Blue

Blue is the color of water and sky, associated with serenity, stability, inspiration and wisdom.

It has a positive effect on our wellbeing, giving off a feeling of calm.

HISTORICALLY

• In Ancient Egypt;

• During the time of the Roman Empire,

• Chinese culture,

• In Japan

• In Africa

SPIRITUALITY
Blue symbolizes different things across spiritual traditions:

• Buddhism =

• Christianity =

• Hinduism =

• Islamic =

• Judaism =

MARKETING
Blue connotes stability, reliability and wisdom, so companies that depend on customer trust and loyalty .

Common phrases using blue include:

• The blues/feeling blue = depression sadness

This list just scratches the surface, but underscores the importance of really knowing your target audience. Its wise to understand cultural impacts of colors as we expand into an increasingly global society.

Green

Today’s post is inspired by the emerald green grass growing out my window today, brought to life by the first thunderstorm of the year. That iridescence makes the downpours and gloomy skies worthwhile.

Green is the color of nature, growth, renewal, prosperity, Ireland, ecology and money (in the US, at least). On the shadow side, green is associated jealousy and inexperience.

It has a positive effect on our wellbeing, giving off a feeling of calm and serenity. A walk in a green forest can reduce anxiety and ground us.

HISTORICALLY

• In Ancient Egypt; the god Osiris, king of the underworld, was depicted as green-skinned.

• During the time of the Roman Empire, people would soak items made of copper in wine, which caused a chemical reaction that resulted in a colored pigmentation referred to as verdigris

• Chinese culture, green corresponds to wood and represents the color of growth and development in the Five Elements ideology.

• In Japan on the 29th of April every year, they celebrate Greenery Day on the birthday of Emperor Shōwa.

• In Africa green symbolizes and fertility, the abundant and vibrant natural wealth of Africa

SPIRITUALITY
Green symbolizes different things across spiritual traditions:

• Buddhism = balance, youth, harmony, vigor and karma. Buddhists believe that by meditating on green, your jealousy will turn into wisdom.

• Christianity = life, resurrection, new beginnings

• Hinduism = rebirth, new beginnings

• Islamic = paradise, nature, heaven, bliss, beauty, fertility. Allah described the people in heaven as wearing green silk garments.

• Judaism = renewal, hope

MARKETING
Advertisers use green on food packaging to imply freshness.

In North America, green is a commonly used as a brand color for financial institutions due to its association with money, growth and prosperity

Green is slang for environmentally aware practices, sustainability and climate improvement efforts so it used increasingly to signify climate-friendly products.

Greenwashing is a term applied to companies that try to appear more environmentally friendly than they really are.

Common phrases using green include:

• Green-eyed monster = envy

• Greenbacks = US dollars, prosperity

• Getting the green light = approval to move forward

• Green around the gills = feeling ill

• Going green = efforts to improve climate sustainability

• Being a little green = inexperienced

• Green Party = a political party based on the principles of green politics, such as environmentalism and social justice.

This list just scratches the surface, but underscores the importance of really knowing your target audience. Its wise to understand cultural impacts of colors as we expand into an increasingly global society.

Personal Archetypes

Although we use archetypes in branding, marketing and storytelling, Carl Jung originally studied them as tools of psychology. Their real power lies in how they influence and reflect the full human experience, not just our shopping profiles. If you consider your own habits, identity traits and ambitions against the universal human archetypes you can see the bigger picture of how you navigate the world.

This is more about personal development than it is personal branding, which has been a pretty trendy topic. We run into characters throughout our lives and we react or respond to them from the lens of the characters we have chosen to identify ourselves with. We all do it, and some of them are obvious: devoted wife/husband, singleton, nurturing mother/father, obedient or rebellious child, competitive athlete, gardener, artist, cook/chef, gambler, mentor, and ambitious entrepreneur to name a few. Then there are the less flattering ones like bully, dictator, victim, servant, people pleaser, and vampire. We all have some of these, and they show up in our relationships at home, at work, with friends and especially on social media. These characters can define and run our lives if they remain in our unconscious. And for a lot of people they do.

My life shifted when I started to really look at the story I had written for myself, and the roles I had embraced, both positive and negative. When I was totally honest with myself, I realized that some of my story had run its course, and I didn’t really want to continue some of those roles. The story was ok, but it wasn’t going anywhere satisfying. And life really is short, so what’s the point of settling for a storyline that doesn’t interest you? Playing roles you don’t enjoy? Why NOT be authentic? Once I waded through that mental muck, I learned the best part: we always have choices and the ability to write a twist into your story.

