This BrandingWire challenge is from a color consultant. What is a color consultant, you say? Read on, see how Rachel describes her business and her need to gain broader exposure, then give your advice in the comments. All marketers are welcome to pitch in with their ideas and counsel!
Background:
With a fine arts background, I painted pet portraits for several years, capturing the personality of each pet by utilizing color psychology. (http://www.rperls.com) This was a natural segue into color consulting. Now, I’m an independent color consultant, specializing in helping small business owners realize the full potential of color in their branding strategy. I also assist in the incorporation of brand colors into work and sales environments.
Current Status:
Having recently completed extensive training and certification through the International Association of Color Consultants, (http://iaccna.org) I’ve got the education, but need to get the word out about my services. I also author a blog about color, but haven’t figured out how to best utilize it as a venue for getting work. (http://hueconsulting.blogspot.com) Additionally, I’ve developed a detailed questionnaire to analyze businesses and determine their appropriate color/color palette, and would like to offer this as an online service. Since I am relocating to another state in less than a year, it seems like a better use of my time to focus my efforts online.
Goal:
I want to be known as the go-to consultant for small businesses looking to harness the marketing power of color. As a newcomer to the market, gaining credibility and establishing a name for myself is essential to success. The question is, with so many options out there, how do I develop this business to make it a viable endeavor?
OK, you bloggers/marketers. BrandingWire exists so you can show off your expertise in very tangible ways. What questions do you have that you’d ask Rachel? How would you help her, or someone in a position like hers, to grow the business? Get the conversation rolling in the Comments!
I think it is worth asking the question whether the typical small (or even medium) sized business owner has enough awareness of “color” as a value proposition to part with dollars for a color consultant. I have my doubts. Seems to me that the ones tuned in to the role of color in marketing and design are those who work in agencies that do larger-scale work – these designers “get” color, whereas the average person on the street probably does not. Are you determined to promote yourself directly to business people, Rachel, or does it make more sense to carve out a niche as a subcontracting expert for agencies who will better understand your value and your work?
Steve,
Good point; the average person certainly doesn’t seem to have an understanding of the marketing power of color. If more business owners knew that color increases brand recognition by up to 80 percent, perhaps they’d be more receptive.
With that said, I’m relatively flexible in terms of whom I market to- I’d just like to find a niche to fill where my services and expertise are needed and appreciated.
Hmmm. I have one person in my blogroll specialized in color consulting: Gretchen Schauffler at http://blog.devinecolor.com/ and http://www.devinecustom.com/
She sells her own paint, consulting services, color tools, and more. You might get some creative ideas for personal branding, positioning, and perhaps some unique products you could sell in the long run. Ultimately, it would be a pallette of creative services and products that reflects your passion and interests.
Interesting conversation. I’m not as knowledgeable of color as I might be – perhaps because I work with such a wide variety of clients and sites – with most having established brands. If I were to call a color consultant, though, it would probably be in the event I was called to assist with a ‘family’ of products.
Imagine a shampoo manufacturer who has 30 different types of shampoo. Often, aside from the writing on the bottle, there’s nothing that distinguishes each from the other. It seems to me that utilizing color to push certain reactions (dry, oily, etc.) would be an ideal way to increase overall sales and target your product to your audience.
The other might be interior decoration, where there’s a combination of colors used to evoke comfort, sophistication, etc. I believe I ate at a restaurant in Denver that was all orange and black a few years back. It had quite an impact on the volume of the discussion as well as the attitude towards the food. (very artsy… but accepted!)
Of course, 7% of men are color blind, so perhaps there’s also an opportunity for hue consulting.
IMHO, all but the largest of companies would seek this on their own; however, I think there’s a huge opportunity with agencies and design firms (interior design as well). Who wouldn’t want a color consultant on staff.
PS: Please don’t critique my blog
Rachel, have you considered joining the local chapter of CMG [Color Marketing Group] and attending their yearly conference? That would be an excellent way to get plugged in with color forecasters across various organizations and industries.
