Effect of Color on Culture - Essay Example

? Effect of Color on Culture Effect of Color on Culture Introduction A given color can carry diverse meanings in different cultures. For example, orange color is a positive, life affirming and spiritual enlightening color in some cultures. However, in the United States, the same color is associated with road hazards, fast food restaurants and delay of traffics. Colors may be used to symbolize a rite of passage, differentiate between fun and seriousness, male and female, young and old, among other things. Various cultures associate different colors with a different meaning or implication. As such, understanding and appreciating different cultures and there relation to different colors are important for the better and productive interaction of the human race. This study analyses different colors and their effect on different cultures in the world. Color and its Associations across Cultures In the middle ages, color played a very significant role in the western culture especially during weddings. The color chosen by brides had a close relation with their display of wealth. Deeper colors indicated deeper pockets. Red or purple was a good color, but black was considered the best of all colors since it was very expensive to get (Bortoli & Marot 2001). However, there is a change in culture in the west since very few brides go for different colors other than cream or white. This change came in 1840 during the marriage between Queen Victoria and Albert where white color was used. In a survey conducted with students from twenty different countries across the world, students were asked to rate seven colors in twelve semantic differential items. Thereafter, results were recorded for the evaluation of activity and potency. From the findings, blue color was highly evaluated followed by green and white (Bortoli & Marot, 2001). Colors, which were most potent, were red and black while grey and black were the most passive colors. In another survey, people from different cultures, South Korea, USA, Japan and China were requested to state one color among eight that which was closely associated with consumer products. Analysis of results indicated that there are similarities and dissimilarities across cultures. The four culture under study associate blue color with high quality while red with love. Those from Japan, China, and South Korea associate purple with expensive products. On the other hand, those from USA associated the same color with cheap (Bortoli & Marot, 2001). All cultures associate black with power and expensive products. This indicates that color is culturally bound with certain traditions and ideologies. As such, the combination of different colors selected say, for communication and use on product logos especially for multi cultured consumers may convey varied meaning as a result of the color used. The following is an analysis of some colors and their effect in different cultures. In eastern cultures the color, which is mostly preferred by brides, is red. However, there are many cultural dissimilarities and traditions. For example, Arab Muslim brides wear white color just like their western counterpart while Asian Muslim brides put on brightly colored clothes and much jewelry (Bortoli & Marot, 2001). Further, western cultures consider the color black as the color representing death or mourning while in Eastern cultures, including India, China and Japan white color represent death or mourning. In South Africa, red is a color which depicts death or mourning while yellow and purple represent death in Egypt and Thailand respectively. On the other hand, blue in Iranian culture is associated with death. The color blue is considered by many cultures as a very safe color. In most cases, it is associated with healing, tranquility, and health. Specifically, in the United Kingdom, blue is considered a health color (Bortoli & Marot 2001). For example, the National Health Service logo is designed with a blue color while medical practitioner’s such as the nurses wear blue uniforms. In addition, the department of health’s logo has a creative combination of green and blue both in its logo and website. The color blue is also associated with some negative meanings such as depression, unable to breath or being cold. It is also associated with the suppression of appetite since it is very rare to find food substance, which is blue in color. Pink is a color which is associated with dangerous things. In the year 1937, there was a very powerful bit of branding. An Italian designer called Elsa Schiaparelli, launched the perfume which was referred to as Shocking. The packaging of the perfume was pink, with a bottle which had a shape of a lady torso. This was inspired by Mae West’s tailor’s dummy. This creativity caused a wave of sensation in the cosmetics world. This name has since stuck, and almost everyone is familiar with Shocking Pink perfume which is a designer’s best friend. According to Bortoli & Marot (2001), pink is a tranquilizing color which can sap people’s energy. Further, they note that the color pink is painted in locker rooms of opposing teams so as to ensure that the opponents lose energy. In business, color has a specific connotation. For example, the color green can be used to communicate wealth and social status. On the other hand, yellow is a color which has a strong appeal to intellectual types. Pink color also has a feminine implication while grey is a color which suggests a traditional conservative company when used in business. Conversely, red is a very great color when used to depict boldness. In United States, orange is associated with bargain basement even though it makes a dramatic appearance when combined with black. In international marketing, the effects of culture on the meaning related to promotion cues such as color are indispensable in international marketing. If a meaning, which is associated with a color or a combination of colors, varies across cultures one should pursue a strategy, which is tailored to fit a particular culture in terms of packaging, and branding, other things. Similarly, if the meaning of color is similar across different markets a standardized strategy is more productive. Color and Success or Failure of a Company The use of color can be a great determinate of success or failure of a company. For example, in 1996, Sir Alex Ferguson changed the team kit for Manchester United at halftime because it was of the wrong shade. He claimed that the team was losing 3-0 to Southampton since players could not coordinate well in their grey shirts. This was the color of the new kit of the champions which players were not used to. Manchester united went on to get a goal from the opponents. This is not restricted to football alone; numerous in different sectors are beginning to understand that logos and names are not sufficient in the battle of leadership and differentiation. The use of color serves not only as an element of design but also a standalone stamen on the design of the brand. This contributes a lot in the thriving of companies in the competitive business environment. The institute of color research notes that individuals make subconscious judgments on any new item or situation within 90 seconds of their initial interaction through viewing. On average, between 62 to 90 percent of such judgment is dependent on color only. The difference in how such colors are perceived depends on the nationality and cultural background of the individual. In 1998, Pepsi rebranded its red, white and blue cans to only blue in order to meet the demand of its target generation. However, it was followed by a brand color clash with its target market. This is because Pepsi targeted the young and lively members of the society, but the blue color chosen was basically for the grown-up members of the society. This brought a challenge in marketing of this product leading to reduction in sales. Therefore, for a company to maintain it sales and achieve its objectives, it should do research on whether its color scheme has an association with any deep discrimination. This may be very critical especially when the company is stretching the brand to different nations. Conclusion From the above discussion, it is evident that color may be a very vital factor in communication due to the power, which it exerts due to a different perception by different cultures. Color has an effect to consumers and internet surfers among other things. As such, more research needs to be done so as to help in identifying clusters of colors with same meanings to different cultures and those which have different meanings to different cultures. This will be critical in assisting designers of products, which are used globally to come up with color combinations that will convey the desired meaning and hence effectively communicate the desired message or retain the same symbolic meaning. Reference Bortoli M., & Marot, J., (2001). Colors across Cultures: Translating Colors in Interactive Marketing Communications, University of Paisley. Retrieved on 10th November 2013, from; Read More