What if success in life was as simple as knowing your color wheel? Well, it can be! When searching for success in life, understanding the psychology of colors plays a vital role. In understanding how certain colors affect mood and understanding how people react to colors, a person can convey a thought or idea without saying a word.

By using a color as a form of non-verbal communication, we can set the tone for business meetings, dates, or any other social interaction.

Below are some of the common energies and properties associated with colors.

RED

Red is the color of energy, vitality, and passion. It is worn by people who strive to dominate everything. It excites the emotions and motivates us to take action. Being surrounded by too much of the color red can cause us to become irritated, agitated and ultimately angry. Too little and we become cautious, manipulative and fearful.

Of all the colors, this one might have the most power!

In advertising, red is often seen in products that appeal to men and is seen in general as a strong call to action. It invites people to react on an emotional level instead of an intellectual level and appeals to a person’s instinct.

YELLOW

Of all the colors, this is the one most associated with fun, openness, warmth, and cheerfulness. Yellow shows a uniqueness and individuality that overflows in creative people. Yellow is used in advertising because it attracts attention due to being reminiscent of warmth. It is used by products or places that want to be seen as social, inviting places.

A business like McDonald’s, for instance, prominently features yellow because it wants people convey openness and invite all people in.

ORANGE

Orange expels optimism and is well known as the “Uplifting” color. It combines the attributes of colors red and yellow, taking the energy from the former and the warmth of the latter. It also has a stimulating effect on the appetite. Many restaurants incorporate orange into their menus or into their decor in order to get patrons to eat up!

Orange is also associated with a pragmatism combined with an artistic streak. This makes it popular among businesses that offer consumers the tools needed to create.

BLUE

The colors above are all the “hot” colors while blue begins the “cool” colors. Blue is a color of trust, a color that shows a sincerity and a connection between people. Its soft nature makes it popular among psychologists and others who want to convey an ease and foster communication. This security also makes it one of the popular colors in advertising.

The color blue encourages people to relax and carefully consider an action (which is the opposite of red and the direct call to immediate action).

GREEN

Of all the colors, this is the one most associated with growth and rebirth. The color green makes people think of spring time which associates your thoughts to new changes and brand new beginnings. This in turn makes it a good color for a product appealing to “freshness” or a new product line (it is a good color when rolling a re-branding).

It is also good for inspiring the thought of money, making it a useful tool if you are appealing to a person’s wallet to offer value or money saving options.

PURPLE

In advertising, this color symbolizes royalty. It is used by products that want to convey a high-end feel (think, Crown Royal). A brand that uses purple is signifying that it is the top of the line, the best of the best, and deserves to be priced higher for high-end tastes.

If your brand is selling a prestige or luxury lifestyle, this is a great color to choose.

BROWN

This is the opposite of purple. Brown represents the earth and represents a steadiness and dependability. This color may not be flashy, but it gets the job done. It is not pretentious and it is completely practical. Maybe a bit boring, but ultimately extremely dependable. It practical and has no frills, but gets the job done effectively.

UPS is a great example of a brand associated with this color.