The Color Purple might be a famous Broadway musical, but it is the color blue that keeps showing up on this trip.

I had the privilege to attend visits at both Boxed and Shareablee. These startups could not be more different in company deliverables, however they both share the common logo color of bright blue. I wondered if the similarity in color was a trend amongst other start ups, and if so what is the significance of blue logos.  

A 2011 post from DesignBuddy.com, reviewed that top 100 most profitable brands and 33% of the top brands used blue in their logo design. Additionally 28% of the top 50 New York startup companies to watch in 2017, according to BuiltinNYC.com, also incorporate blue into their logo design.

Blue, in western culture has taken on a masculine role that also portrays depth, expertise and stability. Dark blue specifically is preferred in American corporate culture. Light blue can often take on a more calming, purification and cleanliness and is often used in the medical field and in airline companies.

It is important when thinking about business messaging, especially a startup, to consider how you want to come off to the consumer and how color can help accomplish that. Both of these brands offer a service and therefor blue can evoke a feeling of trust and reliability to new consumers.

-Rachael Laage