A holiday workshop on promotion

                COLORS

The importance of an appropriate selection of colors in the implementation of promotional projects is obvious to any expert in the field of image-building. Stylists and specialists in practical marketing long ago appreciated a vital role colors play in our everyday life. The career of blue in Polish political campaigns, which started for good in 1995, aroused interest in those techniques of visual creation used in advertising and in some areas of public relations. People started to inquire: why blue and not another color? On what occasions and in what way should we select colors? How can we benefit from this?

Ancient Egyptians discovered blue dye while they were trying to make glass. At that time blue symbolized divinity, truth and integrity. Not accidentally the symbolic nature of this color reappeared later in the cult of the Virgin Mary. In Great Britain it was used in the ceremony of marriage. As democratic systems, and consequently political marketing, were developing, politicians in their attempts to win over the biggest numbers of voters, turned to blue, for centuries associated with spiritual values, aspirations and the sense of duty. To illustrate, a blue-eyed person wearing a blue shirt/blouse or appearing against a blue background will be perceived by most of us as loyal, honest and orderly. However, blue does not suit everbody. It all depends on our general appearance (so called 'color type') our complexion, hair color, figure and even on a part of the day or a season. Moreover, the color will not work for us forever. Its overuse may raise some doubts in the public and be treated by them with disbelief.

Another color equally exploited in promotional campaigns is red. Although 45 years of communism in Poland for some time effectively changed our perception of this color and its attractiveness, recently it has been noticeably gaining popularity - interestingly enough, also in politics. Historically, color red symbolized life, providing a contrast to black, most frequently associated with death. The symbolic use of red and black dates back as far as the Stone Age and can be seen in the ornamentation of graves from that period. This ancient symbolic contrast was later on repeated in China, where oriental culture assigned red to a marriage ceremony. In modern times radicals most eagerly used red. Slogans of social equality were inscribed on red, proletariat flags. Nevertheless, this connection is not a rule, as red also appears in the context of Christian Democrats worldwide, for instance, in Poland five years ago a presidential candidate Hanna Gronkiewicz-Walz made public appearances in a red suit.

Black, mentioned here as a symbol of death, does not always represent it. Black clothes create an impression of tradition and respect, which was first used in the design of formal evening dress. Black is very often, by contrast, combined with white, which, in turn, has symbolized virginity since the times of ancient Greeks and nowadays also flawlessness. Black and white, being on two opposite ends of the color spectrum, are connected with the scale of color brightness and with light. The skillful use of light offers additional possibilities of application of all other colors through achieving their different intensity.

The exclusive character has been preserved since a very long time by carmine and purple. Both colors were distinctive to nobility and clergy. Purple generated respect and provided the sense of dignity while carmine, because of its very expensive production, represented splendor and wealth of its owner. Worth noticing is the surprisingly limited occurence of purple, which helps in creating the impression of possessing creative powers.

Yellow, brown and green constitute another group of colors, this time dominating in the natural world around us. Since green evokes in us pleasant associations with the nature, brown with earth, and yellow with the sun, a professional image-builder will use these associations in his work. And although green long ago became a distictive symbol of peasant activists, it does not prevent people, even those not interested in politics, from appreciating the feeling of peace and tradition brought up by this color. Politicians should remember that green also helps to achieve the impression of meticulousness, while brown creates a specific aura of stability. Unfortunately, yellow elements in clothes or in other aspects of marketing and self-presentation often irritate our senses. However, sometimes this can be an intended effect. Yellow is yet another 'wedding' color - in India women chase away evil spirits with it. Colors of nature, most often mixed together (what is perceived in Poland as a rather not too sophisticated style of a fair) are appreciated in Latin America. Pherhaps that is why the Cuban leader, Fidel Castro, has not given up his camouflage jacket.

Generally speaking, some colors are common in one culture but not necessarily so in another. Pink, for example, is much more popular in the United States than it is in Europe, where blue is preferred. Pink owes its American career to women, perceiving it as neutralizing aggression. As, at the end of the 50-ies female electorate started to gain importance and politicians tried hard to win their votes, pink triggered the development of political marketing in the US.

Fashion in colors depends not only on a continent but also on a decade. In the 60-ies and 70-ies, liberal political and social attitudes were manifested through golden brown, yellow bahama and khaki fabrics of natural origin such as corduroy or swede (as in the public image of Mieczyslaw Rakowski, the last communist Polish Prime Minister). In the 80-ies, in the communist Poland, blue jeans of a marble-like pattern, made in Turkey, symbolized the West, but after the transformation of the political system were replaced by better quality clothes.

Wrong colors, especially in the case of clothes, give an impression of disarray and weariness. They often contradict our social role - it is enough to recall here the example of Ewa Spychalska, the then head of a nation-wide trade union OPZZ, who wearing a white hat and a white suit participated in the negotiations with the government or in the talks with workers. In order to improve the final effect of image-building it is worth considering two more colors with positive associations, namely turqoise and raspberry red. The former usually instantly prompts warmth, love and sympathy - the emotions which most of us look for all our lives, even if we do not admit it. And who wouldn't like to support a gentle, caring and protective politician, whose 'raspberry image' from the campaign would, even for a moment, help each of us feel better.

Last but not least, one more important remark - if we have decided for a change of an image, we should devote enough time to it. Otherwise, our actions will bring the effect contrary to the intended one, and we will lose credibility. There are different opinions as to the minimum time period needed for a color transformation. To illustrate, in the United States the change of a VIP's image takes at least two years, while in Poland so far only a few weeks or, at best, a few months. However, if we want to play it safe, it is better to assume that the more time we will spend to fulfill our task, the better effects we will achieve. What is more, it is always better to rely on experts in this matter.

A paper prepared by the KREATOR IMAGE-BUILDING company: American-type Polish public-relations firm. Established in 1997. The company specializes in political marketing and impresario-type activities benefiting VIPs.
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