By Montaha Hidefi
Perhaps the most important thing to consider in
the powder coating industry is not necessarily
the Colors of the Year, but rather the interpretation
of these colors. It is important to be aware of the
trends and what consumers are expecting to see in
the marketplace.
From fashion to food and
all industries in between, color
is behind 80 to 85 percent of
the purchasing decision making,
according to the Color Marketing
Group (www.colormarketing.org),
a not-for-profit international association
whose members, located in
more than 20 countries, forecast
color directions 19 months or
more in advance for manufactured
products and services. Its members
are color designers involved
in the use of color as it applies to
the profitable marketing of goods
and services. They provide a forum
for the exchange of non-competitive
information relating to all
phases of color marketing: color
trends and combinations, design
influences, merchandising and
sales, and education and industry
contacts.
Every year, members meet at
various locations to discuss the
current colors trending in the market
in various industries and the
direction colors will take in the future.
The result of these meetings
and discussions culminate in an
annual international summit that
takes place in the United States. As
a result, the association announces
an annual World Palette, which
predicts the color trends for two
years in advance. The exercise
also leads to the nomination of the
Color of the Year. In 2012, “Boysn-
Berries” was nominated Color of
the Year. Boys-n-Berries is a dark
purple that manifested in various
shades from light to dark and impacted
fashion, design, interiors,
makeup, bathrooms and vehicles.
RAL 4007 is the closest color to
Boys-n-Berries in the RAL standard
spectrum.
Pantone also has an annual
Color of the Year. In 2012, the
Pantone Color of the Year was
“Tangerine Tango.” While Tangerine
Tango is a dark orange, almost
red, the interpretation by the street
took it from almost red to light orange. Tangerine
Tango had a high impact on fashion and design,
interiors, makeup, kitchenware and vehicles. RAL
2002 is the closest color Tangerine Tango in the RAL
standard spectrum.
For 2013, the Color Marketing Group has
announced “Re-Blued” as Color
of the Year, while Pantone has
announced “PANTONE® 17-5641
Emerald” as Color of the Year.
RAL 5024 is very close to Re-
Blued; however, not a 100 percent
match. RAL 6001 is an exact
match to Emerald Green.
According to the Color Marketing
Group, blue will dominate the
color movement for a number of
years to come. Several factors are
driving the rise of blue, according
to the association, including global
environmental issues related
to water resources; mineral blue
pigment mines becoming scarce
and therefore affecting the price of
these pigments; and the desire for
using and accepting synthetic blues as cost-effective
alternative pigments that provide cleaner and less
complex blue hues.
As a color, blue is defined as secure, tranquil
and peaceful; however, it can also create feelings
of sadness and aloofness. Phrases such as “having
the blues,” “blue moon,” “blue Monday,” and “blue
blood” are used to indicate melancholic states of
mind. Blue is a very popular color as it is usually
related to the sky and seas.
According to Pantone LLC, Emerald “enhances
our sense of well-being by inspiring insight, as well
as promoting balance and harmony. The perception
of Emerald is sophisticated and luxurious. Since antiquity,
this luminous, magnificent hue has been the
color of beauty and new life in many cultures
and religions.”
Pantone predicts that Emerald’s “classic elegance”
will further promote its growth in fashion as well as
interiors. Emerald will “create a luxurious feel in an
entryway, powder room, dining room or study, and
will bring life to a living room as an accent.”
As a color, green is the color of growth and renewal.
It is associated with status and prosperity and
conveys regeneration and rebirth.
Green is a very flexible color and can be used in
many settings. Besides interior spaces, it is ideal for
architectural applications, landscapes and streetscapes’
furniture and equipment. It denotes a natural
extension to the green natural scenery.
This might sound confusing to
some as they wonder what trend
to follow and what color to decide
upon.
Gone are the days when color
trends were driven by, and applicable
mainly to, the fashion
industry. In our current reality,
where social media is steering a
great share of our daily life, color
trends are crossing industries in a
fast pace. What used to be a fashion-
specific practice has become a
socially explicit need. Consumers
at the home, the office, the factory
and even the White House
are demanding goods that match
their taste and lifestyle. Color has
turned into an intricate part of the
product design and function.
