Using Color for Your Personal Brand
One of my favorite quotes in Steel Magnolias is, “My colors are blush and bashful.” In the movie, Shelby is describing her wedding colors—which the rest of her family says make the church look like it’s drenched in Pepto Bismol. But Shelby knows one of the best ways to anchor your personal brand is with a signature color or palette.
For a business, it’s easy to incorporate a signature color or a brand color palette, which is usually tied to the logo for that company. A visual branding guide outlines usage of the logo and colors with guidelines like:
- the colors with which the logo is allowed to be reproduced;
- the “safe space” that must surround the logo;
- the colors in the palette described in various ways (typically PMS color book number, CMYK value, RGB value, and hex code for web use);
- appropriate combinations of colors;
- any fonts used in the logo or tagline and their appropriate usage (italic, bold, etc.);
- shapes or other symbols used outside of the logo; and more.
For a personal brand, it’s unlikely that you will create a branding document. But using a specific color in your resume, your personal business cards (yes, this is a thing), and even in your wardrobe can help make you memorable. Imagine when you show up for a job interview wearing a shirt that’s the same color used within your resume. The interviewer might not realize it at the time, but you’re sending a subliminal message to remember you when they’re reviewing your resume later.
My signature color, you ask? Well I gravitate toward anything in the turquoise-teal range. My office is painted in Sherwin Williams’ “Little Blue Box” and my company logo is PMS 7472, which is a similar Tiffany blue-green color. Ironic, because I’ve neither set foot in a Tiffany’s nor have I ever owned anything from there. Any willing participants want to remedy that? 🙂