1. Introduction

1.1. Research Background

In the past few years, the epidemic has affected China, and it will not gradually return to normal until 2023. Nevertheless, China’s coffee market is still bursting with strong vitality. In 2021, the scale of the Chinese coffee market reached about 381.7 billion yuan. The future coffee market may still grow rapidly at a growth rate of over 20%, and perhaps soon, a trillion-dollar market will be born in 2025 [1]. In the coffee market, young people aged 20-35 are the main consumers, accounting for more than half of the total consumers. Therefore, the brand planning style of many coffee brands tends to be younger, and young people are more interested in brand colors than middle-aged people. Sensitive, it may even determine whether young consumers will buy products. At the same time, the purchasing power and repurchase rate of consumers determine whether a brand can survive in a fierce market. This also emphasizes the role of color in brand planning for young people. From this point of view, the use of color is very important. Choosing the right color can greatly improve the brand benefit of the brand, increase customer stickiness, and attract consumers to buy.

1.2. Literature Review

Wang analyzed the use of color in brand design and believed that most of the cultural concepts of the brand could be displayed through color, and a novel and unique brand image can be created through color. Brands should start the color design with positioning and use color psychology to match colors. The overall design style grasps the color effect, improving the specificity of brand design and consumers’ brand awareness [2]. In marketing, some scholars put forward the “seven-second law”; that is, when consumers see the product, they can decide whether they are interested in the product within 7 seconds, and color can quickly attract consumers’ attention important means of [3].

Song proposed that color marketing is a market weapon that cannot be ignored. It can generate rich emotional communication with consumers and directly affect consumers’ desire to buy. Therefore, brands must pay attention to the planning of color in brand image. Color is not just a physical phenomenon or a purely decorative function. It can produce important differentiating elements for the brand, shape different personalities, endow it with a deeper emotional value, and make it stand out in the fierce market competition. Get out of the way. Among the five senses of human beings, visual perception accounts for more than 80%, representing the connection between color and marketing planning and consumers.

Wang Wei and Hu analyzed an in-depth analysis of the four aspects of Luckin Coffee’s brand design and studied how Luckin Coffee’s brand commercial design works on marketing from the perspective of actual value, spiritual value, online and offline overall design in order to explore the relationship between design and marketing [4]. Wang believes that design is not simply an aesthetic function. Still, more importantly, it can improve the brand’s economic benefits, increase the brand’s cultural attributes, and further improve the product’s value by combining brand planning. Brand designers should integrate the target group’s needs into In brand planning and brand design; the emotions brought by color are integrated into product design.

As a leader among coffee brands, He（Author） found that Starbucks coffee achieves its goal by building a sense of brand ritual. These include multiple marketing strategies such as environmental ritual sense, visual ritual sense, auditory ritual sense, and interactive ritual sense. The ritual of color in the visual ritual sense is also extremely important [5-7]. Stable brands and high-quality consumers are mainly connected through the emotion and resonance between the brand and consumers. Therefore, different colors in brand planning can establish different connections with consumers and jointly build brand culture. Through color, The use of the brand enables it to continuously convey emotional value to consumers so that the brand continues to improve itself.

1.3. Research Gap

There is often a knowledge gap in the research. Most scholars will have two major directions when researching coffee brands. One is to focus on the overall planning and marketing of the brand, including marketing strategies, etc., and the other is to focus on the visual image Overall design, including logo design, store design, etc. However, few scholars will focus on the combination of brand planning and brand design. This part includes the mutual influence between design and planning to create value for a brand jointly. With the development and progress of the brand industry, brand designers are increasingly aware of the importance of the influence of color on people. Therefore, in brand planning, it is necessary to use color and other design elements to position the brand and create a suitable consumer portrait. Provide richer emotional value for the brand.

1.4. Research Framework

There is often a knowledge gap in the research. Most scholars will have two major directions when researching coffee brands. One is to focus on the overall planning and marketing of the brand, including marketing strategies, etc., and the other is to focus on the visual image Overall design, including logo design, store design, etc. However, few scholars will focus on the combination of brand planning and brand design. This part includes the mutual influence between design and planning to create value for a brand jointly. With the development and progress of the brand industry, brand designers are increasingly aware of the importance of the influence of color on people. Therefore, in brand planning, it is necessary to use color and other design elements to position the brand and create a suitable consumer portrait. Provide richer emotional value for the brand.

