As we’ve discussed before, even the simplest detail plays a critical role in how well your chiropractic practice’s “brand” communicates the “who, what and why” of what you do within your practice.
For example, the colors you choose as part of your branding plays an important role in your branding because the use of color has a measurable effect on people.
Color plays a powerful subconscious role – especially when it comet to your web site. The colors used make the first impression upon your visitor. The color sets the “tone” for the content of your web site or blog. Before your visitor has a chance to read a single word – the colors used on your web site or blog are already hard at work, shaping your visitor’s perception of your practice.
There’s more to the “art” of color psychology than might originally meet the eye. Different cultures interpret colors differently. For example, in Japan – white is the color of mourning while in the United States, we dress brides in white to symbolize purity.
So where in the world you (or more importantly – your patients) are affects which colors you use to carry your intended message.
For the sake of simplicity,we’re going to use the color red with a United States point of view.
Ah – the color red. When you hear “red” – what do you think? Blood? Fire? Danger?
Without even seeing the color – the word alone conjures images and emotion.
This is a “pure” clear red…ff0000.
This shade of red is the shade used for stop signs and it’s used for a reason. This shade of red literally GRABS your visual attention.
If you’re thinking – “Hey! My branding elements should be pure red then! I really want to capture people’s attention” – STOP! It’s not that easy.
Too much of this clear, strong shade can easily overwhelm a web visitor. Red is best used as an accent on the web.
Have you ever noticed how FEW products you see that use this strong red color in their branding? Ever wonder why that it?
While it’s true that red does capture attention – it also carries a message.
Think for a moment of the big brands that you’ve seen which use this shade of red. This shade of red is used by such corporate giants as McDonalds and Coca Cola.
Clearance sale tags are often this shade of red because one of the messages carried by this shade of red – while subtle – is “this is inexpensive”.
When it comes to a soft drink – or fast food – inexpensive is a good thing. However, you have to ask yourself – is this a message you want to send about your chiropractic practice?
However, when it comes to red – you’ve got a lot of options.
Take for example this shade of red. This shade of red has enough blue mixed in to change the message this red sends. It doesn’t carry the same meaning as the clear, clean shade of red above.
This “red” is a much better choice for the professional who wants to give the impression of high class and quality.
If the color block above looks brown – it’s probably because of the display settings on your computer monitor.
Yes, another “joy” of using the internet to market your chiropractic practice is that different computers will display content differently. So if you look at your web site on a computer at the library for example – you might see something much different than you’re used to seeing at home or in your office.
You may see “pink” when you see this red – but this is also another shade of red. It’s obvious that this shade of red obviously carries a completely different message than either of the two reds featured above.
Pink is “girly” and childish. Pink is probably the BEST example of how color can be used to communicate a lot of marketing message without saying a single word.
As you can see – there’s a lot to consider when choosing the color for your branding. Which is why it’s essential to think about who your target audience is and what you’re wanting to communicate.
Ah – and in case you hadn’t thought of it before now – your “branding” should be carried from your marketing and advertising messages and into your signage and even your waiting room.
“Branding” is the visual identity of your practice – and as such it needs to occupy more than just your advertising messages.
For example, if your practice is geared towards families with children – then you may want to choose a primary color palate for your branding. When joined by similar shades of blue and yellow – the crisp, clear shade of red we talked about earlier can shift it’s meaning from “cheap” to “child friendly”.
