Dee Schlotter, National Color Marketing Manager,
PPG PITTSBURGH PAINTS and PPG VOICE OF COLOR Brand
What makes someone prefer one color over another? And, how does a company determine what those spe- ci;c colors should be for their products? That is part
of almost every product manufacturer’s job these days. Because
color sells, and the right colors sell more. Mass production has
turned to mass customization for nearly everything we buy these
days, and customers expect “their” color to be available and are
disappointed when it’s not. So, how do you promote the right
shade of blue or green that your customers will love?
Each year, the media calls and asks: what are the new colors
this year?” Our response is always, well, there’s really no “new”
colors; the colors have always been there but it’s which ones that
have bubbled to the top in popularity. Colors become popular
and resonate with customers because of what is happening in
society at that particular time, demographic pro;les that tug on
customers’ memories and generational events, and geographi-
cal in;uences. I tend to use the example of right after 9/11
when the colors that bubbled to the top were soft pinks and
chocolate browns. The soft pinks are compassionate colors and
the chocolate browns are grounding, cocooning colors. These
were colors in;uenced by societal events. At that time, there
were not many bright colors in fashion, home décor, or con-
sumer electronics. That wouldn’t come for a couple years after
the recession brought us many shades of gray throughout every
market. Societal events hugely impact the colors that we feel
comfortable selecting and buying.
Demographic pro;les also in;uence our color choice.
Boomers right now are preferring complex neutrals – not a
Discovering the Best
Colors for our Customers:
PPG Global Color Trending Service
