Color Assignment Strategy

Why Colors Matter

Colors in decomposition charts are not just aesthetic—they're a critical communication tool that helps stakeholders quickly understand and remember insights.

Purpose: Assign distinct, professional colors to each contribution group for clear, memorable data visualization.

Accessing Color Assignment

In Contribution Groups page:

  1. After assigning variables to groups

  2. Color picker table appears below the variable list

  3. Shows all unique groups with current color assignment

  4. Click color swatch to open color picker

Color Selection Principles

1. Distinct and Distinguishable

Requirement: Each group must have a clearly different color

Good Practice:

  • Use colors from different parts of the spectrum

  • Ensure visual separation in charts

  • Test colors side-by-side

Poor Practice:

  • Similar shades (light blue and dark blue)

  • Colors that blend together

  • Too many variations of the same hue

2. Professional and Appropriate

Corporate Standards:

  • Match company branding when possible

  • Use muted, professional tones

  • Avoid overly bright/neon colors

Industry Conventions:

  • Blue often represents marketing/media

  • Red commonly used for price/costs

  • Green for growth/positive impacts

  • Gray for baseline/base

3. Accessibility

Color-Blind Considerations:

  • Avoid red-green combinations as sole differentiators

  • Use color-blind safe palettes

  • Test with color-blind simulation tools

Contrast:

  • Ensure sufficient contrast between colors

  • Consider both light and dark backgrounds

  • Test readability in different contexts

4. Consistency

Cross-Model Consistency:

  • Use same color for same group across all models

  • "Media" should always be the same blue

  • Enables comparison across analyses

Time Consistency:

  • Maintain colors over time

  • Year-over-year comparisons easier

  • Builds stakeholder familiarity

Recommended Color Palettes

Standard Business Palette

Group
Color
Hex Code
Rationale

Base

Gray

#808080

Neutral, foundational

Media/Marketing

Blue

#0078D4

Professional, traditional for marketing

TV

Dark Blue

#004B87

Subset of media

Digital

Teal

#00B7C3

Modern, tech-forward

Radio

Navy

#002050

Traditional media

Print

Purple

#5C2D91

Print industry association

Social

Light Blue

#4DB6AC

Social, engaging

Search

Orange

#FF8C00

Action, discovery

Display

Yellow

#FFB900

Attention, visual

Price

Red

#E81123

Cost, alert

Promotions

Orange

#D83B01

Special, temporary

Seasonality

Green

#107C10

Natural cycles

External

Purple

#8E8CD8

Outside factors

Distribution

Brown

#825A2C

Physical, stores

Alternative Professional Palette

For brands with specific color requirements:

Group
Alt Color
Hex Code

Base

Charcoal

#36454F

Media

Royal Blue

#4169E1

Digital

Cyan

#00CED1

Price

Crimson

#DC143C

Promotions

Coral

#FF7F50

Seasonality

Forest Green

#228B22

Color-Blind Safe Palette

Optimized for accessibility:

Group
Color
Hex Code
Notes

Base

Gray

#999999

Neutral

Media

Blue

#0173B2

Safe blue

Digital

Orange

#DE8F05

Distinct from blue

Price

Vermillion

#CC78BC

Pink-purple

Promotions

Yellow

#ECE133

High contrast

Seasonality

Green

#029E73

Blue-green

External

Purple

#949494

Neutral alternative

Color Assignment Process

Step 1: Assign Primary Groups

Start with most important groups:

  1. Base: Always gray or neutral

  2. Main marketing group: Professional blue

  3. Price: Red (universal for costs/pricing)

  4. Seasonality: Green (natural cycles)

Step 2: Assign Channel Colors

For media subgroups:

Digital channels: Cool colors (blues, teals, cyans)

  • Search: Orange (action)

  • Social: Light blue (social, approachable)

  • Display: Yellow (visual, attention)

  • Video: Red-orange (dynamic)

Traditional channels: Darker, classic colors

  • TV: Dark blue (established, traditional)

  • Radio: Navy (audio, deep)

  • Print: Purple (print heritage)

  • OOH: Brown (outdoor, physical)

Step 3: Ensure Contrast

Test colors together:

  • View in decomposition chart format

  • Check if colors are distinguishable

  • Adjust if any colors blend

Tools:

  • Use online color contrast checkers

  • Test in grayscale

  • Review on different devices

Step 4: Document Choices

Record color assignments:

  • Create color guide document

  • Share with team

  • Use consistently across all reports

Using the Color Picker

MixModeler Color Picker Features:

Palette Mode:

  • Pre-defined color swatches

  • Quick selection

  • Commonly used colors

Selection:

  1. Click on color swatch in the table

  2. Color picker opens

  3. Choose from palette

  4. Color updates immediately

  5. Preview shown next to picker

Visual Confirmation:

  • Color square shows current selection

  • Updates in real-time

  • Visible in table immediately

Color Best Practices by Group

Base Group

Recommended: Gray (#808080)

Why:

  • Neutral, doesn't compete with other colors

  • Represents foundation

  • Allows other colors to stand out

Alternatives:

  • Light gray (#B0B0B0) for subtlety

  • Charcoal (#36454F) for contrast

Marketing/Media Groups

Recommended: Blue family (#0078D4, #4169E1)

Why:

