... why cars are getting the blues
Misty Walker Yeomans knows why certain shades, like white, black and silver, are found on many more vehicles than, say, green.
As PPG’s color styling manager, Americas, automotive OEM coatings, she analyzes the trends and helps forecast what colors should be produced for future models. The Downtown-based paints-maker, with 2020 sales of $13.8 billion, has for years supplied coatings to major automakers, including Ford, GMand BMW.
Ms. Walker Yeomans, 44, earned a bachelor’s degree in fine arts from Indiana University of Pennsylvania and started her career at a bank, FNB Corp.
(This interview has been edited for space and clarity.)
How did you end up as a color specialist?
I saw a job for a graphic designer at PPG. I loved it. I did that for five years and got very involved with the marketing and sales teams. Then I got bored in graphic design ... and went to a marketing role in coatings.
I worked on the PPG Olympic brand. I left for a year and a half when one of our agencies hired me. I wanted to branch out. Then [PPG] offered me a role to come back as color marketing manager for architectural coatings. I love working with customers one on one. That’s probably my favorite part of the job.
When PPG released its annual automobile color popularity report earlier this year, white once again topped the chart, accounting for 34% of cars purchased worldwide in 2020. Why do consumers like white?
White dropped by 1% globally this year. People gravitate to white because it’s a safe color. They may not be comfortable with something splashy. White is neutral, a safe bet.
After white, car buyers went for black (18%), silver and gray (12% each), blue (9%), red (8%), natural (5%) and green (2%). PPG focused on the emergence of blue when it announced the findings and called blue “optimistic.” Is there a COVID-19 connection?
Blue is ticking up. In North America, it’s overtaken red for sports cars. Blue by nature is authentic. It’s loyal. It gives a feeling of trust. It’s Americana. It can be tied back to cleanliness, and something the pandemic had us looking for was cleanliness, reliability ... and security. It’s not surprising that you see a lot of corporate logos in blue. There’s a lot of strength in blue. (PPG’s logo is a shade called kingfisher blue.)
What sparked your interest in color and design?
I’m from Indiana, Pa. I grew up on a farm right outside of town. I always went for the arts. My major [at IUP] was graphic design. My minor was metals.
You have a fine arts degree but work with lots of data. How did you prepare for that?
PPG has always given me lots of opportunities. It was like earning an [master’s of business administration]. I learned supply chain, packaging ... even did a short stint in the procurement group. I was interested in rounding out my skill set and getting more fine-tuned with the numbers, contracts and negotiations. We’re in a data-driven society. I was a nerd before it was cool. PPG likes those kind of people. To innovate, you have to have that mentality. What color is your car?
We have two vehicles. They’re both red.
What’s your favorite color?
Red has always been a favorite. It was my dad’s favorite color. In non-COVID times, I wear a lot of red. Now I’m just wearing black yoga pants.