What Makes A Product Label Attractive?

Designing a product label is one of the most difficult jobs of today’s marketing departments. A bad label can turn customers away and decrease sales. On the other hand, a good label has the power to increase interest in a product and drive sales. Therefore, it is in a company’s best interest to spend extra time and effort fine-tuning the product label to ensure that it is eye catching to the consumer. In all my years of experience working in marketing, I have come to learn that there are certain characteristics that make a label more appealing to a consumer. Learn more below as you design labels for your company’s products.

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image courtesy of Stuart Miles/freedigitalphotos.net

The Right Size

First, I believe it is imperative that you choose the right sized labels for your company’s product. Make sure to find a balance between the label and the product. For example, if you are selling makeup palette, does the label hide what the palette has to offer? If so, then the label is too large. However, many times the labels can also be too small. In the example of the makeup palette, if there is no information of interest created, then the label is pointless. It does not serve a purpose. Therefore, try to find a balance. I have always found that if I am unsure if the size is right I can test it out on a few friends. I ask for their feedback. Usually, their unbiased opinions will lead me in the right direction and help me to determine what size is right.

Quality Visuals

Next, visuals are an important part of every label. Most of the time, they will sell your product before the text or logo will. Studies show that consumers react more positively to labels that have visuals then they do to those without. Therefore, make an effort to include a visual that coincides with the product you are offering. Also, when you include these visuals, make sure that they are current with the times. If the product has an image from the 80s, then consumers might think that the product itself is old or out of date.

Smart Text

Furthermore, nearly all visuals need some form of text on their labels. In fact, some will need a large amount of text. This is particularly true with food labels. The FDA requires companies to provide specific information to consumers. I have found this to be challenging visually. You don’t want the information to take over the label; however, you also don’t want to make it so small that consumers cannot read it. When it is difficult to read, consumers get irritated and move on from your product. Therefore, if you are having trouble fitting everything in, you might need to increase the size of your overall label so that the text and visuals fit together better without causing the label to look less attractive.

Good Color Selection

In addition to text and visuals, I have found that it is important to choose the right colors for your visuals. Generally one or two colors should be the focus on each product label. This allows the label to make a bolder statement when it is sitting on a shelf. If you use more than two colors, it might look like a rainbow of colors and seem confusing visually to consumers. Also, when you select colors, try to choose ones that pair well with your brand and visuals. It is important to always aim to send a consistent message to the consumer. If you consistently use labels in blue, it might seem confusing to change to pink. In doing so, you could experience decreased sales. After all, customers might have a hard time finding your product because they are used to looking for something that is blue.

Simple Shape

Another important aspect to product labels is a simple shape. Usually circle, square and rectangular shaped labels work best when you are trying to catch the eye of a consumer. Sometimes I notice that marketing departments try to get creative and use different shapes. While it might be unique to use a star on your product, it could also look distracting and confusing. Generally, the simpler the shape is the better the logo looks visually. This way the shape does not detract from the message of the actual visual.

Good Printing

One simple thing I think many companies can do to improve the visual presentation of their product labels is print quality labels. We live in an era where there is no excuse for blurry images that are difficult to read. Instead, images should be crisp, clean, and visually stimulating. If it costs more to print these high quality images, you should pay the fees associated with them. It is easy to distinguish a difference between high and low quality images. If you do not pay for high quality images, your product might be passed over for something that looks more professional when it is sitting on the shelf.

Well Placed

Also, once the labels have been printed, it is important that they are well placed on the products. Too often companies are sloppy with the efforts they make to place these labels on their products. They fall off, get torn, or look crooked. When this happens, the presentation looks unprofessional and the effort made to create a visually enticing image is wasted. Remember, if you are going to go to the effort to participate in the race, it is important to finish strong. Therefore, make sure to place the labels correctly so that they look appealing on your product. Along those same lines, work with you suppliers to ensure that the product gets placed well on the shelves so that the label is easily visible to the consumer in the store.

When you make an effort to create attractive labels, you are more likely to sell more of your product. Therefore, use these tips as a guide to help you boost the sales of your products. They are easy to implement, and you will notice a difference in no time.

Lawrence Reaves writes for MaverickLabel.com an online sticker and label store.

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