2. Methods

2.1. Literature Research Method

By collecting literature related to the topic, reading and sorting the collected literature, and extracting literature and materials that are of reference value for the paper, this study will cite them in the article. This paper sorts out the literature on coffee brand planning and color psychology, understands the importance of brand planning to the market, and learns the influence of color on young consumers to study the influence of color on young people in brand planning. The literature mainly provides some enlightenment for this research: First, the marketing plan of a brand can determine its success of a brand, especially for coffee brands. To increase the purchase desire of young consumers, a standard color with a certain degree of recognition is essential; second, the emotional value of color endows the brand with greater spiritual attributes, and the combination of actual and spiritual value can make the brand develop better.

2.2. Case Study Method

Through in-depth analysis of one or more actual cases, explore the nature and causes of problems, and conclude. For color research, this paper selects two representative coffee brands (Starbucks and Luckin Coffee) as the research objects for analysis. As two relatively successful coffee brands, they have different dominant color matching and convey different consumption concepts also have a different impact on the purchasing psychology of consumers. Design and marketing are often analyzed as two different elements in the previous analysis. Still, under the Internet background today, design has become an important carrier of marketing means. The use of color in design is the key to giving consumers different impressions. Therefore, through different case studies, we can deeply understand the influence of color on consumers and avoid problems in the use of color in brand design, such as inconsistency with the brand culture and the use of color tones leading to the lack of uniqueness of the brand.

3. Result

3.1. Current Status and Trend Analysis of Coffee Brand Industry

The recurrence of the epidemic has brought great uncertainty to the catering industry, restricting its overall growth. However, consumers’ enthusiasm for the coffee industry has grown in the past three years. Especially in 2022, the coffee market will still maintain its vitality under the influence of the epidemic. Luckin Coffee’s total net revenue reached 13.293 billion yuan (approximately US$1.9273 billion), an increase of 66.9% compared with 7.9653 billion yuan in 2021. Since the brand was first established, the operating profit has turned from loss to profit for the first time; Starbucks has also performed well in the Chinese market, with a net increase of 260 stores, an average of 3 new stores per day. Throughout 2022, Starbucks China will have a net increase of 661 stores.

With the economy’s recovery, coffee has entered the daily life of Chinese people, and the coffee market may enter a rapid expansion and development stage. Some scholars predict that China’s coffee market will reach 381.7 billion yuan in 2021, and the industry is expected to maintain a growth rate of 27.2%. In 2025, China’s coffee market will reach 1 trillion yuan. Although the coffee market as a whole is growing, the industry as a whole is showing a trend of polarization. On the one hand, coffee brand single stores will account for 72% of the total number of stores in 2022. On the other hand, the number of coffee brand chain giants is even more impressive. Starbucks, The number of stores in China, has reached 6,000+, and that of Luckin Coffee has reached 8,000+. However, small and medium-sized coffee chain brands seem to be in the early stage of development, with a very small number and huge growth potential that will gradually increase.

The overall market in the consumer sector continues to shrink under the influence of the epidemic, but the capital market still favors the coffee industry, and more than 20 brands are still receiving financing. Some coffee brands with regional characteristics have received continuous attention from the capital and tend to develop into the next coffee market, such as Sunset Coffee in Xi’an and PlusIn in Chengdu. At the same time, some brands that have supply chain advantages and can resist force majeure factors have also received the favor of capital, such as some coffee brands in Yunnan coffee production areas. The coffee brand has become another important driver of the beverage industry after the tea brand. At the same time, the large-scale operation experience of the milk tea brand also provides a lot of reference experience for the coffee brand, which makes the development of the coffee brand more rapid. From the capital market perspective, the coffee brand has great potential, not only has the potential for high growth but also is a sustainable investment direction, making the development of the coffee brand more rational and predictable.

