We were privileged to have Karen Haller speak at our Round Table for Entrepreneurs session on the influence that brands' colours could have on sales. As an applied colour psychology specialist, Karen is extremely passionate about colour and its effects.

She highlighted the fact that people buy based on emotion, and colour triggers emotional responses. This is especially pertinent to first impressions – she points out that 85% of the initial perception of your business brand is based on colour alone.

She also gave us four useful tips to keep in mind when choosing brands’ corporate colours:

1. Base your branding colours on your company’s values, aims, mission statement and personality. People will know what your brand stands for through the correct use of colour. Don’t base it on trends, fashion fads or your own personal preferences.
2. Use a colour or combination of colours that represent your company’s values and personality. 
3. Use your brand colours in the right proportion and intensity - otherwise you could risk changing the entire meaning of your brand.
4. Use colours from one colour family (she refers to it as a “harmonious tonal colour group”). Using colours from different tonal groups will create a harsh, jarring effect that could actually project the colour’s negative qualities. 

You can download her free eBook, 7 Mistakes Most Business Owners Make with Their Branding Colours on her website. It is known for being a must-read for business owners.