If you’re looking for a way to improve the effectiveness of your product marketing strategy, research suggests that you could do a whole lot worse than to start with the humble product label. It’s almost the first thing that the customer sees on the supermarket or DIY store display and a well-designed and attractive product label can make the difference between the customer choosing your product or the one next to it on the shelf. In fact, many national supermarkets have seen a rapid growth in their own-label brand sales at the expense of better known national brands as a result of better label design and a move towards labelling emphasising the premium quality of the product such as “taste the difference” or “finest” branding. As this article in Food Manufacture’s business news suggests, the humble product label can trump expensive media based advertising. Here are five suggestions for consideration in making your product’s label stand out.
1. Customise Your Labels
Make sure that your product’s label reflects its unique character. Eye catching labels needn’t be a riot of colour or a mass of information. For some products a more restrained and classical approach may be best. If you’re going to be printing your own labels in-house using a specialist colour label printer from a company such as QuickLabel, making use of short-run special edition products is an option, possibly to take advantage of a seasonal market, such as Valentine’s Day or the Christmas period.
2. Consider a Professional Design
While it’s perfectly possible to design your own labels and, especially with in-house label printing, change the design at will, it may be worth considering using a professional design company with specialism in your product area. Creating an aura of professionalism around your product’s appearance can enhance its appeal. A high quality label implies a high quality product.
3. Think About the Packaging
Whatever your product, the type of packaging matters. The iconic Coca-Cola bottle is probably the best example of a long-lasting and instantly recognisable packaging artefact but there are many other everyday items, from toilet cleaner bottles shaped like ducks to up-market perfumery packaged in female-shaped bottles. While not all product manufacturers will want to go to such lengths, small touches such as built-in handles to heavy packages like soap powder boxes or tactile, squeezable bottles for shampoo can be attractive extras which make the difference in promoting your product.
4. Make sure the Label Suits the Packaging
This sounds obvious but it needs a little more consideration. Clearly, the dimensions of the label must be suitable for the size of the box or bottle but it’s important to make sure that the information you want the label to carry will fit the space available without becoming lost. Some types of product and packaging –garden furniture or DIY goods, for example can be relieved of an impression of anonymity by using an illustration of the contents on the packaging. The type of label adhesive is worth a thought too. A squeezable shampoo bottle label will need to be able to withstand water, steam and being squeezed out of shape – a strong adhesive is required. Other product labels will be designed to be peeled off easily and without damaging the product or packaging.
5. Make Good Use of Colour
Whether bright and vibrant or subtle and mood-enhancing, colour can have a big influence on a customer’s decision to purchase your product. Careful use of colour as part of the design of your product’s logo can also help to make your product stand out and make it more likely that the customer will remember your product on future shopping trips.
About The Author
Frank Loftus is a production engineering specialist with 15 years’ experience of design and manufacture of printing hardware design. Currently with QuickLabel systems, he has had extensive experience in other aspects of office machinery production from relatively primitive technology to the modern high-spec commercial label printers of today. His weekends are mostly spent aboard the family’s seventy foot narrow boat, whether cruising the canals or, more often, keeping up with the never-ending list of maintenance and repairs.