Color codes, from politics to political marketing

Colors communicate, so that the symbolism of colors is intertwined with politics for a long time

by Alexandre Virgil

The colors persist, so that the symbolism of colors is intertwined with politics for a long time, even for many centuries if we go back to flags and banners and to medieval uses of coats of arms and heraldic colors. Careful selection of particular colors has always distinguished the power of large or small groups, parties, or family, of royal and noble houses, whether at the state level. Over time, the color has become a symbol of the faction or a synonym for its members: Black, red and green in the political arena correspond to attitudes and ideologies, different interests. When the politics of aristocratic salons and small circles, where symbols and colors were used but not too flashy, took to the streets with the French Revolution and then in the twentieth century the masses took part, colors became an obvious feature, almost like a uniform.

Thus the history books themselves describe clashes or gatherings of “brown shirts”, “red flags”, “black shirts”, modeled after the Garibaldi red shirts of the nineteenth century, up to the rainbow flag, a symbol of movement lgbtq + Which, again, tends to blend in with colours. king in the twentieth century, With the triumph of images and mass communication, Colors They have highlighted the symbols by which they are represented or demonized political identities. That language became an essential part of any business intended to influence public opinion, and to build consensus quotas – even electoral – in selling something. The original or historically dominant meanings of some colors, such as black associated with the Catholic clergy and then with fascism, red with socialist and communist movements, and blue with conservative movements, are still prevalent in some regions of the world, though not homogeneously. For example, it is reversed in the United States where red is the color of conservative Republicans and blue is the color of Democrats. Besides red, which has its origins in the French Revolution, green is one of the few colors that are associated, with a wide spread in the world, with environmental political groups.

In Italy, green was actually popular for the environmental movement as well as for the ecological movement Republicans, To the Justice and Freedom Movement and finally to the Northern League. In Eastern Europe, the color green has been associated with right-wing Parafascist movements. But for several years, these classifications tend to be overtaken by marketing and the psychological sociology of colour, so political movements that should use one color use a different color in part of their communications because they are considered more content-friendly. Or more. Effective for the recipients you want to reach.

Ideological color politics and historical references have now given way to marketing and persuasion techniques in most countries, also due to the apparent diffusion of the image in communication. So other factors come into play, such as emotions which, as Picasso pointed out, are always associated and define different colours. In marketing, visual stimulation is of primary importance as the recipient is now increasingly oriented towards aesthetic pleasure in his choice decisions, particularly in consumption. In fact, you want to combine the functionality of the product you are buying with its attractiveness in terms of beauty, design, packaging, style and color.

Marketing experts, who are aware of these aspects, have appreciated Signal in various forms of communication and advertising (Advertising), to influence the choices of the target audience (targeting) in relation to a particular consumer good or a model of behavior and political choice. In fact, it was about using the already dominant trend, the proliferation of images over text, of appearing above existence, says Pirandello, for the media that brought the image to full proliferation. Nonverbal communication, we can say that it is not written, clearly prevails.

Use Increases color recognition by 80% Brand, But color perception is also linked to individual experiences and prevailing cultural fashion, so we associate certain colors with certain meanings, and our body reacts when the mind is visually stimulated. It is part of that subconscious communication that we periodically talk about: cinema, advertising, politics, Web Marketing They are clearly taking advantage of it by exploiting the meaning that each type of coloring can give to our subconscious mind. Here then, political communication should choose colors and designs carefully, candidates should not wear clothes of a certain color, the public image should be consistent, not the candidate with the best ideas, but the most attractive and who performs well in the videos, this “attracts” .

Building a harmonious and effective personal image was once mainly about strengthening the person to be able to attract the attention of the interlocutors, and now it is also used to strengthen the communication strategy and build one of his own. personal brand. An important element to consider is the gender of the audience he will have to see: Several studies have shown that men and women have different color preferences, as do young and old. With the spread of feminist ideology and related social movement, the pursuit of colors preferred by women, or in any case also by women, has become fundamental to engaging that share of voters or consumers. Equal to age groups. Every cultural and social event or fashion is examined to evaluate the best strategies for choosing colors, in various shades and combinations.

The electorate has become a target that must be reached and engaged in order to sell a proposal or something, even the same proposition as the opponents, but in a different way. six Warm and bright colors convey energy positive sensations and attract attention; Warmth and darkness give a feeling of solidity and solemnity, warmth and elegance; Alternatively, cold colors: light colors (such as blue or lavender) convey freshness and serenity, dark colors (such as blue or purple) give a sense of calm, security and stability, history and political traditions will not be so important, they will be used to be more effective in communication. Hoping that there is something important and valid to communicate.