Go through any catalogue and all you see is Black - from chairs, to desks, to portfolios, to staplers, to pens - everything is in Black. Now Black is fine colour........er' shade. It denotes strength and power. But really - are all your customers only interested in Black?
Which begs the question, who is the typical Office Product buyer? A whole lot of product merchandising decisions are being made by people like me - "White, Middle Aged Males". However I would argue that the typical OP commercial buyer is probably someone a whole lot younger and more than likely female. So shouldn't our product decisions take into account the buying demographic? Have there been any studies done that outline what this consumer wants and is attracted too? Do they really want Black and only Black? Or perhaps they might like Red or Green or Purple or some other colour in the spectrum.
Did you know that all colours have a specific meaning and bring to mind certain traits? It's something to keep in mind when choosing what colours you want to feature in your products.
The spectrum:
Yellow - is the color of sunshine. It's associated with joy, happiness, intellect, and energy.
Yellow produces a warming effect, arouses cheerfulness, stimulates mental activity, and generates muscle energy. Yellow is often associated with food. Bright, pure yellow is an attention getter, which is the reason taxicabs are painted this color. In heraldry, yellow indicates honor and loyalty.
Use yellow to evoke pleasant, cheerful feelings.
Orange - is associated with joy, sunshine, and the tropics. Orange represents enthusiasm, fascination, happiness, creativity, determination, attraction, success, encouragement, and stimulation.
To the human eye, orange is a very hot color, so it gives the sensation of heat. Nevertheless, orange is not as aggressive as red. Orange increases oxygen supply to the brain, produces an invigorating effect, and stimulates mental activity. It is highly accepted among young people. As a citrus color, orange is associated with healthy food and stimulates appetite. Orange is the color of fall and harvest. In heraldry, orange is symbolic of strength and endurance.
Red - is a very emotionally intense color. Red is the color of fire and blood, so it is associated with energy, war, danger, strength, power, determination as well as passion, desire, and love. It enhances human metabolism, increases respiration rate, and raises blood pressure. It has very high visibility, which is why stop signs, stoplights, and fire equipment are usually painted red. In heraldry, red is used to indicate courage. It is a color found in many national flags. This color is also commonly associated with energy.
Green - is the color of nature. It symbolizes growth, harmony, freshness, and fertility. Green has strong emotional correspondence with safety. Dark green is also commonly associated with money.
Green has great healing power. It is the most restful color for the human eye; it can improve vision. Green suggests stability and endurance. In heraldry, green indicates growth and hope. Green means safety; it is the color of free passage in road traffic.
Blue - is the color of the sky and sea. It is often associated with depth and stability. It symbolizes trust, loyalty, wisdom, confidence, intelligence, faith, truth, and heaven. Blue is considered beneficial to the mind and body. It slows human metabolism and produces a calming effect. Blue is strongly associated with tranquility and calmness. In heraldry, blue is used to symbolize piety and sincerity. As opposed to emotionally warm colors like red, orange, and yellow; blue is linked to consciousness and intellect. Blue is a masculine color; according to studies, it is highly accepted among males. Dark blue is associated with depth, expertise, and stability; it is a preferred color for corporate America.
Purple - combines the stability of blue and the energy of red. Purple is associated with royalty. It symbolizes power, nobility, luxury, and ambition. It conveys wealth and extravagance. Purple is associated with wisdom, dignity, independence, creativity, mystery, and magic.
According to surveys, almost 75 percent of pre-adolescent children prefer purple to all other colors. Purple is a very rare color in nature; some people consider it to be artificial.
White - is associated with light, goodness, innocence, purity, and virginity. It is considered to be the color of perfection. White means safety, purity, and cleanliness. As opposed to black, white usually has a positive connotation. White can represent a successful beginning. In heraldry, white depicts faith and purity.
Black - is associated with power, elegance, formality, death, evil, and mystery.
Black is a mysterious color associated with fear and the unknown. It usually has a negative connotation (blacklist, black humor, 'black death'). Black denotes strength and authority; it is considered to be a very formal, elegant, and prestigious color. In heraldry, black is the symbol of grief.
Source: http://www.color-wheel-pro.com/color-meaning.html
Lots of colours to consider and each one gives your product a specific meaning. Not every car on the road is Black so why should every office product be Black?
Here some examples of Colour that can brighten up any Office:
Tombow Mono Retro Correction Tapes - Aqua, Kiwi, Rose and Lavender
Or why not add a little "whimsy" to your product choices? Everybody needs a USB drive, why not make a personal statement with these fun 8GB drives?
Your customers are individuals - so let them express themselves! Doctors, Nurses, Golfers, Runners, Fashionistas, Music Aficionados, - they're all covered, plus many more styles to choose from.
Not everyone wants just Black - so keep that in mind when making your product choices.
