often makes us think of happy, high-energy people and businesses. But some people think the hue is too cautious, cheap, or straining to the eye.
In this post, you’ll learn about personalities we often associate with the color yellow. You can also see when orange is effective in branding — and when it can go wrong. Finally, we’ve included links to brands that use the color in their logos and designs.
Personality & Emotions
Many of us associate yellow with happiness and positivity (which is probably why smiley faces are yellow!). This color has a high-energy personality, which is why you’ll often find yellow in fast-food restaurants and other energetic brands. But like orange, yellow is a warning to proceed with caution. This explains why you’ll find yellow tape around a crime scene — and why there’s a yellow traffic light as a warning to slow down.
When to Use Yellow
If you’re a fast-paced startup or tech company, yellow may be the perfect color to express your brand’s creativity. This is also a great hue for businesses serving people going through a positive life change. For example, branding your furniture store with yellow may reflect the happiness customers feel as they’re decorating their first home. The color is also great for energetic industries, like fast-food restaurants or car rental companies.
When to Avoid Yellow
A downside of yellow branding is that there are logistical challenges with shades and tints. Too dark can look dirty, while too light strains the eyes. So if your business has a website that serves a visually impaired audience, you’ll want to stay away from this color. You also may wish to avoid branding with yellow if you sell premium products and services. 22% of Hubspot survey respondents felt that yellow is a “cheap” color.
Strategic Brand Examples
Our proven marketing protocol helps companies make more money, free up time, and plan an effective strategy.
Treefrog Marketing is an agency in Lafayette, Indiana focused on small business. We specialize in strategic marketing and advertising, graphic design, web design, social media, SEO, and more. For more information, please visit our website. You can also connect with us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.
