by Emily Smith, professional market analyst and writer for The Label Company
When you visit a store to buy something, you find numerous items stacked on the shelves. But, there are the ones that instantly catch your attention, tempting you to pick them up and have a closer look. So, what’s the thing that you like about these items? It’s their labels.
The best of products can fail to please customers, if they don’t have a good label. So, how to create the label that grabs the attention of your prospective customer immediately?
Studies show that most of the successful product labels have some common, simple characteristics. These characteristics, along with several psychological factors, determine whether or not your label attracts your potential customers.
Here are some effective tips for you to come up with that ‘attention-grabbing’ label:
1. Use the right font.
The font you use on your product label, can be said to be the label’s voice. It’s the first line of communication with a consumer, and conveys essential information about the item.
- Use a limited number of fonts
Avoid using more than 2 types of fonts on your product label. Too many of fonts not only reduce the readability of the label, but also dilute the message you are trying to convey through the label.
- Use a readable font size
A font too large overwhelms the label, and in turn, the item. On the other hand, a font too small may make consumers overlook the label information. Find out the proper balance of size, and then decide the font size to apply.
- Use font relating to product and brand
Opt for a “refined” font if your product is something like an organic, sophisticated soap, whereas, go for a more fun and playful font if it’s a children’s food or snacks.
2. Use images to distinguish.
A consumer differentiates your product from the others usually by looking at its image or logo. By putting a properly positioned image in the label, you can help consumers understand what the item is, as well as decide more easily.
- Put your brand in the images
This is a technique that all big companies use. Branding of product labels is essential to create relationships between the customer and your product.
- Use images showing the item’s characteristic
When a lip balm has the image of a cherry, one can know the item’s flavor instantly. So, describe your product’s features using appropriate images in the label.
3. Use a good material.
- Good labeling material gives your item a complete look
A good material can give a polished look and feel to your label. When you are at a grocery store, many product labels have a similar look. But, you may find yourself attracted to the item having a professional-looking, sleek gloss label, rather than items with ordinary and dull labels. The items may be almost same, but the item with a better labeling material is likely to instill in you the confidence that the product’s quality is good.
- Materials with textures distinguish your item
Use different materials for labeling like foil, brown kraft and gloss to differentiate your product from the others.
4. Employ the right colors.
How your product will be received once it goes to the marketplace, depends a lot on the colors in its label.
- Incorporate the brand colors
Ensure that you put your brand colors in the label of your product. Customers should be able to recognize the colors instantly, and know which brand’s product they are looking at.
- Match the label colors to the item
Colors suggest the characteristics of a product. For example, an environmentally safe item is often linked with the green color. So, convey your product’s features using proper colors.
- Use vibrant colors
Use of bright, vivid colors will make your item stand out of the crowd, when on shelves and other places.
With these tips, you can create product labels that can draw your prospective customers towards your products. So, get ready to make labels that present your products in their best form, and bring sales.
[Image Courtesy: idiva.com]
Emily Smith is a Marketing Strategies associate at The Label Company, a food product label manufacturer in Orange County, CA. She loves to share her thoughts on marketing with other business owners through her writing. She has strong knowledge in food labeling strategies. You can follow her on Google+.
