What Do Adult Coloring Books Have To Do With Your Brand?
No doubt you've seen the adult coloring book craze that's been sweeping the globe for the past several months. A quick Amazon search will gift you with well over 1,000 results (and counting!). Coloring is nothing new.As kids, we all toted around our trusty Crayolas.
So what's with this latest fad? Why do we color? And why now?
The obvious and most commonly discussed reason is: to play. Play comes in many forms, and it isn’t just for kids. In fact, as parents, we can connect better with our kids, even learning from them through playtime. Beyond the typical definition of play- which is commonly thought of as ‘to have fun’, play offers us with so much more than that.
Creativity
Coloring takes you out of your adult, commitment laden-mind and lets you feel free to take chances. Because the image is already sketched out, it takes the intimidation out of the creative process. Making it personal. In a world where everyone is trying to fit in, it feels good to stand out.
Expression
While the goal isn’t necessarily having our work on display, it’s still nice to express our uniquity in a way that’s just a bit off the beaten path. Even if we sometimes keep it to ourselves.
Design
Mix and match. You can decide whether to go with more ‘expected’, realistic colors and mediums, or perhaps instead, you’ll opt for something a bit more outside the box. Neither is right or wrong. It’s your vision, after all.
Planning
Before you dive in, you can map out what you think finished product is going to look like, what the color scheme will be, and where you’ll begin. I always start at the edges and work my way in. How about you?
Organization
There's a certain satisfaction in neatly storing your supplies and putting things back where they came from.
Unfinished business
It’s not easy to look at a half-finished picture and not feel compelled to bring it to completion. In that way, coloring can prompt us to finish what we started. The nice thing is, you don’t need to be an artist to tap into an existing map and create your own masterpiece. Millions of coloring books have sold. That means millions of people have seen the very same blank outline; and yet despite the number of times that same template has come across someone’s desk, no two will ever be exactly alike. Varying supplies, experiences, perspectives, and sets of circumstances ensure that everyone’s finished product will look a little different. Such is the case with your brand.
So, what can coloring teach us about building a better brand?
Just like an image, you’ve got a picture of your brand drafted in your mind, you just need to customize it and make it your own. Think of that untouched image as your framework, just waiting to be brought to life.
Brand Colors
Whether you know it or not, the colors you select are subliminal messages. According to a study performed by the University of Loyola, Maryland, "color increases brand recognition by up to 80 percent". What hues are your favorites?
Social connections
Doing and then sharing is what getting brand recognition is all about. From social media to in person, we love to share. For your brand, that comes in the form of networking and promotion. When you’re proud of the work you did, you want to get it out into the world. Whether your masterpiece is a colored picture or a brand you’re proud of, you want to share. And share, you should.
You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation. -Plato
Building Connections
That sharing can bring about connections in the form of like-minded business owners and customers who feel compelled by what's being offered. This, in turn fosters communication, and just like that, relationships begin to form.
Personal Branding
Art therapy shows us that art can tap into concealed emotions bringing feelings to the surface. Revisiting them can encourage us to think about them and learn from them or borrow from them in new ways. Archetypes in branding are proof positive of this. Infusing your personality into your brand is what really helps set you apart.
Simplicity
You don't need the fanciest tools or supplies to create something unique and amazing. Coloring doesn’t require any supreme artist skills but the end result is always beautiful. The same holds true for your brand. You can create an amazing brand on a shoestring, too. Envision possibility. An unsullied drawing is just sitting there, staring up at you, waiting to be brought to life. Such is the case with your brand. So grab a coloring book and let your mind wander. This free-thinking is a nice reminder to take time away from the grind and live a little. And who knows? You just might learn something about yourself in the process. Underlying photo credit: FloralLOVE_Progress via photopin (license)