Defining Color Trends
By definition, color trends are
said to be short-lived. However,
it is paramount to differentiate
between trends and fads and also
understand that color trends go
through a life cycle. Not all trends
are changing four times a year as
in the fashion industry.
As reported in “Colour Design:
Theories and Applications” (published
in the UK by Woodhead
Publishing, Edited by J Best, Color
Management Consultant,
ISBN 1 84569 972 6), I
highlight that depending on
the industry, colors display a
trend life cycle. The rhythm of
the color trend curve will vary
between industries and segments
of industries. In the fashion industry,
there is typically four fashion
cycles per year which imply four
color trends per 12 months; the
rhythm is fast, the color life cycle
is too short. Since consumer electronics
have become fashion-related
accessories, they are moving
nearly in the same tempo than
fashion. Cell phones and other
consumer electronics are shifting
skin color and shapes more than
three times a year nowadays. At
the other end of the spectrum, in
the building industry, the color
trend rhythm is slow; people do
not change the color of their home
or office façades every twelve
months. Eventually, the exterior of
a building is remodeled every 15
to 20 years and probably in much
longer time than that, so the life
cycle of the color is long. All other
industries can be positioned in
between these two extremities of
the spectrum.
A trend is a general orientation
in which things will move. Trends
have a long life cycle, they follow
a curve. At the beginning of a
trend there will be early adopters,
the innovators. Then the majority
of people will adopt the new
product and there will be a peak
in demand and sales. Eventually,
other trends will appear and the
curve of the first trend will start
declining, but will grow again with
more people adopting the product.
A fad, on the other hand, being
an interest followed with exaggeration,
has a short life cycle. A fad
will have a peak when the number
of people adopting it starts to
increase rapidly. However, the fad
will disappear with the same speed
that it appeared.
Following a Color Trend
with Powder
As a protective and aesthetic
material, powder coatings are typically
used on objects expected to
last for a long time, which might
explain why almost 75 percent
of colors sold within the powder
coating industry are neutrals
(white, black, beige, gray and
silver). While designers are playing
a role to influence the color
choice when creating new designs
and creations, this usually creates
a dilemma to the decision making;
should a new product follow the
color trend or should it be played
safe and be coated with a
neutral color?
Many specifiers and decision
makers have understood that in
some industries neutrals are not
selling any longer and the introduction
of color is paramount to
selling a product. This is seen in
the kitchen appliance industry,
telecommunications, IT and some
other industries believed to produce
and sell short-lived products.
The bulk of the industries using
powder coating, including architects
and architectural specifiers
are in general opting for silver and
neutrals.
It is true that if the trend is for
bright colors, architects will not
specify bright powder coatings for
a building façade. However, it is
important to know about the color
trends as they can be used as an
accent, a trim or even as
inside furniture.
There are also limitations when
color matching powder coatings
to liquid coating or textiles. This is
due to the availability of pigments
and the properties expected from
the powder coating. Custom coaters
expect a 100 percent match
to certain colors; however, often
times this is impossible to achieve.
Perhaps the most important
thing to consider in the powder
coating industry is not necessarily
the Color of the Year, but rather
the interpretation of the Color of
the Year by each designer, each
industry and each individual. It
is important to be aware of the
trends and what consumers are
expecting to see in the market
place. It is also important to take
a bold stand and introduce new
products coated with colors that
match other objects consumers
are purchasing for their interiors,
their outdoors and the landscape
surrounding them.
By observation, it is noticeable
that colors are crossing various
industries at the same time. So if
consumers are buying this year vehicles
in Emerald Green, they will
be expecting to find accessories for
their smart phones and their living
rooms in the same color. Consumers
are demanding to have their favorite
colors available everywhere.
Montaha Hidefi is a marketing & business
development manager and color
trends consultant & advisor for North
America at TIGER Drylac Canada Inc.
She can be reached via email at:
montaha.hidefi@tiger-coatings.com.
