Fall is official and fourth quarter is fast approaching on October 1. This can be a chaotic time of year for businesses and organizations as they are challenged with balancing various priorities including year-end campaigns, auditing, employee reviews and more. It can be so overwhelming that strategic planning for the year ahead gets put off or left behind. Developing your marketing strategy in Q4 is a sure way to finish the year strong.

As the newest member of the KMK team, I find myself in first impression mode as I engage with my new colleagues and introduce myself to the firm’s clients. More than a remarkable resume, intriguing business card or firm handshake, strong first impressions stem from solid branding efforts.

I was aware that I wasn’t fond of the color of my office walls at work, but I didn’t realize just how much the color affected me until I recently switched offices. I went from feeling blah and at odds with my palest of gray/green walls to feeling a sense of ease and invigoration within the bright and warm beige refuge of my new office. Call me crazy, but I believe the paint color of my old office actually frustrated me with its lack of commitment–is it gray or is it green?

Crazy or not, color psychology exists and is a study of hues as a determinant of human behavior. Color psychology has been used by companies for years to improve the moods and reactions of their customers and workers. Looking to reduce stress and fatigue in your work environment? Blue and green hues have been known to create calming environments that are easy on the eyes. Want to stimulate creativity or energize your employees? Yellow and orange hues when chosen correctly can increase productivity. A red hue when used as an accent within an office space can evoke passion and emotion from your employees.

While color psychology and it’s use in the workplace is fascinating, color psychology in marketing and branding is a whole other ball game. Color psychology in marketing and branding is both widely used and widely debated. The reason for this is the margin for error – it is difficult to predict with 100% accuracy any given individual’s response to a color. The application of color psychology to marketing and branding requires an understanding of color theory combined with a good amount of research and a healthy dose of gut instinct. Even with those three things applied, your desired effect for your brand or your product is still at the mercy of consumers' personal preferences.

If you want to learn more about the use of color in marketing and branding, the article “The Psychology of Color in Marketing and Branding” on Entrepreneur.com is a pretty good starting point. Be prepared though, the more you increase your knowledge of the use of color as it applies to the consumer, the more you may drive yourself crazy analyzing your purchasing decisions.

How can I increase my website conversions or site engagement? Or how can I capture a few more email addresses or leads each month through my website? These are challenges marketers ask themselves on a daily basis. One method we have found effective is re-engaging website users with pop-ups that appear based on pre-defined user patterns. This method is called website re-engagement: Re-engagement pop-ups are everywhere these days and most are annoying at best.

Website re-engagement works when done right. And to do it right, evaluating user experience is crucial. Study your analytics to identify user behavior patterns and then set your set behavior criteria conditions. For example, if a visitor shows interest in a particular service or product, but does not take inquiry or purchase action, you can set a condition to display a pop-up offer. Again, the goal is to increase website conversion, whether to sign up for your newsletter, fill out a contact form or complete a purchase.

An important note to remember is Google penalizes websites that implement re-engagement on mobile devices. So, make sure your re-engagement pop-ups are disabled on tablets and phones.

I suggest giving website re-engagement a try to see if it makes sense for your organization and marketing goals. It has worked for KMK and our clients very well under the right conditions.

Website Re-Engagement Case Study

This is not an endorsement for Target or the Cartwheel app but an observation of exceptional marketing.