Why Blues and Greens Dominate the Health & Wellness Industry
Have you ever wondered why so many health and wellness brands use blue and green in their branding? It’s not just a trend—it’s psychology!
If there's one thing you might have observed about the health and wellness industry—even if you’re not a designer—it's the dominant use of blues and greens in branding. But is it just a persistent design trend, or is there a deeper rationale? Let's take a look at the science behind these calming colors and uncover why they're so common in the health and wellness industry.
Basic Color Psychology
Before we explore the depth of blues and greens, it's essential to understand the basics of color psychology. Colors have an incredible ability to evoke emotions, feelings, and even memories. The right shade can uplift, energize, calm, or even provoke. Over the years, designers, marketers, and scientists alike have studied this relationship between color and human emotion.
In branding, especially in the health and wellness sector, understanding these relationships is crucial. It's not just about choosing a color because it's trendy, it's about selecting a color palette that aligns with a brand's ethos, resonates with its target audience, and invokes the desired emotional response.
So with that said, let's take a deeper look at blue and green and explore the psychology behind these popular colors.
Blue: A Soothing Embrace
Ever wondered why we're drawn to the vastness of the ocean or the expanse of a clear blue sky? Blue, in its many shades, holds a unique place in our psyche. Here are a few examples of what the color blue represents on an emotional, often unconscious, level.
Trust and Dependability: The color blue has a long-standing reputation for evoking feelings of trustworthiness and reliability. When people see blue, it often conjures feelings of stability and dependability, making them more inclined to place their confidence in that business. This association makes blue a strategic choice for brands aiming to foster a sense of security and commitment among their audience.
Calmness and Serenity: Blue is akin to a deep breath. It slows the heart rate, reduces tension, and brings about a sense of tranquility. This feeling is often essential to brands in the wellness space, making blue a go-to choice for brands that want to exude a sense of calm.
Let's take a look at blue in action with these popular health and wellness apps:
Calm: An app known for its relaxation, meditation, and sleep offerings, uses a gentle blue gradient, creating an immediate sense of peace and calmness.
MyFitnessPal: A widely used nutrition tracking tool, uses a vibrant blue to evoke feelings of clarity and control.
Fitbit: A health tracker, uses a teal shade of blue in its branding, both signifying trust, as well as a sense of clarity and refreshment.
In each of these brands, you'll see that blue isn't just a random pick; it's a conscious color choice to evoke feelings of trust and authenticity with their users. But as you can also see from these examples, there are many ways to use blue that evoke a different emotional response and still allow brands to stand out without looking exactly the same. We'll get to that in a minute!
Green: Nature's Healer
Green isn't just a color—it's an experience. From forest canopies to urban parks, the presence of green in our environment has long been associated with vitality and rejuvenation. Here are a few examples of what the color green represents on an emotional, often unconscious, level.
Connection to Nature: Green, undeniably, links us to the natural world. In wellness, this connection is vital. Nature is a healer, a restorer, and brands aiming to offer holistic health benefits lean into green to establish this link.
Balance and Harmony: Green strikes a balance between the warmth of yellow and the coolness of blue. It brings about equilibrium, a feeling that is treasured in the pursuit of health.
Let's take a look at green in action with these popular health and wellness brands:
Hello Fresh: This meal kit delivery service emphasizes fresh, healthy ingredients. Their green logo and branding underscore the freshness and natural origins of their products, reinforcing the idea of health, wholesomeness, and home-cooked goodness.
Seventh Generation: While primarily known for eco-friendly household products, Seventh Generation also delves into personal care items. Their brand employs a leafy green to underscore their dedication to environmental consciousness and natural ingredients.
Whole Foods Market: This grocery chain, known for its organic and natural products, incorporates a dark shade of green in its branding. The green reflects the company's commitment to natural ingredients, organic farming, and sustainability.
Drawing from all the lush shades of nature, green serves as a powerful emblem for brands in the health and wellness industry. It's not just about the visual appeal; it's about the feelings and emotions the color elicits—tranquility, balance, and a connection to nature. As health and wellness brands continue to evolve, leveraging the innate power of green helps them communicate their core values and foster a deeper bond with their audience.
Standing Out in a Sea of Blues and Greens
It's undeniable. The health and wellness industry has an affinity for the (often) calming vibes of blues and greens and it’s not going anywhere! Yet, when these hues dominate the industry, a challenge emerges:
How can your brand stand out without nixing blue or green from your color palette entirely?
