The right colors will impact how your ideal renter views your brand
Color choice is an important step in any multifamily branding campaign. The right colors will help you reach your ideal renter while the wrong ones could miss the mark.
The power of color
Humans react to their environments and form opinions within seconds based on a number of factors that register at a subconscious level. Color may rank as one of the most influential decision-making triggers.
According to the Institute for Color Research (the fact that the institute exists hints at color’s importance):
“Research reveals people make a subconscious judgment about a person, environment, or product within 90 seconds of initial viewing and that between 62% and 90% of that assessment is based on color alone.”
Other studies show that color can boost brand recognition among consumers by as much as 80 percent. Memorable colors have enough power that many brands have trademarked their signature shades. We’ll bet that you can picture Tiffany Blue or Post-It’s 3M Yellow without looking up either one, right? Both trademarked.
Color and lifestyle brands
As a multifamily property, your brand needs to sell an intangible promise more than a physical product. While an apartment home represents a specific space and square footage, what you really sell is community and a connection with the lifestyle renters want.
Consider which words represent the lifestyle your residents aspire to. Here are just a few adjectives to get you started:
- Luxury
- Comfort
- Outdoorsy
- Pet-friendly
- Relaxed
- Natural
- Earthy
- Intelligent
- Playful
- Modern
For each of the words above, what color pops into your mind first? Which colors would you consider the anthesis to each word?
A large body of research has shown that specific colors evoke certain ideas or emotions in most people. While those associations can vary significantly by culture (consider funeral and wedding colors in western countries vs. eastern ones), they remain fairly constant within groups.
For example, as a strong primary color, red attracts a lot of attention. It can signify passion, danger, power and strength. Consider whether the brand marks for Target, Macy’s or Netflix would carry the same strength in any other color.
Brown, in contrast, has much more subdued and quiet tones. It’s a foundational, comforting color. Reminiscent of earth and the ground, brown represents dependability and reliability. A perfect color for UPS or Hershey’s.
The right brand color or colors will speak to your target audience at a gut level.
Multifamily brand colors
When a designer suggests colors for your brand, color psychology will absolutely play a role. Of course, you don’t have to stick to only one brand color – your design team will guide you to a full color palette that complement each other and work together across your branding, from your logo to marketing materials.
Take a look at this color palette we developed for Park Avenue Apartments. A mix of black, gold, and leather tones. The black taps into the sophisticated nature of the property and the location. The brown leather tone adds a warm accent to the palette. The gold lifts it with some swanky appeal and supports the art deco architectural details on the building.
If you look through our client portfolio, you will see a full spectrum of color. Colors can and should vary as much between brands as ice cream flavors. Endless possibilities. You might be more of a salted caramel mocha while another property is a triple berry ripple. You not only want to stand out from the crowd – you want to tell a unique visual story with your colors.
Ready to take your multifamily brand to the next level with the right brand strategy? Reach out to us to learn more.
