Going Emerald (and Blue)

It’s a decision that has left the rest of the color spectrum green with envy.

Or something like that.

Pantone, the authority on all things colorful, has named Emerald as its 2013 color of the year.

"Symbolically, Emerald brings a sense of clarity, renewal and rejuvenation, which is so important in today’s complex world," Pantone Color Institute executive director Leatrice Eiseman said in the statement announcing the selection.

But also stealing some of the spotlight is green’s neighbor on the color wheel – blue.

For spring women’s fashion, Pantone proclaimed Monaco Blue to be the hottest color.

Meanwhile, the Color Marketing Group named its color of the year as "Re-Blued," a blue with a dusky gray tone.

"Color needs to reflect our mood, desires and state of mind," said Color Marketing Group president Mark Woodman. "This fresh, true blue can be as energizing as it can be soothing. It's just the right hue for moving forward."

The Color Marketing Group also noted that "warmer, tropical, watery, blues with a touch of green" will be the hottest trend. Or, in other words, blues that very closely resemble ... yep, you guessed it ... Emerald.

Also interesting to note: Both organizations cited environmental relevance in their color selections. Green is "the most abundant hue in nature," said Pantone’s Eiseman, while CMG cited "global/environmental issues regarding water" as part of the reasoning behind the choice of blue.

So that’s all well and good. But what does it mean? It means you’ll likely be seeing a lot more green and blue in the home furnishings section of your favorite department store as well as on the pages of fashion magazines and the aisles of clothing stores.

But it also confirms a trend in branding as well. According to an infographic compiled by Marketo, blue is used more than any other color in the world’s top 100 brands.

According to the infographic, blue signifies security, dependability and responsibility in branding. Green, meanwhile, is associated with wealth, health, prestige and serenity.

It’s safe to assume that with the hues of choice in 2013, brands will continue to migrate toward blue. We may even see a rise in the use of greens as well.

Interesting enough, the infographic research shows that green is an unpopular color for clothing brands. Maybe with the popularity of Emerald this year, that will change.