Am I blue?
That is a great question to ask if you are financial brand. Thanks to this blog post from Kurtosys, financial services software company, we now know why B2B financial services companies (and probably lots of other types of B2B companies) should be asking themselves this very question.
Why is Blue So Popular with Financial Brands?
The title of the post is a great kickoff because it asks a question many people may not even know they had. And I like how the author, Kurtosys designer Luke Hinchliffe, starts off the post with an explanation of why that question occurred to him. It draws the reader into the post and gives us a peak into his view of design and financial services brands. To me, this one of the strengths of corporate blogging–showcasing the expertise and personality of individual authors.
At first glance, this post looked way too dense for me–the multiple images break up the text and seemed distracting. But once I started reading, it became clear that each image is in the right spot and is there to further the story. This format requires the audience to actually read and look at the content, not just glance at it in an attempt to glean information from bullet points. I consider myself a reader for the most part, but realized that I skim just like a lot of people; at least at first to figure out if I want to dive deeper into the content. And that is what caused my initial hesitation. I recommend jumping right in on this one, though. Good stuff!
So don’t be blue. Unless, of course, your goal is to create a sensation of trust and security.
Analysis
- Length
700+ = It surprised me that the text is actually this long. With the graphics to break it up, no way it feels like a long article (and let’s face it, sometimes 700 or more words is what constitutes a long blog post these days). - Format
Excellent use of the seven graphics to help tell the full story. And kudos for the copious links back to original sources. Corporate blog + attribution = good thing. - Salesy quotient
Very Low
This article is written purely to inform and entertain. But it sure makes you realize that Kurtosys knows its stuff. (Do I smell thought leadership here?) - Educational quotient
Very High
I truly know so much more about the psychology of color that I ever would have imagined, including the wavelengths of the color blue. I’m going to keep that close at hand as a conversation starter to break out at upcoming holiday parties.
How did you respond to this article? Did you find it as easy to read as I did? Are you wondering about your own brand colors right now?