Google Researching Use of Color in Business

Google has its hand in just about everything, from mapping the world to creating automated cars. Now, the Internet giant has embarked on a project involving color research with regards to emotions and psychology that can improve workplace performance. Studies about colors in business have been done before, but not under the auspices of a company that specializes in data mining.

Stacey Plaisance of The Associated Press reports Google is still early in its color research. However, it has already found a link between satisfaction with a person's work space and the colors someone uses. The reason Google started its research is simple. Competition for money is fierce, and the Internet company wants every advantage it can get. Google also wants to show other businesses what colors can do. There will be a price for that information, of course.

Elyria Kemp, associated professor of marketing at the University of New Orleans, told the AP color is the "silent salesperson." Customers decide within 90 seconds if they are going to buy something. More than half that 90 seconds takes into account a color scheme. Companies invest thousands of dollars to make the color connection because of brand marketability. Home Depot's orange, Tiffany blue, Coca-Cola red and the brown of UPS are all colors inextricably linked to those brands.

Google's color research, combined with its massive data cache, can take colors in business one step further. Imagine Google advertisements that predict what you will need next after picking out a tan-colored suit. Get ready to buy a tie with the correct complementary colors. Interior design advertisements can point you to the proper formal placemats to match the dinnerware you just bought for Thanksgiving dinner. Furniture galleries can tinker with color schemes on Google's website to get the most effective layout. All of this color research comes with a mobile application, so consumers and businesses can take this data on the go.

Colors, and their effects on consumers, have been well documented. Blue characterizes trust, which is why banks have this motif in their logos. Red helps impulse buys. Women's clothing stores use pink to draw their customers into the place. Even black makes an impression because color research shows hardly any companies use completely dark colors to sell products. Colors mix together to manipulate sellers subconsciously without a second thought as to why.

Color is such an important aspect of branding that some companies have sued over the use of similar-looking logos. Ambrit sued Kraft foods over a royal blue logo on frozen food packaging, and Campbell Soup filed litigation against Armour for using red and white colors on soup can labels. U.S. courts have ruled contrarily in color-based lawsuits with regards to color schemes and copyright protection.

Color research is nothing new. Green means envy, red connotes love and yellow stands for fear. Google's foray into this type of data is just another way the Internet corporation shows it wants to rule the world someday, if it does not already.

Photo courtesy of Lemuel Cantos at Flickr.com