If you pay attention to your archetypes you realize that they evolve over time. You can choose to retire some of them, either because outgrow your need for them (obedient son, apprentice) or they no longer serve you and you want something more (victim, bully). You can thank these identities, be honest about how they served you and then bid them goodbye. They may pop up for a visit from time to time, but they no longer have the power to define you.

Who are you showing the world? showing yourself? or your family and friends?

And who do you want to be?

Yellow

It’s the color of the sun and gold — the warmest hue on the spectrum.

Yellow is generally associated with happiness: fun, energy, joy, enthusiasm, originality, hope, cheerful, brightness, imagination, and optimism. On the downside, it can imply cowardice, illness, caution, illness, and anxiety.

HISTORICALLY

• In Ancient Egypt, gods were believed to have gold skin and bones, so yellow was used for their skin tone in art

• In medieval times, the homes of those charged with treason were painted yellow, representing deceit

• In fourteenth century Japan, it represented bravery, wealth, and refinement. Warriors wore yellow chrysanthemums as a pledge of courage to the emperor and royal family.

• In many African nations, yellow is a symbol of high rank due to its resemblance to gold, implying money, quality and success.

• In Greece it represents sadness, in France it represents jealousy.

SPIRITUALITY
Yellow symbolizes different things across spiritual traditions:

• Buddhism = Buddhist monks wear yellow representing renunciation, humility and the separation from materialistic society

• Christianity = eternal life, happiness, optimism, renewal, purity

• Hinduism = purity, victory chastity. Also, yellow is the color of Lord Vishnu, the god of preservation, the salvation of humanity. It’s also the color of the solar plexus chakra, our source of personal power, self-confidence, sight, and success.

• Islamic = peace, spirituality, one of the four colors of Ramadan. In some traditions, its forbidden for men to wear yellow

MARKETING
Wearing yellow can actually boost your mood, however finding a shade of yellow that is flattering can be challenging

The most visible color in daylight, its often the choice of fast food chains especially on signs. It also brings on feelings of friendliness, happiness, and with red it implies speed.

Drawing the eye quickly, its used as a highlighter in advertising.

Implies bargain prices, speed and fun — think McDonalds, Best Buy and Ikea.

Common phrases using red include:

• Mellow yellow = relaxed optimism

• Yellow bellied = cowardice

• Yellow journalism = writing that is sensationalist with questionable accuracy and taste

• Gold star = award of merit

• Golden child = someone who is favored, can do no wrong

• Golden opportunity = lucky chance

• Golden ticket = winner

• Gold digger = someone who gets romantically involved for wealth

• Heart of gold = supremely kind person

• Golden arches = McDonalds

This list just scratches the surface, but underscores the importance of really knowing your target audience. Its wise to understand cultural impacts of colors as we expand into an increasingly global society.

Orange

Back to the topic of color and the positive and negative meanings it can convey.

Next up: ORANGE.

On the positive side, orange is associated with sunshine, optimism, fun, creativity, happiness, enthusiasm, and youthful connections. On the negative side it can elicit feelings of arrogance, pride and impatience. Interestingly, it can be perceived as less expensive but reasonable quality (e.g.; Home Depot) or luxury (e.g.; Hermes).

We all dread the orange barrels and cones of construction, conveying caution.

Orange is the national color of the Netherlands, because of its association with the Dutch Royal Family: the House of Orange. The collective energy and liveliness of national celebrations is referred to as “orange madness”

It is becoming a color of human rights, increasingly used by organizations around the globe as a calling for peace and change. The Orange Revolution in Ukraine used it in protest of electoral fraud; the United Nations uses it to raise awareness and inspire action in regard to gender-based violence through their Orange the World campaign.

As the color of optimism from a mental health perspective, it has an uplifting, invigorating health-promoting affect on the body.

Seasonally, its associated most with autumn and Halloween in Western countries.

And of course, in most countries orange as a color is tied to the fruit, originally from China.

HISTORICALLY

• For ancient Greeks its associated with Bacchus, the god of hedonism and thus frivolity and entertainment

• Egyptians associated orange with rebirth and eternal life, due to the evergreen orange tree — so oranges were commonly part of religious ceremonies, including funerals.

• The French Impressionist Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec used it to symbolize the raucous energy and excitement of Parisian nightlife in the early 19th century

• In Ireland it represents Protestants.

• In Thailand its the color of Friday.

SPIRITUALITY
Orange symbolizes different things across spiritual traditions:

• Buddhism = simplicity, letting go of material

• Christianity = fire, purification, divine presence, the Holy Spirit

• Hinduism = fire/purification, wisdom and the quest for light. Saffron, a shade of orange, is the most sacred color for Hindus

• Islamic = flame of the divine lamp leading to spiritual enlightenment, nobility, royalty

• Judiasm = rebirth, renewal, inclusion of women

MARKETING
Orange in fashion can represent energy, excitement, confidence, adventurousness, happiness, warmth.

