Tech giant Google studies the use of colour in business

Google is one of the major US corporations researching the power of color in the working world, in everything from workspaces to marketing and branding.

Google is one of the major US corporations researching the power of color in the working world, in everything from workspaces to marketing and branding.

Meghan Casserly, spokeswoman for the US-based organisation built around the popular search engine, says Google is still early in its research but has already found "a clear link between colour and satisfaction with a person's work area," which in turn can boost employee creativity and productivity.

Elyria Kemp, an assistant professor of marketing at the University of New Orleans, says there's more competition than ever for time and attention, and colour is "the silent salesperson."

"We have so much stimuli in the environment," she said." That's why it's so important to have those distinctive colours that really stand out." Kemp is following colour trends in business and conducting her own research on the link between emotions and colour. She said she's also looking at what colours consumers associate with certain services, such as transportation, health care, banks and financial services.

Kemp said when consumers make an evaluation of a product offering, typically they do this within 90 seconds or less, and more than half of their initial assessment is based on colour alone.

That's why so many companies are researching their colour choices and trademarking the colours consumers have come to associate with their products, such as UPS's Pullman brown, Home Depot's vibrant orange and Tiffany & Co's distinct blue.