I like that you are reviewing case studies of well known brands on your blog to demonstrate your knowledge.
You might focus on companies in the area you will be moving to and learn as much as possible about them and the area.
Have you considered working with animal hospitals or veterarians to combine your pet portrait background with color consulting?
My blog lists many color/trend related resources that you might look into for ideas on how each has carved out an area of expertise.
Good luck!
Thanks for all your great suggestions so far! Some really great ideas.
I wanted to add a little clarification here about my area of expertise.
There are actually two very different approaches to color design in my industry. CMG as well as other similar organizations, is focused on trends, with the motto “Color Sells, and the ‘Right’ Color Sells Better”. My philosophy and training, however, is based on the integration of art and science, the functional application of color and the human response. So, my multi-disciplinary approach would include not only aesthetics, but also the psychological, physiological, cultural, etc. impact on the human experience.
Rachel:
First of all, thanks for opening your business to this posse of pundits. We appreciate the chance of being helpful as we show off a little.
My first reactions were the same as Steve’s – small businesses are not receptive to spending money on “esoteric” services. Most entrepreneurs classify branding in that category, and color for a brand is even less important to the cash-strapped business owner.
There’s an evaluator I like to use as a guideline in determining if a market is “real”.
1) Is it large enough?
2) Does it perceive a need?
3) Does it have the money?
I’d say number two above is key. I know I’ve done my share of educating entrepreneurs through seminars and my website to know they perceive branding as a “nice to have” rather than a necessary activity. Also, most small businesses have a different set of priorities and they have cash flow problems.
Here’s another approach you might consider.
I’d look to helping professionals. But not as a consultant. Professionals are consultants and most are jealous of their clients. They want to be the professional, not a sub-contractor.
So I’d look at supplying tools for professional designers, brand consultants, ad agencies, even PR firms. If you define your market in this way (I am beginning to myself), the market becomes much more focused. Find out what frustrates members of this community, what is time-consuming about color selecting/color matching/color coordinating/color knowledge/color processes. Then develop manuals, workbooks, guides, tutorials, presentations you can market.
In addition, after establishing a reputation, the speaker circuit mights be an income stream for you.
But this may be an Internet business exclusively.
If you go this way, I suggest downloading Rich Shefron’s manifestos and white papers about Internet marketing. They’re located at http://www.strategicprofits.com. I’d also check out the Authority Site Center at http://www.authoritysitecenter.com. Both of these resources will ground you in the “new” approach to marketing on-line utilizing the power of Web 2 resources.
As an aside, another market (small but the kind you might find yourself the top-dog in) is franchise consultants.
Hope some of this helps, and that you find your niche.
Martin Jelsema
http://www.signaturestrategies.com
http://www.thebrandingblog.com
Hi Rachel,
I love the concept of promoting the power of Color to small business owners! It can give them a competitive advantage and make them appear more sophisticated and even “bigger” than they are. i.e. Not a Mom-N-Pop Shop. But I see this more of a process than a reason business owners would hire you. Everyone has commented on how little people know, or care about, color. Changing the way people think about color theory or becoming a color evangelist and convincing people as to why they should care, would seem to be a continuous uphill battle.
An appropriate thing to think about would be, are small business owners contemplating color on a daily basis? For example, are they left wondering “This shop of mine would completely take off and make millions of dollars IF we only had the right color.” ? Probably not. You definitely could become the “Go-to consultant for small businesses looking to harness the marketing power of color” but I don’t know how big the market would be, or if it exists.
However, all is not lost! FIND YOUR COLOR, or WHAT COLOR ARE YOU? Could be strong elements of your brand. But, ultimately, you would specialize in helping small business owners succeed in taking their marketing to the next level THROUGH the use of color.
Thanks for listening!
K.O.
Rachel:
Do you remember the book “What Color is Your Parachute?” by Richard Bolle? After so many years it’s still a top seller. In fact, it has been on the NYT best seller list for six years running. The Library of Congress’ Center for the Book chose the book as one of the “25 Books That Have Shaped Readers’ Lives” in 1995. Is there a ‘mission’ that you could focus on to change forever the way people look at the functional application of color and the human response? Is there an anthropologist/behavioral angle?
