Consumer concern in regard to their health and well being has prompted the demand for more natural products, and natural colorings.
In response colors derived from natural sources look set to overtake synthetic alternatives in market value as manufacturers continue to meet the rising demand for clean label ingredients.
Read more about this trend on foodnavigator.com
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7th August: Kate's Color Quiz
Nexium became the most heavily advertised drug in the United States with ads that featured what color? Answer »
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Kate Smith
"As a professional color expert, trend forecaster, engaging speaker and chief color maven, I work with corporate clients and buiness owners on using color to drive sales and elicit a favorable response to their products, their brands, and their marketing messages." more...
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Trendwatching.com is an independent and opinionated trend firm, scanning the globe for the most promising consumer trends, insights and related hands-on business ideas. (more…)

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Banding Together for Patient Safety
Products & Packaging · Tags: color coding
Authored by Kate Smith
The Hospital and Health system Association of Pennsylvania would like all health care facilities in the state to adopt this color-coded patient wristband system to avoid confusion.
Color-coded patient wristbands are common in hospitals. But until recently, the colors and meanings were created by each individual facility.
The Pennsylvania Patient Safety Authority issued an advisory in 2005 about the potential risks of misinterpreting these wristbands, which led to a pilot project to create a standardized color-coding system.
In June, the Patient Safety Authority launched a campaign to encourage hospitals to join the Pennsylvania Wristband Standardization Project, also known as “Banding Together for Patient Safety.”
Excerpted from an article on Nurses.com
In the red: apparently scarlet pieces are a sign of the recession
UK Telegraph columnist Hadley Freeman pokes fun at trend forecasting in her response a reader’s question:
I read in last week’s Guardian that it’s necklines, not hemlines, that reflect the world’s economy. Are there any other fashion signs about global finances?
From her article titled ‘Recession chic’
And, oh my God, what’s this?! Apparently next season’s major colour is “tomato red”, as in “in the red” and definitely not the black. Slap my forehead, how could we not have seen the signs back in February when these clothes were first shown? Have there ever been more obvious portents of an upcoming financial crash? Truly, there is nothing like a demi-couture red Alexander McQueen dress coming down the catwalk to make one sense the chill of an oncoming recession.
My friend and CMG colleague Rebecca Ewing made me aware of the ‘Complaint Free World’ campaign that uses those rubber cause wrist bracelets in a new way.
Their belief is that “Your thoughts create your world and your words indicate your thoughts. When you eliminate complaining from your life you will enjoy happier relationships, better health and greater prosperity. The Complaint Free program helps you set a trap for your own negativity and redirect your mind towards a more positive and rewarding life.”
Sounds like a good idea, doesn’t it?
Not only do you wear the bracelet to show that being “Complaint Free” is important to you but you also use the bracelet as a tool to remind yourself not to complain.
The strategy is to change the bracelet from one wrist to the other when you catch yourself complaining, criticizing, or gossiping, and the goal is to go 21 days with the bracelet on the same wrist, or 21 days of no whining.
If you’d like to join Rebecca and I as well as over 5,500,000 others that have committed to living a positive life you can learn more and get your own bracelets at www.acomplaintfreeworld.org
Your surroundings can affect your mood — and your stomach may pay the price
Red: When a person sees red, the pituitary gland sends out signals that make the heart beat faster, the blood pressure increase and the muscles tense.
Yellow: Perceived as a happy color, yellow is processed rapidly by the brain and is an attention getter.
White and silver: These colors suggest reduced calories. A bottle of Diet Coke is mostly silver, while a bottle of regular Coke is predominantly red.
Orange: Perhaps because it isn’t considered a classy color, orange indicates affordability.
Brown: Often used as a background color for gravy and cake mixes, brown indicates roasted or baked. It also suggests rich flavor.
SOURCE: Eric Johnson, head of research studies for the Chicago- based Institute for Color Research and Brian Wansink, PhD., director of the University of Illinois Food & Brand Lab
Color insights for your business —brands, products, packaging— plus the lastest color trends, design influences and innovations.
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