*Janis Cannon, SVP, Upscale Brands, Choice Hotels International
Lorraine Francis: I’ve been doing some initial research on the biological and psychological effects that color has on people and how we can take advantage of that, especially in hospitality, and I’m so interested in your point of view.
Janis Cannon: Thanks, I’m happy to have the conversation with you. From working on Cambria Hotels, you know that you always start with a design philosophy and color is a big part of how that design philosophy is brought to life.
COLOR IN BRANDING
LF: Why does color matter so much for brands in general and how do they tend to think about color?
JC: Often, brands use color to define their purpose. UPS brown is about reliability and dependability and McDonald’s red and yellow are about energy and fueling up. The yellow of their golden arches is also a statement of consistency and quality. Luxury brands also define themselves with color associations- Tiffany’s robin’s egg blue speaks to the fragility of love and Hermes orange elegantly shouts, “I’ve made it”.
It’s interesting how Hermes orange is not far from road crew orange cones and markers, yet it means something completely different when associated with a brand’s positioning. Hermes has been able to make it mean something quite extraordinary in the luxury space and create such a strong legacy brand of quality. This same orange can manage to live in two spaces with different branding positions.
LF: Yes, some other brand associated colors that come to mind are Fanta’s orange, which is a different tone then Hermes and feels confident and fun, Apple’s gray and white, which feels neutral and calm, and Whole Foods’ green, which suggests trust and well-being.
JC: In terms of retail, Apple is a great example. It’s a company that’s built on creativity and innovation and they use so much white space. White space is the opportunity, the blank canvas for you to be able to create and innovate.
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