Whether you promote in shops, at fairs or online, the presentation of your products speaks volumes about your business. And while the packaging is often only treated as a necessary way to protect and carry products, it’s a vitally important tool to stand out and create a memorable first experience with your brand.
Custom labels make your products recognisable and entice people to take a closer look. A recent Luminer consumer survey found that 68% of shoppers notice peel-off labels because they “stick out” from the package.
But standing out is just one step. If your products are on a stand or shop shelf, you only have a few seconds to convince people to take a closer look. So, it’s worth making every bit of text work to explain what the product is and its benefits.
The same Luminer survey also found that 60% of shoppers are unlikely to buy a product when the label doesn’t provide enough information.
Expert advice for your labels and stickers
In the following sections, small business owners share their experiences of making interactions with their businesses more memorable by using customised labels and stickers.
Consider each product’s “job”
It’s a good idea to try to plot different scenarios on paper to imagine where people come into contact with your packaging. Then map the printed products you use against all possible interactions with your company. Someone ordering online will first find you via a social network or search engine and receive a box through the post when they eventually order. This is an opportunity to thank them personally on a postcard. Whereas someone attending a trade show will be passing different booths with many more products competing for their attention. In this case, it’s important to package and label your products in an eye-catching way
Think about how people feel when they first see your packaging
Make sure you reflect your values in everything right down to your labels and packaging. For example, if you promote healthy eating and sustainability, you might choose earthy tones for your food packaging and a script font for product labels. Pepino Deli achieves a high-end look by using craft-style paper to package food to go.
Choose colours that reflect your brand
It’s important to keep your colour palette consistent across all of your marketing materials, right down to little details. That small rounded label may be the first thing someone sees related to your brand, so even though it’s a small product with limited space for information, it should communicate your values.
Decide what you want your labels to communicate
Try to think of this regarding both the information you need to share like the product name, ingredients or origin as well as the emotions you want your labels to convey when people read them.
Borrow ideas from inspiring brands
Think about when you received your smartphone. Unboxing a new phone is one of those interactions where you actually notice the product packaging. Try to emulate that memorable first impression in your own packaging. What was it that made the experience different? Perhaps it was the silky texture of the box, or maybe the quirky tone of the instructions.