EAS Journal of Humanities and Cultural Studies Abbreviated Key Title: EAS J Humanit Cult Stud ISSN: 2663-0958 (Print) & ISSN: 2663-6743 (Online) Published By East African Scholars Publisher, Kenya Volume-1 | Issue-4| July-Aug-2019 | Review Article Color In Bank Logos – Culture-Specific Or Universal? A Color Clustering Of Bank Logos in Jordan, China and Germany Annegret M. Gross China University of Petroleum (CPU), Qingdao, China *Corresponding Author Annegret M. Gross Abstract: Colors convey culture-specific messages just like pictures, images, symbols and icons. While an individual color may have a highly positive connotation in one country, it can evoke extremely negative associations in another country. Color has a huge impact on people’s memory and consumer decisions (Asset Communications, 2011) as well as the ability to trigger positive or negative feelings about a product or a service (Grossman and Wisenblit, 1999; Singh, 2006). Therefore, color choice is especially important when a company sells valuable and expensive goods or services that require a high level of commitment and trust from the consumer. Research indicates that banks are in general more likely to use blue and gray in their logos and literature because these two colors tend to have a universal positive meaning. Blue is generally associated with wealth, trust, security and high quality, and gray with strength, exclusivity and success (De Bortoli & Maroto, 2001). This paper intends to analyze the colors used for bank logos and shed light on the question to what extent the universal color theory is applicable the logos of banks in three different countries around the world: Jordan, China and Germany. Keywords: color theory, universal, culture-specific, bank logos. 1. INTRODUCTION culture is vital for successful communication, market Color conveys culture-specific messages – just placement, positive branding, and customer acceptance. like pictures, images, symbols, and icons. However, color is even more important and powerful than The strong effect of color and its impact on imagery (Bleicher, 2004). This is because of its people has been proven by many studies. The fact that immediacy. Color is the first thing to catch the viewers’ people are heavily influenced by their first impressions eye, e.g. when reading a text or opening a website. and make judgments in a matter of seconds based on Color is noticed before the language is determined, these first impressions underlines the importance of before the text is read, and before the images are looked color in a cultural context. Research also revealed that at (De Bortoli & Maroto, 2001). color has a huge impact on people’s memory and direct effect on consumer decisions (Asset Communications, An individual color can have various 2011). It can trigger positive or negative feelings about connotations around the world. Members of a specific a product or a service (Grossman and Wisenblit, 1999; cultural community may associate different thoughts, Singh, 2006) and is assumed to account for 60% of feelings, and events with a certain color (Schmitt and acceptance or rejection (Walker, 1990). Color is thus a Simonso, 1997). While a color may by connoted highly powerful instrument for companies to position positively in one country, it can evoke extremely themselves in the market and stand out against negative associations in another. A clash between the competitors (Grossman & Wisenblit, 1999; Aslam, message the sender wants to convey with a particular 2006). Therefore, it is a key factor upon success or color and of how that color is being interpreted by the failure of any visual presentation. receiver can damage or even annihilate the intended purpose. Choosing a color that complies both with the source message and its specific reception in the target Quick Response Code Journal homepage: Copyright © 2019 The Author(s): This is an open- access article distributed under the terms of the http://www.easpublisher.com/easjhcs/ Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Article History License (CC BY-NC 4.0) which permits unrestricted Received: 13.07.2019 use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium Accepted: 25.07.2019 for non-commercial use provided the original Published: 03.08.2019 author and source are credited. DOI: 10.36349/easjhcs.2019.v01i04.004 Published By East African Scholars Publisher, Kenya 212 Annegret M. Gross; EAS J Humanit Cult Stud; Vol-1, Iss-4 (July-Aug, 2019): 212-221 2.1 The Culture-Specific Meaning of Color in countries are dominated by red, green, and white (e.g. Europe, China and the Middle East Lebanon, Oman, Algeria, Iran), with some including Different cultures may associate different black (e.g. Jordan, Kuwait, Syria, United Arab concepts with a certain color. These color associations Emirates, Iraq, Palestine). Across Europe, color may be determined by the cultural context (e.g. distribution is more diverse. The German flag consists traditions and customs), by the climatic and of three horizontal bands in black, red, and yellow environmental context (e.g. snow or desert region), and (referred to as “gold”). Only Germany’s neighbor, by a country’s history. Typically, there is a strong Belgium, has the same color combination in three relation between the geographic location of a country vertical bands. Apart from that, the mostly used color is and the colors of its national flag. Red is the dominant red as in the national flags of Switzerland, Austria, color in many flags of Asian countries, such as China, France, Italy, Poland, the Czech Republic, Italy, and Hong Kong, Taiwan, Vietnam, Malaysia, and North Spain. Usually, the population of a country tends to Korea. Red also plays an important part in the flags of have strong positive associations with the colors of their Indonesia, Japan, Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines national flag (PCI Magazine, 2002). and Maldives. National flags of Middle Eastern Figure 1 gives an overview over the most frequent culture-specific associations with the colors red, blue, green, yellow, orange, purple, white, gray, and black in Europe, China and the. Middle East Figure1. Culture-specific color associations in Europe, China and the Middle East © East African Scholars Publisher, Kenya 213 Annegret M. Gross; EAS J Humanit Cult Stud; Vol-1, Iss-4 (July-Aug, 2019): 212-221 Figure 1 shows that blue is the most positively rated the most active color, while black and gray were connoted color in Europe. It represents sky, serenity, generally considered to be passive colors. Another test fidelity, truth, reliability, responsibility, trust, and carried out in three Asian countries (China, Japan, authority. It is the only color that is solely associated South Korea) and in the US showed that all four with positive attributes. That is probably why it is also cultures associate blue with wealth, trust, security, and the most frequently used corporate color in European high quality – ergo with something “premium.” Gray countries. Many well-known German companies from symbolizes strength, exclusivity, and success. Due to various sectors have a logo with blue tones, among the positive attributes ascribed to the color blue by the others Volkswagen and BMW (automobiles), Deutsche majority of cultures, it is often considered to be the Bank (banking), SAP (software), Aldi (supermarket), safest global color and variations of blue are the most Nivea (cosmetics), Beiersdorf (personal-care products), popular of all the colors (pcimag.com, 2002). Grossman and Allianz (insurance). and Wisenblit (1999) noted that consumers pay more attention to color when it comes to high priced, high In China, the most positively connoted color is involvement and long-life products or services. Low red. Red is also the color of the Chinese national flag, priced and low involvement goods and services, on the of the government and of communism. It implies joy, other hand, are not so much dependent on color happiness, fertility, and a long life. It is the symbol of preferences. Therefore, color choice is especially good luck and good fortune. Red is used for traditional important when it comes to valuable and expensive and national celebrations, for instance the Spring goods or services that require a high commitment or a Festival, other national holidays, and weddings. During high level of trust from the side of the consumer. these occasions, Chinese people wear red clothes and Researchers concluded that due to the prevalent decorate houses and streets with red lights. Chinese universal color associations banks are in general more wedding dresses are also red. Money is gifted in red likely to use blue and gray in their logos and literature envelopes, e.g. during the Chinese New Year or to (De Bortoli & Maroto, 2001). However, other studies newlyweds. Concomitant with red being the color of also point out that consumers have developed a wide good fortune, rising stock prices are indicated in red in range of color associations and that consumer responses Asia, and declining ones in green, whereas it is done in to different colors have become very complex (Ogden the opposite way in the West. et al., 2010; Akcay et al., 2012). Blue is also the most positively connoted color 2.3 Colors for Bank Logos from the Culture-Specific in the Middle Eastern Arab countries. It is mainly Meaning associated with truth, justice, safety, protection, virtue, The first form of banking was introduced and faith. Further associations are heaven, spirituality, around 2000 B.C. by merchants in Assyria and and immortality. Blue is believed to be the color that Babylonia, who gave grain loans to farmers and traders. protects against the evil eye – the envious and ill- Banks as we know them today developed in Italy during wishing looks of others causing bad luck, and the 14th century, mainly in the rich city centers, such as sometimes death. As a preventive measure against the Florence, Siena, Venice, and Genoa, and then spread evil eye, people place hanging blue beads inside cars throughout the Roman empire to northern Europe and and houses or wear jewelry with a blue bead.