The other thought is what about partnering with architects and urban planners? Many cities or townships are undergoing a sort of renaissance — Richard Florida talked about it when he wrote “The Rise of the Creative Class.” I have a friend who designs exhibits. I interviewed her about her work a while back. When I asked her how she presents her offering to business she responded: “Notice I said solutions –- not designs –- we solve problems and find solution –- we do not just produce designs –- we’re not artist who make a produce void of any parameters.” For the complete interview you may link here http://tiny.cc/1DPkI.
There is another group of consultants who work with Feng Shui principles. It is geared towards a certain kind of person, etc. The increased desire for meaning is spilling into people’s environments. I am thinking exclusive SPAs, clubs, luxury vacation spots, etc. You could offer your knowledge and services to the providers for these environments.
One final note about he name of your business — it needs to speak directly to the problem it solves. You sell the problem first, then you bring the solution to bear on it. Many feel they can get color, they have preferences and can see, etc. What is different and unique that only you bring to the table?
Rachel,
I agree with all of the above constructive comments for guiding you to finding a place within an already narrow niche. (I know about this all too well.)
What I suggest is GO GREEN. It’s the new color of “acceptance” and, not surprisingly, still the color of $. There will be a battle over rights to shades of green, from DuPont to Dan’s Lawn Service. By specializing in integrating the symbolic value of Green into a commercial enterprise’s public image (from logo to letterhead to product lines and marketing documents) you will be at the head of the pack. And when someday all the good green is used up, you can start selling Healthy Yellow! Most small businesses still operate in the old ways, but the ones that can afford to think ahead are already aware of the “Green Revolution.”
Good luck. I would be glad to work with you in dealing with some of these issues if you need some regular feedback.
Rachel:
My suggestions focus around finding the right client and looking for some analytical evidence to help your clients understand the bottom line impact your services provide.
See the full post at Branding & Marketing: Branding with Color; Consulting with Color
Chris Brown
Branding & Marketing blog
Rachel, thanks for tossing out your challenge to the folks here at BrandingWire and beyond! Here are a few of my thoughts.
- Do some quick research with small businesses in your area; you can use them as a “proxy” for what small businesses in other areas might think.
Talk to those who see the inherent value in being color-conscious and those who don’t. What were the drivers and motivators behind the color decisions made by the savvy businesses? What helped them make the choice to use color in marketing?
Talk to those who don’t yet know the value using color can bring them. What are their thoughts/concerns/objections?
Understanding your customers and potential customers is a key step towards business success for you! This will also help you with Chris Brown’s suggestion of finding the right client.
- Your blog is potentially a very powerful tool for your business! You have a strong writing style and good insight. However, I am not convinced it will appeal to your potential customers – yet. You can make your blog content more relevant by adding insights at the end of each post with how it can apply to small business. This would help your potential clients to see that they could use these concepts in their businesses, and by the way, Rachel seems like she really gets how I could do that!
Good luck, Rachel. Let us know how it goes!
[...] brings me to the latest BrandingWire challenge about color. Rachel is a color consultant for business and helps organizations use color as an effective tool [...]
Wow, I am overwhelmed by the generosity of suggestions being offered up here. I think you all have hit the nail on the head- most people just don’t perceive the value of color in marketing. Its been an uphill battle to isolate a target demographic of people who are seeking my services. Since there is no established “degree” in color, everyone automatically believes they are capable of making those decisions independently, without the help of an expert.
Now, to figure out where to start!
Rachel,
I’m glad that your challenge here on BrandingWire has produced some valuable input. Keep us all up to date on how your business progresses!
-Steve “StickyFigure” Woodruff
[...] 19, 2007 by stevestickyfigure We have a couple of new challenges up on BrandingWire.com – one has generated a bunch of helpful input already, the other is just up [...]