Great Expectations...

pP: Color has always played an important role in brand design development. Why do the stakes appear higher now than ever before?

Pike: The world of branding has become increasingly fragmented, with the proliferation of product versions and line extensions tailored to buyer interests and needs. Today, typical grocery or retail stores carry an unbelievable average of 30,000 different products. In an average 30-minute shopping trip, those are some pretty fast decisions. However, because our reaction to color is emotional (using the brain’s limbic system) as opposed to cognitive (processed in the brain’s cortex), color is one of the most efficient coding mechanisms we can use in branding, and the management of brand color can help deliver marketing results. Color consistency and recognition are key to supporting split-second consumer decision making. If the color is not right or is not recognized, brands can erode.