Did you know that colours are in fact part of our non-verbal communication and thus extremely important to how we convey messages, choose brands and feel comfortable or rather restless? The meaning of colours also differ from culture to culture and from era to era which can have a tremendous impact when designs etc. are implemented. Just to give you a small example: whereas the colour black will be associated with death, mourning, unhappiness in many European cultures, it actually means honor in others, like in Japan.
Different colours also mean different things when associated with politics. Red is typically linked with socialism and communism, white has a more pacific meaning. Just take a look at the programmes and the colours of the different political parties you know!
Colour can thus be a very influential factor for coaches and event managers when choosing a location and thinking about the concrete outcome that needs to be achieved. Colour is also extremely important in communication when designing a campaign, introducing a new brand or product. Taking the wrong colour for a target audience can have a disastrous impact. Being sensitive to colours and what they actually mean in which culture and for which target audience will help you communicate effectively and achieve your desired results. Think about yourself: how do you feel when sitting in a meeting room where the walls have been painted in red? And how do you feel when they are green? Try paying attention next time you feel uncomfortable in a certain environment and write your findings down. What did you experience?
You might want to click on the following interesting links for further reading:
- About room colours and how it affects your mood: http://freshome.com/2007/04/17/room-color-and-how-it-affects-your-mood/
- Interesting colour psychology website: http://www.empower-yourself-with-color-psychology.com/meaning-of-colors.html
- How colours communicate meaning: http://blog.teamtreehouse.com/how-colour-communicates-meaning
- The meaning of colours: http://www.sibagraphics.com/colour.php
- Psychology of colours: http://integratedartgroup.wordpress.com/2013/02/08/psychology-of-color/
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I really like your post. I did not think of the importance of knowing what other countries and cultures may find in a color and what it represents. Being a guest in any country I believe we must be sensitive to something that may seem so simple.
Hi there, thank you for reading me! Yes, colours are extremely important in different cultures. For me as a coach and working in communications the knowledge of colours is really of outmost importance as it can influence the resutls and the impact of everything that I am doing! I love reading your posts too! Jenny
Perfect reminder for a workshop tomorrow! Thanks!
what kind of a workshop are you conducting?