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Here at TCC, we encourage our people to take inspiration days—to go and experience something that’s been on their bucket list.
Harriet, our Digital Growth Manager, found herself in New York for the weekend, and took an inspiration day at the Color Factory in the heart of SoHo to learn about how colour plays a part in every facet of our lives.
“Colour, and the psychology and philosophy of it, has long fascinated me. Far from my university days of writing papers on the metaphysics of colour and its existence, this trip was a cheery exploration of the more practical side of the colour spectrum. Specifically, how colour impacts our preferences, moods, taste, and decision making – and how it can be a powerful tool for marketeers.”
Harriet Barley, Digital Growth Manager, TCC
Experiential marketing: the theatre of colour
Whether you’re rebranding, launching a campaign, or designing a customer experience, colour is not just a visual element—it’s a powerful tool for communication, emotion, and persuasion. That’s why colours should be aligned with every brand’s intention and strategy.
The Color Factory is an incredible immersive reminder of that power, with exhibits designed to connect, celebrate, and enthral. Each exhibit pairs a colour with a mood, a taste, a texture, or a smell.
I’m struck by the clear recall I have of each minute of the hour-and-a-half experience. As someone who works at a marketing agency that creates immersive marketing experiences for our clients, I know how important it is to create strong memories—and how much skill and understanding of the customer mind it takes to do it properly.
My experience began with a fortune cookie and a colourful conveyor belt. We were instructed to choose our cookie based on our intuition—which colour were we most drawn to? I selected the purple one, a passionfruit flavour. My fortune? “If you turn your passion into your life’s work, you’ll never go wrong.” I’m not too sure how I’m supposed to turn ‘declining social invites to stay home and play The Sims’ into life’s work, but I’ll keep thinking on it.
The multi-sensory experience
A wall of colour and associated smells—from the obviously-connected key lime pie and the colour green to the more abstract smell of the pavements after the rain (petrichor), which was connected with a slate blue hue.
The part colour plays in all-encompassing marketing experiences
By pairing visual experiences with auditory (sound), olfactory (smell), and gustatory (taste), you can further boost engagement, tapping into an all-encompassing sensory experience that people will remember.
In one room, there were stations of colourful desks in pairs, facing each other, but separated by a wall of glass—much like a cheery prison visitor booth (albeit with a very different purpose). I sat at the lilac desk opposite a member of staff, and put my headphones on. Looking at my partner opposite, I was tasked with identifying key colours I observed from her outfit, physical attributes, and colours I attributed to her perceived mood and mindset. She did the same for me. The continued eye contact with a stranger felt uncomfortable and challenging, which made me reflect on how our connections with other humans are usually always through a lens of our own perception. At the end, we exchanged paper and got to see a glimpse of how we presented to a stranger.
In the next room, there was a bar, with areas paired with the colours of each desk. On each separate colour, there were candies, each with a corresponding flavour. I grabbed the lilac candy—a grape taffy—and paired it, as instructed, with the pastel yellow candy of my partner, which was candy corn flavoured. The purpose was to combine the flavour and colour experiences, and see how they reflected certain moods and sensations.
The experience had me hooked from start to finish. I had never thought about how colour affects our perception of others, but I will certainly be more mindful of the colours I am wearing and presenting in the future.
Colour as an identity
My favourite room was the secret colour selection exhibit. On the floor was a self-guided flow chart, asking questions about your preferences, experiences, moods, and hopes and fears, with each final answer leading to a different door.
Having answered a variety of questions—in the rainforest, I’d rather see a neon poison dart frog over a colourful toucan or bonobo, for example—I was lead to a door, behind which was a room completely coated in Hardcore Mist – a muted green-blue.
This was my Secret Color – a reflection of my true self.
Colour and identity: the TCC rebrand
Our rebrand saw our design teams delving deep into what each colour meant to our brand, and where they aligned to our values and identity. Here’s a little breakdown of each colour we selected, along with research (source: Hallmark/Iconic Fox) on psychologically-correlated words:
Pink
- Innovation
- Imagination
- Passion
- Creativity
- Quirk
- Practical
Blue
- Trustworthiness
- Security
- Sociable
- Conscientiousness
- Dependability
Lavender
- Wisdom
- Wealth
- Understanding
- Sophistication
Yellow/Gold
- Independence
- Strategy
- Extroversion
- Innovation
- Intellect
- High standards
By understanding and applying the lessons from this chromatic playground, marketeers can create more compelling, effective, and memorable brand experiences. In a world awash with information, the right colours can make all the difference in catching and keeping your audience’s attention.
Some well-known examples of brands that align their colours to their offering:
Coca-Cola red
- Energy
- Passion
- Excitement
- Hunger
Starbucks green
- Fresh
- Healthy
- Responsible
- Eco
UPS brown
- Reliable
- Earthy
- Trustworthy
- Humble
Here’s the important part. These brands didn’t just align their brand colours with their offerings. They aligned their brand colours with what their customers need. That’s the real secret behind the use of colour in marketing.
When a customer mails something, they need to know that their post is in reliable, trustworthy hands. When someone uses a social media platform, they need to know that their data is safe, secure, and private. And when a thirsty commuter is walking down the street looking for caffeine, they need to know that they’ll be refreshed.
Similarly, our TCC customers need to know that their marketing is in the hands of an agency who is innovative, creative, strategic, empathetic, and trustworthy.
Think about your brand’s colours. What are they? What needs of your customers do they align with?
If you can’t answer that last question, you may need a brand refresh. Get in touch. We’d love to work magic for you and your brand.
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