3.2. Analysis of Consumer Behavior Characteristics

Influenced by the tradition of Chinese tea drinking, the consumer groups of coffee brands are relatively stable. Post-90s women and white-collar workers are the core consumer groups. With the development of the food delivery industry, coffee orders have increased by 257% year-on-year. With the impact of the epidemic on catering brands and consumers, In order to survive and develop, all kinds of coffee brands, no matter how big or small, are actively transforming online under the Internet environment, and at the same time, bringing about changes in consumption habits, so the various designs of the coffee market have also changed accordingly. Image, packaging, app design, etc., are undergoing new changes. Consumers are more inclined to buy takeaway coffee brands with exquisite packaging design, simple and fast app operation, and thoughtful service. With the development of the takeaway coffee industry, almost every coffee brand has its special products because, in the consumption scenarios of various takeaway apps, consumers are more inclined to buy familiar products or new products with appropriate promotion methods, so the brand’s specialty products are even more important.

Consumers in the sinking market of the coffee industry are beginning to pursue evaluability and specificity, and young people’s enthusiasm for coffee consumption is further awakening. The “Dagong Coffee” in Wuxi, Jiangsu, set the price of Americano coffee at 4 yuan, attracting a large number of consumers. As coffee has entered the daily life of consumers, a cup of coffee has become the beginning of the day for many young people, so cost-effectiveness has become the primary condition for many consumers to pursue. Luckin Coffee is also based on various discounts in the coffee market. Specificity means that consumers will be more willing to try new products on the market or DIY new products by themselves, focusing on the expression of youthfulness.

3.3. Problems in Brand Planning in the Coffee Industry

With the development of the coffee industry, various coffee brands emerge endlessly, and design’s importance in marketing planning is self-evident. While people are pursuing the quality of material life, their aesthetic requirements are also constantly improving, which also shows that brand planning needs to be more accurate and meet the aesthetic needs of different consumers, but many coffee brands do not have a clear brand positioning in the initial brand planning, and most of them imitate known successful brands, which leads to excessive brand similarity and brand design forms. Being single and unable to convey its concept may eventually cause the brand to lose its characteristics and disappear from the coffee market.

Because color occupies the first place in vision, color occupies a very large proportion in brand marketing planning. Color relationships in different orders and rhythms can bring different feelings to consumers for different brand positioning. Integrating more information into product planning can bring clearer product information to consumers in the shortest time and help brands convey brand quality and texture experience [8].

3.4. The Reason Why Coffee Industry Exists in Terms of Brand Planning

The main reasons for this problem are the following:

One is that China’s coffee market has huge potential, so a lot of capital has been poured into the market without sufficient market research, which has caused many coffee brands to be unclear about their brand positioning, eventually leading to failure.

Second, the number of brands has increased sharply in the Internet environment. Many brands have given up offline and focused on online models. This has led to countless choices for consumers. Therefore, brand differentiation is particularly important, and consumers need to be more attractive according to the product’s characteristics.

4. Discussion

4.1. Optimize Product Positioning and Determine Suitable Standard Colors

As the first visually oriented element in the brand image, color should be easily recognizable and easy to remember. Different colors of coffee brands represent different product positioning. The overall tone of Ruixing Coffee’s brand image design is mainly blue, which gives consumers a clean and tidy feeling, and blue symbolizes nobility, which also has a high degree of fit with Ruixing Coffee’s product positioning. Color emotion is the subjective feeling brought by objective things to consumers so that it can have a very strong orientation. While the blue color of Ruixing Coffee brings noble feelings to young consumers, it also makes consumers feel the product’s cost performance simultaneously. The emotional characteristics of young consumers, at the same time, the combination of blue and elk geometric patterns makes people feel free, and it also correctly conveys the brand concept of dignity and freedom to everyone.

Therefore, for young consumers, blue, orange, and other popular colors in line with fashion trends are mostly used, which can not only meet the individual needs of consumers but also conform to the aesthetics of the public without violating the market. Young consumers need to use personalized brands to show themselves and express their emotions. Young consumers do not need implicit expressions but more straightforward personality releases. Visually, the color quickly attracts consumers with its unique primacy; psychologically, through various color matching and adjustments, consumers’ desire to buy can be enhanced [9].

4.2. Highlight Uniqueness of Brand Through Atmosphere Brought to Consumers by Color

Many coffee brands have high similarities, leading to positioning conflicts between brands, and they cannot convey their product concepts. However, colors can help brands be emotionally oriented and convey concepts.