  • Professional and trustworthy

  • Traditional for marketing

  • Broadly appealing

Variations:

  • Different shades of blue for subgroups

  • Lighter blue for digital

  • Darker blue for traditional

Price Group

Recommended: Red (#E81123)

Why:

  • Universal for costs and pricing

  • Alert color draws attention

  • Contrasts with marketing blues

Caution:

  • Avoid if brand uses red prominently

  • Consider maroon/burgundy alternatives

Promotions

Recommended: Orange (#FF8C00, #D83B01)

Why:

  • Attention-grabbing

  • Temporary/special events

  • Distinct from regular marketing

Alternatives:

  • Coral for softer look

  • Yellow-orange for visibility

Seasonality

Recommended: Green (#107C10)

Why:

  • Natural cycles

  • Growth and patterns

  • Clear differentiation

Alternatives:

  • Forest green for sophistication

  • Mint green for lightness

Common Color Mistakes

Mistake 1: Too Many Similar Colors

  • Multiple shades of blue that look identical in charts

  • Hard to distinguish groups

Solution: Use colors from different color families

Mistake 2: Neon/Bright Colors

  • Unprofessional appearance

  • Strain on eyes

  • Difficult to present

Solution: Use muted, professional tones

Mistake 3: Insufficient Contrast

  • Light yellow on white background

  • Dark blue on black background

  • Can't read labels

Solution: Test contrast ratios, ensure readability

Mistake 4: Red-Green Only Distinction

  • Color-blind users can't distinguish

  • Critical groups become indistinguishable

Solution: Use additional color dimensions or patterns

Mistake 5: Inconsistent Colors Across Models

  • "Media" is blue in one model, green in another

  • Confuses stakeholders

  • Breaks pattern recognition

Solution: Document and enforce color standards

Color Psychology in Marketing Context

Blue: Trust, stability, professionalism

  • Use for: Corporate marketing, established channels

Red: Urgency, importance, costs

  • Use for: Price, critical factors

Green: Growth, natural, positive

  • Use for: Seasonality, growth metrics

Orange: Energy, action, attention

  • Use for: Promotions, new initiatives

Purple: Premium, creative, unique

  • Use for: Special programs, external factors

Yellow: Optimism, clarity, caution

  • Use for: Highlights, attention areas

Gray: Neutral, foundation, stability

  • Use for: Base, constant

Testing Your Color Scheme

Visual Tests:

  1. Side-by-side comparison: View all colors together

  2. Chart preview: Run decomposition to see actual usage

  3. Grayscale test: Convert to grayscale—can you still distinguish?

  4. Distance test: View from across room—colors still distinct?

  5. Multiple devices: Check on laptop, mobile, projector

Accessibility Tests:

  1. Color-blind simulation: Use tools to simulate color blindness

  2. Contrast checker: Verify WCAG compliance

  3. Peer review: Have colleagues review

  4. Stakeholder feedback: Test with actual users

Saving and Persistence

Automatic Saving:

  • Colors save with group configuration

  • Click "Save Groups" to persist

  • Colors stored in model metadata

Consistency:

  • Same colors used across all charts

  • Exported to Excel with colors

  • Maintained across sessions

Updating:

  • Can change colors anytime

  • Update applies to all future charts

  • Historical exports retain original colors

Examples of Effective Color Schemes

Example 1: CPG Brand

Base: Gray (#808080)
TV: Dark Blue (#004B87)
Digital: Teal (#00B7C3)
Radio: Navy (#002050)
Print: Purple (#5C2D91)
Trade Promo: Orange (#FF8C00)
Consumer Promo: Coral (#FF7F50)
Price: Red (#E81123)
Seasonality: Green (#107C10)

Rationale: Clear channel distinction, professional palette, accessible

Example 2: E-Commerce

Base: Light Gray (#B0B0B0)
Search: Orange (#FF8C00)
Social: Light Blue (#4DB6AC)
Display: Yellow (#FFB900)
Video: Red-Orange (#D83B01)
Email: Purple (#5C2D91)
Affiliates: Teal (#00B7C3)
Promotions: Coral (#FF7F50)

Rationale: Digital-friendly, vibrant but professional, channel-specific

Example 3: B2B SaaS

Base: Charcoal (#36454F)
Paid Search: Blue (#0078D4)
LinkedIn: Navy (#0077B5)
Content: Green (#107C10)
Events: Purple (#5C2D91)
Display: Orange (#FF8C00)
Organic: Teal (#00B7C3)
External: Gray (#999999)

Rationale: Professional, incorporates brand colors, clear hierarchy

Tips for Success

Keep It Simple:

  • Don't overthink color selection

  • Use established palettes

  • Focus on distinction and consistency

Be Consistent:

  • Document your color scheme

  • Use same colors across all models

  • Train team on color standards

Test Early:

  • Run decomposition with colors

  • Get stakeholder feedback

  • Adjust before finalizing

Consider Context:

  • Presentation environment (projector, screen)

  • Audience needs (accessibility)

  • Brand guidelines

Maintain Flexibility:

  • Colors can be changed

  • Update based on feedback

  • Refine over time

Next Steps

After assigning colors:

  • Set Adjustment Parameters if needed

  • Save configuration

  • Run Decomposition Analysis

  • Review charts with stakeholders

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