Research into brands

I wanted to look into how brands "brand" themselves, how they advertise.
By looking at successful brands and how they are, I will better know how to market myself as a freelancer and what visual marketing techniques are viable and what works and why.

• Dominant colours used in logos are red, black and blue.
• Red is the colour of fire/blood so is associated with war/danger/strength/power/passion/love/desire.
• The colour red evokes strong emotions in a viewer as it is emotionally intense. The colour raises blood pressure, increases metabolism and respiration and so it is used to stimulate people into quick decisions.
• Black is associated with power, elegance, formality, death, evil and mystery. Gives sense of perspective and depth. It is mainly used to make other colours stand out.
• Blue is he colour of sky/sea. Often it is associated with depth and stability. It symbolises trust/loyalty/wisdom/confidence/intelligence/faith/truth.
• Blue is considered beneficial to mind/body. It slows metabolism and produces a calming effect. Associated with tranquility and calmness. Blue is often used to suggest precision when promoting high-tech products. Blue suppresses appetite so not usually used for promoting food.
• Overwhelmingly fonts are sans serif. Sans serif fonts are easy to read due to lack of flourishes and style. They are objective and clear.
• Flat design seems to be a preference over beveled, 3D designs.
• Dominant shapes in logos are squares, circles and rectangles.