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THE PSYCHOLOGY BEHIND UNIFORM COLOR SENDING SUBLIMINAL COMPANY MESSAGES

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UNIFORM NATIONS

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CORRELATIONS BETWEEN COLOR AND STATE OF MIND BY RYAN MCHUGH

When thinking of colors, their effect on how we think and feel may not be the first thing to run across your mind, however based on research, experts say color does have a subconscious impact on mindsets and psychology—possibly explaining the very reason why it doesn’t come to mind in the first place.

Consider colors outside of uniforms and clothing. It’s no coincidence stop signs are painted a bold red; red has been shown to draw people’s attention and to increase senses of excitement, which for a stop sign helps to catch the eye of drivers and ensure they’re always aware of when to stop at intersections.

Likewise, the color green is often associated with ideas of fertility, growth, and nature—and not surprisingly, recycling programs and services often gravitate toward green logos. For further proof, the recycling industry itself has been characterized as a “green” industry, demonstrating just how strong the relationship between color and human thinking truly is.

So now many may wonder, how does this play into uniforms? Although surprising to some, many businesses and large companies are taking up strategic color

planning with their uniform services each day to create subtle, yet significant impacts on their customer service and employee productivity.

Beyond just the psychology of colors and their effect on how individuals perceive abstract ideas and feelings—such as the association between the color yellow and the warmth of the sun—the subliminal impact of uniform colors is also employed by companies to produce more tangible results and effects.

From restaurants and hotels, to hospitals, medical facilities, and a host of other businesses and industries, uniform color and the emotions they trigger in both company employees as well as consumers have a significant role to play—and for savvy business owners, it’s just one more marketing strategy to capitalize on.

With this in mind, throughout the following in-depth white paper we take a closer look at color psychology from under the lens of business—outlining the impact of uniform color in various aspects such as employee productivity and customer interactions, as well as how these subtle effects come into play for in industries like food service, healthcare, and hospitality.

WHAT PART DOES UNIFORM COLOR PLAY IN BUSINESS? Since color triggers subconscious and deeply rooted emotional responses in how people think, make choices, and feel throughout the day, the psychology of colors often spills over to additionally leave subtle impacts on business and consumer interactions as well.

Using longstanding studies and research to find patterns and relationships between uniform color and employee or customer behaviors, many companies and industries take advantage of the subliminal effects of color psychology to further build and reinforce their brand images, messages, and goals.

UNIFORM COLORS AND EMPLOYEE PRODUCTIVITY According to studies from Creighton University in 1999, researchers found colors have a substantial role in both employees’ efficiency and emotions in the workplace. From gaining improved confidence to having a better sense of calm and stability, the colors employees wear play subtle, but nonetheless important parts in their state of mind during the workday. To give you an idea, here are just a few examples of the relationship between uniform color and employee performance:

During the Creighton University study, employees in blue offices and workplaces felt centered with a greater sense of calm, and more importantly felt more hopeful about their work. With this mindset, workers can produce higher-quality work and become more engaged throughout the day.

Black is a color often associated with traits like authority, aggression, or power. Although seeming like a recipe for intimidation, in the workplace black can often convey a sense of professionalism. In high-end restaurants, using black uniforms has shown to improve confidence—helping employees to become more self-assured salespeople.

Like colorless, cloudy days, the color grey has a tendency to flesh out feelings of passivity, disengagement, and lethargy or lack of energy. Although not a hard-and-fast rule, grey uniforms will more often than not achieve an uninspiring effect.

HOW UNIFORM COLOR IMPACTS PURCHASING Besides employees’ outlook on their work, the subtle effect of a company’s uniform color impacts customers’ decision making and thinking as they shop. Whether it’s the use of bright and eye-catching colors to attract and excite consumers, or soft and calming colors to create a sense of security and trust, marketers from

even America’s largest companies carefully consider uniform color and what they hope to convey to their customers. Below are several color strategies businesses take to help seal the deal with their potential customers and boost company profits:

A common combination, red and yellow are often mixed to capture red’s associated traits of excitement or distinction and yellow’s conveyed feelings of warmth and happiness.

As one example, McDonald’s has long used the yellow and red combination—helping their employees to stand out and give customers a sense of happiness as they place their order and excitedly wait for their meal.

Blue colors are often related to customer ideas of trust, stability, and loyalty. The most popular uniform color chosen by companies across all industries, blue uniforms give consumers a sense of comfort as a they shop, leading them to make purchases and take employee recommendations without second-guessing.

CONSUMER INTERACTION AND UNIFORM COLOR Creating a trifecta of uniform color considerations for companies, colors also have a significant role to play in customer interactions.

With numerous situations ranging from helping to answer customer questions, making recommendations, and providing customer service, the uniform color of employees can make as much of a statement as words themselves.

While black uniforms can benefit the confidence and self-assurance of employees, when issues arise, black has also shown to bring out senses of aggression. On average, small grievances, mishaps, and minor mistakes tend to trigger stronger languages and responses from dissatisfied customers.

White is a color often associated with ideas of purity and cleanliness. For food services and hospitality, white uniforms create ideas of freshness for environments consumers eat and sleep in. Similarly, white lab coats and other medical uniforms give patients senses of sanitation and sterility during treatment.

Uniform colors like blue, yellow, and green are associated with feelings of trust, happiness, and calm. With this in mind, employees with such uniforms tend to convey a sense of subconscious approachability and friendliness before consumers even engage with them—starting each interaction on a positive note.

BREAKING DOWN UNIFORM COLORS BY INDUSTRY

Since various industries and even businesses within industries have different images and goals they hope to achieve with their uniforms, uniform color similarly tends to vary from industry to industry. By strategically capitalizing on color psychology, companies can use uniform color to further reinforce various brand images and messages such as reliability, professionalism, or cleanliness.