Its another color that stimulates appetite and digestion, and is commonly used by fast food restaurants in their identities.

Common phrases using orange include:

• Apples to Oranges = comparing incomparable items

• Orange Alert = heightened state of security

• Squeeze the orange dry = extract all value and usefulness from something

• Throw someone an orange = offering someone a bribe

• Orange hard hat = construction zone, caution required

This list just scratches the surface, but underscores the importance of really knowing your target audience. Its wise to understand cultural impacts of colors as we expand into an increasingly global society.

Red

Color is one of the most powerful forms of communication in the world, rich with cultural, historical and spiritual themes. Colors quickly convey emotions and meaning, both positive and negative. It can make or break a brand or campaign. When choosing color, thoughtful designers consider the reactions each color can evoke.

It would be impossible to cover every meaning, but here’s a start:

First up: RED.

In Western cultures, red is associated with passion in both positive and negative forms: love and war. The color of hearts and Valentine’s Day is also often used to alert us of danger with stop lights and delete buttons.

In Asian cultures it represents good fortune and joy and often prominent at weddings and celebrations.

From a health perspective, its the color of blood, vigor and life.

It is the first color babies perceive after black and white

In some tribal African customs and traditions it can represent the blood of ancestors and the ongoing struggle against repression and racism.

HISTORICALLY

• Paleolithic tribes used it to bury their dead from protection from evil spirits

• Egyptians used it to represent danger

• Roman soldiers and gladiators wore red, representing courage. It was the color of Mars, the God of war.

• Ancient Byzantines adopted it from Romans as a color of majesty and authority

• Some Native American tribes consider it a color that transcends worlds, used red to call to ancestors in the spirit world.

SPIRITUALITY
Red symbolizes different things across spiritual traditions:

• Buddhism = achievement, wisdom, virtue, fortune, dignity

• Christianity = sacrifice, blood of Christ

• Hinduism = root chakra, sexuality, love, energy

• Islamic = life force

• Judiasm = compassion, generosity, beauty

MARKETING
Red in fashion represents confidence and boldness.

Sale items are often advertised in red to get attention and express urgency.

Over 40% of fast food chains have harnessed red’s ability to increase our heart rate, blood pressure and appetite. Not only can it urge us to quick action, but it can make us hungry!

Common phrases using red include:

• Red in the face = embarrassment

• Seeing red = rage

• Red flag = warning, danger

• Being in the red = Debt, financial loss

• Caught red handed = catching someone doing something wrong

• Paint the town red = going out and partying

• Red carpet treatment = treating someone like royalty

• Red tape = excessive bureaucracy

This list just scratches the surface, but underscores the importance of really knowing your target audience. Its wise to understand cultural impacts of colors as we expand into an increasingly global society.

Branding 101

I love facilitating branding workshops. All aspects of it spark joy for me — from developing the presentation and customizing the exercises, to leading the session with clients, to drafting the summary and creative brief. It gets me in the flow. Plus, there’s nothing like watching a skeptic when their eyes light up as they realize something they thought of as fluff is actually smart strategy .

When I’m working with a new client, or a team that isn’t composed of creative professionals, I like to position the session as Branding 101. Focusing everyone at the start, I open by level setting using the term “branding.” It may sound basic, but experience has taught me that many people misunderstand what a brand really is. They may assume its a logo, or the tagline, or the name itself. If everyone isn’t on the same page things can fall flat really fast.

After a visual exercise I share AIGA’s succinct definition, then expand it a bit:

BRAND: a person’s perception of a product,
service, experience or organization

BRANDING: the conscious crafting and nurturing
of that perception

The reality is every organization, product, experience and location has a brand — even if they’re unaware of it. Neglecting it or letting the public define a brand leads to disjointed, confused and even conflicting perceptions in the market. And that’s never profitable.

Thoughtfully developing the narrative and managing the evolution of that brand may be overwhelming, but its critical to authentically connect with your target audience and build trusting relationships. Relationships bring revenue. Articulating a brand is no longer nice to have — It’s needed to play.

Brand building is relationship building, and relationships have never been more important than they are today. Trying to appeal or sell to everyone isn’t viable anymore. A steady stream of options for pretty much everything from products to events to jobs scroll past us with lightening speed. In our over-saturated, over-stimulated, global marketplace it’s easy for a brand to get lost or forgotten. A differentiated, clear and consistent narrative is needed to thrive.

And helping clients thrive is really fun.