We see product labels everywhere we go. Labels may seem like small details when looking at all the products on the shelves, but they are essential to your brand identity and how your consumers perceive your products. Your label design should be thoughtful and include intentional elements like colors, fonts and graphics.
What makes labels necessary to your success? Explore the many ways labels benefit your business.
Your product labels contribute to your brand’s story and messaging. When you have unified labels across various products, your consumers will learn to associate these designs with your company. Using colors, fonts and imagery, you can tell a story that represents your brand’s values.
A great example of labels representing brand identity is how organic or all-natural companies design their labels. To showcase a commitment to keeping products natural and chemical-free, the brand might use nature imagery, like leaves and flowers. A color pallet of browns, greens and creams can also convey this message. High-end brands might prefer clean and crisp designs with a focus on minimalism to communicate the value and luxury they bring to consumers’ lives.
Showcasing your brand identity through labels also encourages consumers to connect with your brand. In a way, your brand identity is like a personality, and it can attract certain types of consumers based on the story you tell. For instance, using trendy design styles and bold colors can help attract a younger audience, while refined and classic designs can resonate with more sophisticated buyers.
Every product has important information worth sharing. Ingredient lists, nutritional information and directions for use are all examples of essential information that products may need on their labels. While your label’s design aspects will support your brand, the information on the package will tell consumers what they need to know.
In some cases, this information is required by law. Nutritional labels and ingredient lists are required by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for all food products. These aspects of packaging design are meant to provide transparency about a food product, so buyers know what they’re eating, which is particularly important for people with allergies. While your product labels offer critical information, they also keep your company compliant.
Some label information is vital to safety. Labels must include a note when a product is produced in a facility with tree nuts to protect consumers with severe allergies. Non-food products might contain warning labels about flammability or choking hazards for small children.
While your labels make your brand recognizable, they also make specific products recognizable. Consider how you navigate the store shelves when you have a particular product in mind. The label is likely the first feature to catch your attention, even before you read what the label says.
One of the major benefits of this recognition is making your products stand out from the competition. Labels can also be an excellent way to identify your brand in global markets, even if the actual name of the product changes. In this case, the same colors and design elements will signal to your consumers that this is a product they know and have used before. Even if you choose to redesign your label, continuity in color or font choice can still tell customers what a product is.
Your labels can be the difference between a consumer choosing your product or a competing one. With the right label design, you can keep up sales with repeat customers and draw in new ones. When consumers search for products they’ve never used, the label is a compelling first impression. Colors, graphics and font choices bring people to your product and encourage them to take a closer look. The more you can make this happen, the more you can increase sales.
The eye-catching effect is one of many reasons why brands will redesign the labels on their products. Outdated designs might blend into the many other products on the shelves or may even be perceived as unappealing by consumers. When something fresh and new appears on the shelf, consumers want to explore the product. One study shows that 81% of customers try something new when the packaging catches their attention, and 52% have switched brands because of a new design.
The more consumers know about a brand’s products, the more likely they are to trust that company. In a survey among consumers who purchased products online, 60% said transparency was the most important trait of a brand. With food products, there is certain information that’s required, but your brand has the opportunity to go above and beyond with your transparency — food product or not.
A great example of adding transparency to a label is briefly describing your process. Do you focus on ethical sourcing for your raw materials? Do you work exclusively with small business vendors? Tell your story and give your consumers a reason to trust you. When buyers understand how your business operates and what it represents, they build stronger, long-term connections with your brand.
In the age of social media, the concept of building trust with brands has become an even larger idea. Consumers can now connect with brands and their messaging on their favorite platforms. With quick access to brand websites, customers want to learn as much as they can about products and the companies that make them. Your labels are a way to bring that sense of trust from your social media platforms to the store shelves.
Given how much of an impact labels have on your consumers’ connection to your brand and your products, a label redesign could be the right move for your business. Drops in sales may signify it’s time for a refresh, or a lack of continuity in your brand messaging may push you to make a new label.
Other signs you’d benefit from a custom label redesign include:
Many companies have internal art departments to start redesigns, while others may need additional support. Label-Aid, Inc. has a fully functional art department that can help your team design labels from scratch.
Label-Aid Systems, Inc. specializes in custom labels to bring your products front and center on the shelves. Our team works with various printing methods to create clear, colorful labels that align with your branding. Request a quote today to refresh your label design.
