Color Forecasting

Colors are the friends of their neighbors and the lovers of their opposites. Marc Chagall

 Color decisions begins early in the product development cycle. Generally forecasted six months to one year before those colors appear as a coordinated collection on the runways or in the showroom. Stimulating sales is the driving force behind color forecasting. Color grabs customers attention, makes an emotional connection, and leads to the product.

The Color Story

What do color forecasters do?
Combine knowledge of color theories with understanding of human behavior and acute observational skills Produce a color forecast 18 to 24 months in advance of the season Provide input for the designers decisions Color is rated as the most important aesthetic criteria in consumer preference Consumers first impression is mediated by the color

The Color Story

Color forecasters
Immerse in color every day and all year Track color evolution Sense spirit of the times Help manufacturers and retailers keep product lines fresh while not getting so fashion forward that consumers reject the products

The Color Story

Criticism of current practices:
Forecasters work is more observational and anecdotal rather than scientific Sales data provide feedback about bestselling colors but not on what was missing from the range

Problem with collecting consumer input on color:

Few consumers are fashion forward in terms of color Collecting data difficult

Consumers and Color

Color Symbols
White - purity Green - fertility Blue - truth & justice Red - suffering & regeneration

Formation of Color Preference

Universal scale of color?
Consistent order of color preference in adults: blue, red, green, purple, yellow, orange Related to possible biological basis

Cultural influences?
Color transcends cultural and geographic boundaries Black, white and red invoke same emotions in many parts of the world

Influence of ethnicity?
Eskimos have more words for white Colors represent country's personality

Personal experiences?

Color and Mood of the Times

The popularity of a color depends on:
Symbolic Value Fashion Rightness Mood of the Times

Color and Segmentation

As predictors of color preference , categories such as age, ethnicity, income and gender play a part segmentation.

The Language of Color

Concentrated VALUE INTENSITY Clear LIGHT BRIGHT

+ +

WHITE

= = =

TINT

Subdued

GRAY

TONE

Deep

DARK

DULL

BLACK

SHADE

The Language of Color

Color Cycles
Two types:
Periodic shifts in color preferences Patterns of repetition in popular colors

Both depend on the mechanism of boredom people get tired of what they have and seek something new

Color Research
Color Relationships across Product Categories
Fashion Beauty Products Interiors Entertainment Automobiles

Sources for Color Ideas and Palettes

Look for the new, the novel, the unique, and the fresh combination
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Color Names
Naming colors takes imagination, sensitivity to fashion change across product categories, an understanding of the customers perception of colors and insights to make connections between color and products end use.

Natural phenomena: sky blue, sunshine, grass green, snow white Flora: poppy red, moss green, mahogany Fauna: flamingo pink, robins egg blue Gemstones, Minerals and metals: amethyst, amber, slate gray, copper

Food and drink: caramel, apricot, burgundy Spices: cinnamon, paprika Dyes: indigo Building materials: brick, adobe, terra cotta Locales: capri blue etc.