As a coffee brand with a long history, Starbucks has attracted consumers of all ages, and the “third space” has brought different consumption experiences to consumers. However, as the consumer market becomes younger, Starbucks is also constantly upgrading its brand to adapt to the younger market. Starbucks will inadvertently break the harmonious environment without affecting the overall atmosphere. While the entire “third space” brings a comfortable, elegant, and comfortable atmosphere to people, it also embellishes the environment with some bright and brisk new products. With a relaxed and lively atmosphere, it is more able to attract the attention of young consumers.

Creating a sense of ceremony through color can also highlight the uniqueness of different brands. Green symbolizes vitality and freedom. It is a friendly color, which brings a unique product atmosphere to Starbucks, and also brings a touch of coolness to the crowded supermarket, allowing consumers to enjoy coffee in the “third space”, the close interaction between people, between people and Starbucks, between people and environmental protection, realizes the interaction between consumers and brands through the atmosphere of the color [10].

4.3. Seeking Common Ground while Reserving Differences in Color in Brand Planning

As an important means of attracting consumers, color can better convey consumption concepts and consolidate cultural characteristics only if it has integrity and consistency.

For young consumers, light and bright colors are often used to meet their needs of consumers. The visual experience brought by brand colors to users can enhance the aesthetic ability in the long-term aesthetic influence and add the power to express emotions. Fram said that “awakened and nourished by matter and recreated by the mind, color can convey the essence of everything and at the same time cooperate with strong passion” [11]. Brand planning needs to be carried out within a limited image strategy and theme, but the information can be conveyed to consumers through different color forms. Diversity-seeking refers to combining novel and specific visual information and different graphic elements to form different brand performances according to a specific brand cultural background [12].

For example, Starbucks has launched pink mugs and products to attract young female consumers. Through the use of color, it targets different consumer groups and uses various colors to collide and blend to show the brand’s personality.

4.4. Use Color to Overall Plan the Brand

In brand planning, color plays a dominant role in the planning of the brand image recognition system. All colors used in brand planning must be in a unified system, and then use different colors for different consumer groups to increase consumption—memory points of the reader.

The “green” of Starbucks is the memory point. The image planning of Starbucks is based on the green to expand the color and constantly strengthen the brand connotation through color so that consumers are more impressed. At the same time, on the premise of not affecting the overall color coordination, Some contrasting colors that are harmonious with green are added to deepen consumers’ impression of the brand. For example, bright colors attract young consumer groups, so the color and brand have achieved high unity.

Therefore, the brand’s overall marketing needs to follow the standard color to strengthen the visual image and express the brand culture to maintain high consistency. All colors need to focus on the main color. Only in this way can the brand be whole, so there is no confusion [13].

5. Conclusion

Today, the Chinese coffee market still has great potential for development. Various coffee brands are developing rapidly, and some are rising rapidly. People are pursuing spiritual enjoyment while pursuing material and spiritual enjoyment. This also proves that brand planning needs more attention. Intentional, more representative, and accurate colors can convey brand culture, express brand emotion, and bring great attraction to all kinds of consumers, especially young ones. By analyzing the use of colors in the brand planning of excellent coffee brands with examples, we can find that excellent brands have the correct standard colors. At the same time, standard colors must seek common ground while reserving differences in the colorful coffee market in order to better convey the cultural and emotional value of the brand.

The research in this paper can play a certain warning role in the coffee market so that the brand can move towards unity from within the brand in future development and show its characteristics in the market. It can provide a reference improvement method for the coffee brand in the early stage, which can be Pursue differentiation starting with color. If the company wants to survive in the young market that pursues individuality, the personality and tension of color are indispensable; coffee brands that have developed in the coffee industry for a certain period can correctly plan the future brand development direction and cater to them through color. All coffee brands should realize the importance of color in brand planning and realize that the brand similarity is too high, and the single form of brand design will lead to failure, which is an important reason. Accurate positioning of colors ensures the unique attributes of the brand itself, making the brand more attractive to young consumers in the market and developing better.

This article lacks charts but mainly uses words to describe. In the study of color on consumers, charts are used to express the different characteristics of different colors more intuitively to analyze specific issues.