Red Color influence in the purchase decision.

Red Color influence in the purchase decision

Introduction

On the many factors that may influence the purchase decision of a consumer, one of the most important to capture the attention of the consumer is the color of a product; it’s one of the first things the human brain recognizes, before logos, prices and other attributes. The red color has been largely used for publicitary strategies and promotions for different kinds of products. According to researches the visual appearance of a product defines the 93% of the consumer’s attention, more than smell and texture, as sight is the most imperative sense involved in the purchase process. In this same survey 85% of the respondents affirmed color was the primary attribute when buying a product.

As defined before it’s a very determinant attribute the color of a product for the moment of purchase, but the question is defining which one is the most appropriate for a product according to the target market they are aiming to. For instance each color is used depending on the product, for example blue creates the sensation of trust and security and so it’s used by banks and investment companies which  the money of the consumer is directly involved, black gives an image of powerful and sleek, often used for luxury brands, and so on with other colors.

But red is one of the most important colors and so it’s one of the most used in marketing, this essay explains how is the red color perceived by consumers, why is the main color of important brands, and what advantages does it have for some products and brands and the perceptions it may create in the consumer´s mind, where finally purchase decision happens.

Meaning of the red color

For instance it’s very important to understand what color red means. Defined by Goethe as “The king of colors” red is one of the primary colors, it’s the first color newborns are able to recognize and so the first color which human beings have contact with, it’s the color that symbolizes passions, both good and bad. For many cultures it’s the color of strength and life, but also the color of war, the danger and the forbidden.

Throughout history red color has been associated to importance, in the middle ages only nobility could wear it , it is the most frequent color in flags, for this same reason it was the color used for strong ideals in many chapters of history, being the main color of communism and  socialism, strongly present in the Russian revolution of 1917. Being the color chosen by Hitler as the main color of the worker party flag and later on the Nazi party, as red represented strength and passion which were fundamentals of his ideals.

Red Color used in marketing

Red is the main color of many important, worldwide known brands nowadays,  there is a very reasonable explanation on why choosing this color to represent a whole brand and why expecting a good brand image in the mind consumer when associated to the red color.

Coca Cola, Marlboro, Target, Virgin, McDonalds and Vodafone are just some of the most important examples of brands that chose the red color as part of their identity. As the first step of branding the first thing a product needs is to be recognized by the consumer, so the capture of the attention becomes essential, according to research color increases brand recognition by an 80% which becomes determinant when competing with other brands. The red color creates the sensation of energy, creates urgency, increases the heart rate in a person, which are sensations that make a product impossible to ignore, causing a strong first impression in the consumer.

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