Screenshot/Pantone
It might sound silly, but
To select the color, Pantone "quite literally combs the world looking for color influences," according to its website.
They look at the entertainment industry, new art collections, popular travel destinations, and technology.
AP
Pantone's Vice President of Consumer Licensing Lisa Herbert told Business Insider in April how the process works: "We deliver the news in a sealed envelope, and we have our representatives go out to [partner companies] in their trench coats with their suitcases. They have to sign a confidentiality agreement and the color cannot be revealed until we say so."
This year's color was emerald.