It's not just about choosing a color; it's about crafting an entire visual narrative that resonates with your brand's core values and voice. Here at Modern Shift Studio, we're well-versed in helping brands navigate these waters. Whether it's through nuanced shade variations, complementary color pairings, or innovative design strategies, your brand can not only fit into the health and wellness space, but truly shine and captivate.
Let’s break down the strategies we use to make sure your brand identity accurately reflects your values AND differentiates itself within your industry.
Shades and Tints Matter
In branding, colors are so much more than just visual elements; they're powerful communicators. Consider the color spectrum, from a deep, contemplative navy to the refreshing lightness of a sky blue. Or the journey from the rich, grounding hue of forest green to the rejuvenating touch of a soft mint. Every shade or tint within this spectrum isn't chosen merely for its visual appeal. Instead, it carries a weight of emotion, context, and story.
Think: Fitbit's energizing teal vs. the Calm app's soft blue gradient.
When a brand selects a particular shade, they're (ideally) making a conscious decision to evoke specific feelings in their audience. The difference between a navy and a sky blue isn't just about personal preference—it's about the depth of trust versus the breath of openness. Similarly, a forest green might represent stability and organic growth, while mint suggests freshness and modernity.
Brands in the health and wellness space, in particular, must tread this colorful path with care. Your audience isn’t just looking for particular services; they're seeking experiences, emotions, and connections. By understanding and utilizing the nuances of color, your brand can craft a visual identity that resonates deeply and authentically with your community.
Complementary Colors
When it comes to crafting a color palette for your brand, it’s essential to think outside the box. While it may make sense to include a blue or green hue, pairing this with unexpected complementary colors can introduce a refreshing visual twist, ensuring your brand doesn’t just blend into the wellness landscape but truly stands out and makes your brand instantly more memorable.
For instance, a deep blue paired with a vibrant coral or a muted green paired with a soft rose can make for striking visual combinations. And unique color combinations don't just provide a visual contrast—they tell a more dynamic brand story.
Patterns and Textures
Beyond color, there are other tools you can use to differentiate your visual identity from other brands. Try incorporating patterns or textures that resonate with your brand story. Picture the rhythmic movement of ocean waves, symbolizing consistency and depth. Or consider the intricate grain of wood, speaking to organic growth and groundedness. Even abstract geometrical shapes can offer a contemporary edge, symbolizing clarity and innovation.
Typography
We are obsessed with typography at Modern Shift Studio! This could be another entire blog post or two itself (and eventually it will be!) but to quickly summarize—we believe that type isn't merely text. It's a visual articulation of your brand's essence, personality, and values. In fact, we spend just as much time (if not more!) choosing brand fonts for our clients as we do crafting color palettes.
So, while typography might seem like a small detail to some, it can play a HUGE role in setting your brand apart! With that in mind, rather than defaulting to the usual suspects in the font world (looking at you, Helvetica!), opt for ones that align with your brand voice. Whether your brand resonates with the elegance of flowing script fonts or asserts its presence with bold, contemporary typefaces, your typography can be a game-changer.
Storytelling
Colors, patterns, and typography can set the mood, but your brand story sets the context. It's not just about what you do or how you do it—it's about why you're so passionate about it! In a world filled with flashy logos and catchy taglines, authenticity still reigns supreme. Ensure that your narrative is compelling, genuine, and value-aligned.
When you fuse your authentic story with a strong color palette and design, you're crafting more than just a brand. You're creating a feeling, a connection, and an unforgettable vibe.
Greenwashing and the Need for Brand Authenticity
While design trends come and go, the appeal of blues and greens in the wellness industry is timeless. Their calming effect isn't just a passing fad; it’s deeply rooted in our physiology and psychology. And it's no secret that using blues and greens combined with natural visual elements, like leaves, unconsciously signals certain values, such as eco-consciousness and sustainability.
And so, it must also be said that value alignment is everything when it comes to crafting your visual brand identity. Unfortunately, too many companies have taken advantage of color psychology and use their branding to attract conscious consumers by conveying values that they don't actually practice.
This is why we place such high value on our brand strategy process at our studio. We believe colors are more than mere aesthetic choices. In the health and wellness industry, they become silent ambassadors of your brand's values and intent. That’s why our process revolves around creating visual brand identities that are firmly rooted in a brand's purpose and values.
Your brand is a powerful tool to attract value-aligned clients. So, while blues and greens have a magnetic allure in the wellness industry, remember that it's not just about the color, but how you use it. Lean into what makes your brand unique, whether it's your origin story, the services you offer, or the people you serve, and let that guide your color choices and design strategies.