RESTAURANTS AND FOOD SERVICE From high-end restaurants to everyday fast-food franchises, there are a few main color strategies businesses use. Not just for lack of creativity, common food service uniform colors are chosen to convey similar sets of subliminal messages. At a five-star steakhouse for example, black is a frequent color for servers and other front of house staff. Although disputed by some out of consideration for agitated

customers’ more aggressive responses to black, this potential downside is outweighed by the effect of black uniforms on employees themselves. Based on research and personal experience from Werner Absenger, a Chef de Cuisine for Cygnus 27 at Amway Grand Plaza, Absenger took a closer look at the performance of black uniforms for servers and the possible relationship between feelings of confidence and professionalism in a restaurant setting. Comparing revenue for Cygnus 27 from the six months before and after transitioning to black uniforms, profits for the restaurant had risen—reaffirming the hypothesis that adopting black uniforms may have reinforced the sense of prestige and quality high-end restaurants seek to convey to customers. Smaller chain restaurants also use color strategies for their uniform service, however for these businesses, uniforms and uniform color is generally used to instill different ideas or feelings in customers, such as trust, confidence, stability, and happiness. When a company has several locations, a chief goal for uniforms is creating a sense of consistency across their brand. Seeing the same brand image and colors no matter which location the customer sees or visits works to serve as a reminder of past visits—similar to seeing a picture of an old friend. For this reason, employees are likewise outfitted with uniform colors consistent with the brand logo colors to help reinforce the same recollections of happiness and consistency of logo colors. Employees wearing company colors serve as a literal embodiment of the brand, working to make favorite businesses and brands more tangible than a logo.

HOSPITALS, MEDICAL PRACTICES, AND HEALTHCARE For hospitals, medical practices, and other healthcare facilities or organizations, the logic behind uniform color is strikingly different from the marketing strategies used in other industries. First and foremost, when it comes to lab coats or smocks worn by doctors or lab workers, white is consistently used

across the industry—both for the sake of patients as well as medical staff. White is typically associated with attributes like cleanliness, and white lab coats and uniforms in a healthcare setting are used to create a sense of sanitation and sterility for patients during their treatment. For staff, this cleanliness helps to make clear distinction between dirty and clean—ensuring they’re able to properly handle their materials as well.

Besides lab coats, scrubs are also a primary uniform used in healthcare, however scrub uniform color is typically selected for more practical purposes. Particularly in large and busy hospitals, there are a variety of individual units like neurology, labor and delivery, and radiology. Since as a result staff working in each department requires a specific skill set, scrub colors are used as a color-coding system to instantly and visually identify staff based on each unit’s color.

HOTELS AND HOSPITALITY The hospitality industry is built on providing a place to stay, or a “home away from home”, so to speak, meaning a hotel’s uniform color should be aimed to trigger emotions such as relaxation, calm, and cleanliness as common examples. Particularly for high-quality hotels and establishments like the Ritz Carlton for instance, colors like black and gold are used throughout the organization’s lobby, rooms, and more importantly uniforms—creating a perceived sense of prestige and professionalism with the intent of attracting high-end clientele. While middle of the road hotels or motels more geared to less-expensive overnight stays may not be looking to make their money purely on offering a “premium” stay and experience, there are still benefits to some uniform colors over others. Warmer and brighter colors like yellow and white tend to be a primary strategy, as these combinations help to reinforce subconscious perceptions of not only cleanliness for the establishment, but also senses of comfortability and well-being to reassure visitors of a relaxing stay.

CONCLUSION: FINAL CONSIDERATIONS TO KEEP IN MIND Considering the significant impact of color psychology on human thinking and feeling, uniform color offers companies an ideal marketing mechanism to add to their toolbelt. Since uniforms are often a requirement for the workplace, one of the greatest advantages to uniform color strategies is that unlike investing in premium materials and equipment, selecting a chic black restaurant uniform as opposed to tie-dye is simply a matter of making a well-informed decision for your uniform service, rather than an additional cost to factor into budgets. So as businesses now turn to evaluate their own past or upcoming company uniform color decisions, be sure to keep these final considerations in mind:

What Goals Do You Hope to Achieve for Employees? Different industries have different needs and responsibilities for employees—whether working in the office, as salespeople, or in customer service, businesses can create subtle feelings of confidence, calm, or friendliness for employees, making it important to consider business interactions and uniform color from outside the consumer perspective. Does Your Uniform Color Target the Right Consumers? Various industries and even the businesses within each industry typically have a specific demographic of consumers they’re trying to attract. As a result, it’s essential the uniform color selections are similarly tailored to to meet these needs so customers are drawn toward the company rather than being driven away.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Uniform Functionality vs Psychology: Trying to Find a Balance Uniforms and uniform colors have a variety of uses and

purposes. With some industries needing uniforms for

more functional uses while others look to play on the

psychology of their customers using uniform color, learn

how best to balance your company needs when selecting

uniform services and colors here.

The Psychology of Colors in Uniforms Studies have shown there are patterns in how humans

associate feelings and ideas with colors. Spanning the full

color spectrum, shades of various colors like blue, yellow,

and red all can trigger unique emotions in both

employees and customers, and with this helpful

infographic, we outline the full range.

The Psychology of Colors in the Hospitality Industry Colors can trigger powerful emotional responses, and for

hospitality, colors are a powerful marketing tool. Sending

strong messages to potential customers and visitors

without needing words, learn more about using hospitality

uniform, linen, and decor color to visually reinforce

company images and attract target customers here.