Generational Attitudes Toward Color Colors convey meaning and can a ect people’s perceptions about your brand. According to HubSpot, color alone can increase brand awareness and recognition by as much as 80%. Colors are used to establish mood, style, and tone – but did you know they can be used to strategically market to di erent age groups? While you are building the personas of your target audience, you may want to consider these generational attitudes in your printed piece. Use the guide below to better understand di erent generations color preferences and how color psychology comes into play. Baby Boomers Prefer Neutral and Classic Colors The Baby Boomer generation was born between the late 1940s and early 1960s and according to Statista, holds 51.8% of the wealth in the United States. Many color experts and designers have found that “mature” color palettes resonate best with this generation because they feel more functional, practical and comfortable. These colors include beige, gray, and dark or muted variations of blue, orange, brown and red. Beige and gray are Long regarded as “boring” colors, but they can represent comfort, stability and reliability – all ideals that Baby Boomers hold near and dear. Darker shades of blue have represented things like trust and loyalty – which is why they are so popular as brand colors for healthcare, legal and nancial institutions. Gen X Likes the Basics with a Touch of Bold Generation X was born between 1965 and 1980. Long overshadowed by marketers (who are focused on millennials and Generation Z), they own around 25% of American wealth (according to Statista). This means they have signi cant purchasing power. Like Baby Boomers, Generation X appreciates a muted color palette – but also embraces bolder, more globally-inspired colors including shades of green, red and purple. These richer colors capture Gen Xers' attention because they create excitement and energy. Gen X loves shades of green because they feel organic and restful to the eye. (This generation also grew up with avocado green appliances, so a since of nostalgia could come into play!) Often associated with excitement or passion, red is a strong color and is heavily present in industrial and corporate branding (like Coca-Cola and McDonalds).
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