紅色對你來說意味著什么？那么紫色、黑色和綠色分別帶有什么象征意義呢？哪個顏色會給人一種可靠的感覺？在設計師與市場營銷人員豎立品牌形象時，顏色起著非常重要的作用。本集《隨身英語》探討不同的色彩在注重品牌化的當今市場中所扮演的角色。

課文內容

Vocabulary: Branding 詞匯: 品牌化 

Take five colours: red, black, blue, green and purple. How do they make you feel? It’s a question of supreme significance to designers and marketers. British fashion designer Wayne Hemingway explored this topic in a BBC radio programme about the psychology of colour. You can read a summary of his ideas below. Do you agree with him? Or do you think the meaning of colour depends on the culture you live in? 

Red is, of course, considered auspicious in China. But he points out that it’s a powerful colour wherever you go, with some serious scientific credentials. Studies have indicated that red “raises blood pressure”, and claim that it stands out from other colours thanks to its long wavelength. Hemingway says it appears to be “coming towards you”, and so is useful for emergency and alarm signs, and also to for conveying “urgency” in general. That’s why he thinks red sale posters seem to yell at us: “Quick, buy it now!”

Black has a different sense. In the West it’s associated with death, but that hasn’t stopped it becoming a prestigious and mysterious colour. Hemingway says it’s the colour of luxury brands: things like “glossy black limousines” and “designer watches” are often black. He says it’s “very powerful and sophisticated when used as a primary colour in branding.” 

Blue, by contrast, is cool and tranquil. The colour is a constant presence in our lives, says Hemingway, being the colour of the sky and the sea. That gives it an air of reliability, which makes it a firm choice with “banks and corporations”. Hemingway says this is also why emergency services often choose the colour. A blue uniform can, for example, indicate “the cool competence of a nurse”. 

Green is, unsurprisingly, the colour of nature and the environment. Marketers understand that giving a product green packaging creates the impression it is enviromentally friendly. But savvy customers are also aware of this – and now think twice before blindly swallowing environmental claims. Hemingway also says that green is the colour of growth and movement: it’s used to indicate ‘go’ on traffic lights.

Finally, we have purple, which is associated with valuable things. In the past, purple dye was expensive because it was very difficult to produce, and it became the colour worn by royalty in many Western countries. These days, companies still use purple to make their product seem more exclusive, whether they’re selling chocolate or cigarettes.

詞匯表

marketer 市場營銷人員
auspicious 吉利的
credentials 憑據，依據
blood pressure 血壓
to stand out 顯眼
wavelength （光的）波長
urgency 緊迫性
prestigious 尊貴的，莊嚴的
luxury brand 奢侈品牌
glossy 有光澤的
designer 出自著名設計師的
sophisticated 有品味的，高雅的
tranquil 寧靜的
an air of 一種…的氛圍
competence 能力，水平
packaging （產品）包裝
enviromentally friendly 利于環(huán)保的
savvy 有頭腦的，機智的
to swallow 全盤接受
exclusive 高檔奢華的

測驗與練習

1. 閱讀課文并回答問題。

1. Which colour is associated with trust? 

2. Why do people notice red first?

3. Why are sale posters often red?

4. Which word means ‘strange; hard to understand’?

5. True or false: Customers always believe green packaging means that a product is good for the environment.

2. 請你在不參考課文的情況下完成下列練習。選擇一個意思合適的單詞填入句子的空格處 。

1. Luther is a very ______ employee. He does everything on time and to a high standard.

glossy       luxury       sophisticated       competent 

2. Having a baby on an ______ date is important in many cultures. 

exclusive       auspicious       sophisticated       tranquil

3. Michael is a ______ traveller. He always researches his destination before arriving to make sure he pays the right price for things.

savvy       prestigious       designer       exclusive 

4. Wearing designer clothes can give ______ sophistication.

airy       air of       an air of       the air of

5. Sandy really ______ the crowd with her bright pink hair!

stands out       stands up       stands out from       standing out from

答案

1. 閱讀課文并回答問題。

1. Which colour is associated with trust? 
Blue has “an air of reliability”, because of its constant presence in our lives.

2. Why do people notice red first?
Red has a longer wavelength than most colours, which means it “stands out” from other colours.

3. Why are sale posters often red?
Hemingway says that red has a sense of “urgency”, which makes customers feel they need to quickly follow the instructions of red sale posters.

4.Which word means ‘strange; hard to understand’?
Mysterious.

5. True or false: Customers always believe green packaging means that a product is good for the environment.
False. Many customers are savvy about the environmental claims of packaging.

2. 請你在不參考課文的情況下完成下列練習。選擇一個意思合適的單詞填入句子的空格處 。

1. Luther is a very competent employee. He does everything on time and to a high standard.

2. Having a baby on an auspicious date is important in many cultures.

3. Michael is a savvy traveller. He always researches his destination before arriving to make sure he pays the right price for things.

4. Wearing designer clothes can give an air of sophistication.

5. Sandy really stands out from the crowd with her bright pink hair!