​A new year can't come fast enough, and while we're eager to put 2020 behind us, we hope everyone enjoys a wonderful holiday season.

​Whether you're gathering with friends or enjoying a Zoom celebration with the extended family, peace, health and prosperity are our wishes for everyone. 

PANTONE® Color Institute Announces its 2021 Color of the Year
 
It’s tempting to see this as a piece of sardonic humor; a joke to cement the dire state of a twelve-month period unrivaled in recent US history. Most of us are hoping for a sunnier time head, but the realists at PANTONE® Color Institute—a commercial entity standardizing color tones—have made a selection for its color of the year 2021. And it’s a doozy.

But perhaps it makes total sense. It’s time to embrace gray with a little boost, and PANTONE®’s choice as the marquee shade duo for 2021 does just that.

For the first time ever, the showcased tone blends two independent existing shades, PANTONE® 17-5104 Ultimate Gray and PANTONE® 13-0647 Illuminating, a sunny yellow. The refined result reflects “a message of happiness supported by fortitude,” the entity claims. This hybrid gray-yellow tone is seen as adding vibrancy to an old favorite. That is inspiring.
 
A broad reach
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PANTONE® serves as an essential gauge for navigating through design projects, which are most often settled in the home décor sector, but also spill over into textiles and clothing, as well as graphic design for digital art. Interior design experts delight in the additions to PANTONE® color banks, and this year’s contribution is in keeping with fashion trends.

Gray has become a household favorite in home design. As this decade’s newest fashionable neutral, it replaces the whites, creams, and beiges from yesteryear. More homes than ever before are treated to decadent shades of gray in wall paint, flooring, furniture, and artistic décor.

In selecting its color-of-the-year designee, PANTONE® takes into account developing color influences that arise in pop culture, industrial design, art, fashion, and overall lifestyles. The year 2021 marks a shade of gray due to its bridging of seasonal factors, popularity in all areas of design, and a forecast of how it will shape the future of color choices. Adding the uplifting yellowed tone may be intended as a mood lift for those of us who have waded through a difficult year, which is pretty much everyone. Or, it might just be a lot of fun for designers.
 
Seeing is believing

Here are some of the ways our friends at PANTONE® look forward to 2021 with hope of prosperity, joy, and some epic design trends:

Hands Up to commemorate the 2021 two-shade tone.

The design-forward shades sharing PANTONE®’s annual award mesh beautifully in all forms of interior design.

A retro vibe captures the dynamic blend of gray and yellow with modernizing effects.

Special effects drive home the captivating blend of PANTONE®’s blended 2021 Color of the Year.

As COVID-19 turned the world upside down, consumers resorted to social media to make connections in a socially-distanced environment. However, social media also serves as a strong platform for retailers to build trust with customers---and it has a significantly strong influence on buying decisions.

71% Users More Likely to Purchase from Social ReferralsWe all know the power of social proof, but the stats show exactly where the strongest influence comes from with social users.
 
For example, 71% of people are more likely to buy a product that’s based on social media referrals. This includes seeing ads from retailers or even from influences.
 
Influencer marketing is recognized as one of the most powerful ways to market products. This is especially the case for Twitter, as studies show that 50% of users made purchases directly because an influencer referred the product.
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What Social Platforms Bring the Most Product Sales?Keep in mind that not all social platforms will yield the same results. You must consider the demographic and where your ideal customer most likely spends their time online. This is part of the bigger strategy of choosing the correct social platform for promotion.
 
Many product-based brands can find selling success on the following platforms:
 

• Facebook: As the largest social platform with 1.7 billion users and growing, Facebook offers extensive reach into a range of demographics. Ad spend is considerably affordable on this platform, which improves reach to your audience. You can target new potential customers by targeting engagement patterns and other behaviors.
• Instagram: Owned by Facebook, Instagram has 1 billion active monthly users. This platform is effective for reaching the teenage and college-aged demographic. Instagram also integrates easy shopping options with ads.
• TikTok: One of the newer social platforms that exploded in popularity over the last several years, TikTok is a go-to with Gen Z-aged users. This platform curates its feed based on users’ interests, which makes it outstanding for brand awareness.
• Twitter: The platform with the highest influencer pull, Twitter works as a fast-paced social platform with a focus on trends. It’s a network where people can chat about brand experience, while 53% of people recommend businesses and products in their tweets.
• YouTube: Owned by Google, YouTube has a powerful influence on buying decisions for several reasons. First, influencer recommendations can reach hundreds to thousands of subscribers. Furthermore, product reviews can help buyers understand how products look and function in their own homes. YouTube is also the second most popular search engine in the world next to Google. It processes more than 3 billion searches per month.