Color can become your personal brand.

As a reviewer ofPM’s Truck Of The Month submissions, I’ve been wowed by plumbing business owners’ use of color. So many have taken their logos and service vans, transformed them with a punch-up of pizzazz, and ultimately dominated their markets.

I’ve seen hues of lime green in the southeast, orange in the west and east-coast blue. It’s refreshing that plumbers are no longer shackled by plain-white trucks.

As you market your business, and begin to understand the emotional connection your customers have with your company, the right color can play an important role. Being identified by your color is not just for the big guys -- you, too, can own your market by choosing a color that becomes your personal brand.

In his article “True Colors: Using Color to Build Your Brand,”MarketingProfswriter William Arruda says color can be used to express your personal-brand attributes, evoke emotion, and build that all-important connection with the people who surround your brand.

So, heating guys: choose colors that represent your strengths in terms of providing customer comfort. Plumbers: go for water colors (clear blues and energy-efficient greens) that appeal to your clients. How ever you decide to paint your company’s brand, Arruda has the following tips:

Be sure the color you choose is ...
    1. Accurate. Become knowledgeable about what different colors mean. Choose a color that expresses your brand attributes, and avoid choosing a color just because it is your favorite.

    2. Relevant. Ensure it’s compelling to your target audience (the people who are making decisions about you). Test your color choice with your target audience before committing.

    3. Applied consistently. Always use the same shade and hue. Know the PMS, RGB (red, green, blue) and CMYK (cyan, magenta, yellow, key) formulas for the specific shade you choose. Your designer will be able to help, and Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, and InDesign have built-in conversions.

    5. Repetitive. Feature your personal-brand color on all your personal-brand marketing tools (website, business cards, marketing materials, resume, thank-you notes, etc.).

    Read Arruda’s full article here>>


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