Using Colour as a Psychological Trigger in your Exhibition Stand

When it comes to designing an exhibition stand and planning the marketing of a product at an exhibition, it is important to appreciate that every seemingly small decision or nuanced change is likely to have a significant impact on potential and existing customers. To understand why this is, it is important for businesses to learn about the psychology surrounding aspects such as colour.

How Colour Impacts Psychology and Emotions

Different colour shades are associated with different emotions, for example, if you want to convey a feeling of high quality and prestige, gold is an excellent option. Every hue has a certain associated feeling, and you can use those associations to your advantage in your exhibition stand.

Black for strength

Black is a very powerful hue and is associated with physical and emotional strength. As it is such a commanding colour it is usually reserved as an accent for a display. It works well as a colour for text especially when paired with a high-contrast background.

White for security and comfort

White does not evoke strong emotions; it is a pristine hue that suggests security and comfort. Anything can be built upon a white surface. It is one of the most common colours for the background of exhibition stands because any colour stands out when printed on top of it.

Grey for neutrality and grounding

Grey is best used to accent other colours and to ground more vibrant hues. Grey is also a very popular background colour, especially as an alternative to more common background colours like white.

Red for excitement and vibrancy

Red is the classic hue that grabs the eye. Whether it is bright or muted, red always creates excitement and vibrancy and can even stimulate hunger. Red is a great colour for drawing attention. Red can be used in an exhibition stand so that it jumps out and draws the eye of visitors. It shines when used for text, or as a highlight in logos and photos.

Blue for calmness and trust

Blue is very calming. There have been scientific studies, which actually show that blue causes the body to produce calming chemicals. Blue indicates that a company is stable and loyal and offering the same benefits as black but with a wider variety of shades. While many displays are themed red, black or other bold colours to grab attention; colour psychology has proved that light blue promotes a sense of trust.

Green for nature and money

Green has similar effects to blue, but with some additional associations. It is associated with trees and other natural features and in America with money. It is a very comfortable colour and also a good choice to use as a base colour for exhibition stands because of the variety of green hues available. It also can be used tone-on-tone. Dark green looks very effective with a lighter mint, and provides an eye-catching alternative to white, black, and grey.

Yellow for sunshine and warmth

Yellow is a sunny, happy colour, and it always elevates the mood of those in its presence. However, it is also a very bright colour and can overwhelm in the same way that red can. Lighter shades can be more effective as that won’t be so stimulating. Even a dilute yellow can have a strong impact, but lightly tinted shades can also make a great choice as a background colour.

Orange for fun

It’s the hue to use when you want to be silly, or to appeal to your buyers’ inner child. It is not a colour that will make your visitors calm, but can be a great accent for displays. Yellow and blue can be good complements to orange.

Purple for respect

Purple is the colour of royalty, and it still carries that association today. Purple makes visitors to your exhibition stand feel like you are in command, and adds an air of respect to your company and products. Purple looks dynamic when combined with colours such as blue and yellow, which can lighten it and accentuate its rich tones.

Use the colour wheel to make your decision

One of the most popular options nowadays is to put together a conservative colour and a vibrant colour, for example, opting for bright yellow and grey. This creates a perfect balance. The bright colour attracts all of the attention, whilst the conservative colour keeps things professional

Using the Colour Wheel can help in finding the right colour combination. To create a bold vibe, choose two colours that are opposite each other. However, for something more subtle and calming, colours that are next to each other on the wheel are the best to go for.

Lighting

If an exhibition hall is not over lit, it is possible to further trigger psychological effects in potential customers through lighting. Dim lights trick the brain into

switching to relaxation mode as well as encourage creativity. This benefits the brand on two different levels; first a potential customer in a creative mood will view the merchandise with a more open-minded approach, seeing more than one purpose and thus increasing the odds of making a purchase. Secondly, customers will take the good feelings triggered in their brain home with them, associating it with the product.

Yellow and red lights trick the brain into feeling cheerful and as a result, the brain will be encouraged to subconsciously associate cheerful feelings with your brand and merchandise.

Learn More with Smart Display

Taking a business to an exhibition or trade show is a large investment in time, energy and money and therefore needs to be carefully planned in order to maximise that investment. Careful consideration of psychological triggers will enable a company to engage potential and existing clients using positive emotional stimuli. In the use of particular colours and shapes in the stand design itself through to staff clothing and the promotional material on display, signals are being sent to observers.

Designing an exhibition stand that communicates the message you want to convey is a multi-faceted affair and guidance in this can be provided by contacting us today.