Corporate Color Identity Means Business
By Jane Han
Staff Reporter
Samsung vs. LG, Wal-Mart vs. Target, Coca-Cola vs. Pepsi _ not only are these pairs long-standing rivals, but they also face off on the opposite side of the color wheel.
Red and blue, experts say, are the most popular corporate identity (CI) colors among top global firms, as runner-up companies often chase after the front player with a different image strategy.
``So, as Wal-Mart goes blue, Target brands itself in red, and likewise, while Coca-Cola is red, Pepsi means blue,'' said brand strategist Lee Hwa-jun of Cheil Communications.
But of the two unlike colors, Naseem Javid, the author of ``Naming for Power and Domain Wars,'' says that blue is the most common color used in corporate business and liberally used by all types of technology companies, including Dell and IBM.
And business consultant and founder of unconsulting.com David Newman agrees that blue is the color of the corporate world, emphasizing that ``it connotes stability and confidence _ the darker the shade, the greater the trust.''
Local firms seem to side with that, as more than half of top 40 local firms, including Samsung, POSCO, KT, Kyobo, Korean Air, Hanjin Shipping, Shinhan Bank and Hyundai Motor, color themselves blue.
However, just because they have like colors doesn't mean they play up the same image.
Samsung's blue represents the environment, while Woori Bank's symbolizes a hopeful future and POSCO's navy shade implies ambition and progressiveness.
``A CI color is a crucial representation that a corporation usually decides to stick with forever,'' said Lee of Cheil, adding that although many firms facelift their CI, the color scheme remains the same because it leaves such a last impression on consumers.
SK Group, he said, was an exemplary firm that kept the color, but upped the image with a moderate CI alteration.
``The red and orange colors with the butterfly gives off a friendly, approachable look,'' Lee said, which is also what LG's red color aims at.
``The company's main red shade symbolizes friendliness and a strong impression of LG's commitment to deliver the best,'' a company spokesman said.
Among the top tier local firms, LG, SK, Shinsegae and Hynix are those that dipped itself in red or orange.
``Red and orange command attention,'' said Newman of unconsulting.com, as he described their positives as showing energy, accessibility, speed, strength, power and vibrancy. But aside from the prevailing two shades, other colors have their unique definitions, too.
He says brown says reliability, endurance and stability, purple shows royalty and richness, green is associated with growth and nature, black is a powerful neutral, white is precision and simplicity, while yellow is uplifting and imaginative.
Bearing this in mind, Lee, the brand strategist, emphasizes that companies can maximize branding efforts just through color, even without any fancy design.
``Apple's iPod keeps its edge despite its competitive rivals. Why?'' he said. ``Experts credit the brand's image of white to be the winning factor. It works with all cultures worldwide.''
Similarly, Lee explained that global oil company British Petroleum recently added yellow to its famous green color logo to implement the company's dedication to renewable energy.
``S-Oil seems to be pulling off a similar attempt, but we'll see how successful it turns out,'' he said, adding that colors seem to be just a set few, but companies can do wonders with a palette.