The purpose of product labels is not only to provide information about the product but also to attract potential customers and persuade them to buy your product. If you are dealing with a tight market, you need to have a highly effective marketing strategy (like a good product label) to lure customers to your product.

In fact, a product label has a big impact on a customer’s purchasing decision. It determines whether customers will buy your product or your competitor’s product next to it. It only takes a matter of seconds before a customer can decide which one to pick and the one with a captivating product labels design probably has a higher chance to get picked.

ketchup-brand-label

What Is the Importance of Labels on Products?

As we’ve discussed in our Understanding Labels and the Basics of Labeling blog, some of the benefits and importance of labels (including product labels) are the following:

To provide information and identification

To organize product categorization

To ensure the accuracy and efficiency of your supply chain

To market your products effectively

To comply with product labeling regulations

To warn customers about allergens and other side-effects

To provide instructions

Creating a well-crafted product label helps you build a reputable brand identity. Store shelves will always be filled with a wide range of products which gives customers a variety of options to choose from. How can you persuade them to choose your product? Make your product label stand out from the competition!

Even if your product is better than the others but your label doesn’t say so, your brand won’t stand a chance from your competitors. Labeling plays a crucial role in product branding and marketing so you better increase your efforts in creating a good one.

To know more about the importance and functions of product labels, check out our blogs on Introduction to Product Labeling and 5 Important Functions of Product Labeling.

Buy High-Quality Dymo Compatible Labels at Best Prices!

What Makes a Good Product Label?

Below are the key features of a highly effective label that can help engage customers and trigger them to buy your product:

1.

Right Material

Choose a label material that can withstand the environment your product will be placed in. Even if you have an attractive label if you chose the wrong material or finish, the label will not last long enough to convey information about your product. Picking the right material will guarantee your label’s durability against environmental factors throughout the life of your product.

You will have a lot of options for label materials but below are the tips we can give you in choosing the most suitable one:

  • Choose paper labels if your product is not likely to be exposed to moisture
  • Choose polyester-based or BOPP materials for products that will be stored in cold rooms/freezers or for high-temperature applications. These materials are more durable and water-resistant.
vaccine-bopp-label

Clear BOPP Label

Also, when choosing a label material, make sure that it is appropriate for your design or the message you want to convey.

2.

Colors That Pop

The right colors can help grab a casually walking customer’s attention in a store. However, your color choices will depend on the following:

  • The color of your product container
  • The color of your product if the container is clear

When choosing colors, make sure that they won’t clash and lessen the product package’s entire appeal. The first thing you need to do is to choose a color palette that should reflect your brand and your product’s personality. Also, your label color and product/package color should complement each other. Products with clashing colors are likely to be avoided by customers.

If you are one of those people who are not good at color matching, you can use the following online tools to pick colors that will look good together:

  • Canva’s Color Wheel
  • ColorBlender
  • ColourLovers
  • Adobe Kuler

The type of product you are selling and the atmosphere you want to convey also impact your color choices. If you are aiming for an energetic feel, choose warm tones. For a calming feel, go for cool tones. Applying bold colors would also be great in showcasing your brand so that it will stand out from the other products on the shelf. However, note that bold colors do not mean bright colors. Bright colors, especially neon ones, will be hard to read and irritating to the eyes.

Pantone color swatches

3.

Great Graphics

Eye-catching graphics are important in drawing the attention of a customer to your product. A single but compelling picture is worth a thousand words on your label.

Images are often the first noticeable features of a product packaging so make sure that you use high-quality images to better communicate the quality of your product. It is also important that you choose a label manufacturer that uses high-quality label printers to ensure the production of exceptional images and graphics.

Learn More:

You can use royalty-free photos for your product labels if you don’t want to spend a little extra for your label design but make sure that you check their license agreement. Although you can use readymade graphics, creating your custom graphics is much recommended to add uniqueness to your labels. If you don’t want to hire a professional graphics designer, you can also find online tools that can help you create your own labels.

4.

Readable, Eye-Catching Fonts

The major purpose of product labels is to convey information to motivate customers to buy your product. Cluttered and unreadable information can cause the loss of a potential sale so it is important that you use readable fonts that are appropriate for your target customers. Here are the tips for choosing product label fonts:

  • Don’t Use Standard Windows Fonts

Don’t use overused fonts like Arial, Times New Roman, Monotype Corsiva, or Papyrus. Try something different. You can find thousands of fonts online to make your label unique but make sure to choose one that is readable.

  • Use Fonts That Work Well Together

When using multiple font types, make sure that they won’t make your label disorganized. Use fonts that belong to one typeface family or you can choose totally different fonts that still complement each other like pairing a sans serif with a serif. Avoid using typefaces that are too similar.

  • Use Fonts That Reflect Your Product’s Nature

Make your label more impactful by using fonts that go with your product. For example, hot sauce labels use fonts that reflect longevity and toughness.

  • Consider Brand Consistency

When you pick fonts, remember brand consistency. The fonts you choose should not deviate from the ones you are using in your marketing materials and vice versa.

5.

Correct Shape and Size

The shape and size of your label will depend on your product packaging. For round containers, you can either choose full wrap labels or both front and back labels. Both have their advantages and disadvantages but front and back labels offer an excellent way to separate marketing and branding messages from required consumer information (usually put on the back label).

Using unusual shapes can also draw a customer’s attention to a product because of curiosity. The perfect example would be the Heinz ketchup packaging. Creating unusual label shapes on clear containers is much easier because they are more noticeable. You can simulate unusual shapes on your labels so that they will appear unique even if it’s only a simple square label.

Using a custom label shape that mirrors the package’s content is also a good idea. For instance, if you are selling cookies, you can use a cookie-shape label that will surely stand out from the competition.

Heinz-ketchup-label

6.

Fabulous Finish

Choose a finish type that can boost the appearance of your product. A protective laminate layer adds a matte or glossy appearance to your labels. Not only do finishes make your label attractive but also protect it from scuffing or moisture.

Again, the ideal finish for your label will depend on the product packaging and the image you want to convey:

  • Matte Finish

A matte finish gives a more refined and subdued appearance as well as an easy-to-read classic look.

  • Glossy Finish

A glossy finish adds a shiny look to your labels and is a good choice if you want to make bright colors pop.

If you are not sure which finish to choose, you can order both to see which customers find more attractive.

Other Important Things to Note In Creating an Effective Product Label

Below are more tips you can follow to make sure that you create an impactful product label:

1

Be Consistent

If you have a series of products, make sure that your labels have a recognizable consistency. Keep the major elements in your label design consistent. You don’t have to make them identical but they should be similar enough to let your customers know that they are all from a single brand.

2

Maintain Originality

Research the label of your competitors and choose a label design that stands out to make your labels original, memorable, and unique. Copied, boring, or obsolete designs can mislead first-time customers. Also, don’t add anything on your label that is not related to your product just to make your design look more attractive.

3

Emphasize White Spaces

White spaces are areas in your design that do not contain texts, images, or illustrations. They are like your design’s background color. They help you create visual distinction and separate different information to make your label easier to understand. White spaces also give a sophisticated and minimalistic look to your design which makes your product appear more user-friendly.

4

Be Informative

Again, labels are for giving information so be as informative as possible. You can include the following details:

  • Nutritional information
  • Instructions
  • Warnings
  • Accreditations
  • Benefits
  • Extra nutritional advice
  • Usage recommendations
  • Fun facts (this is great for younger consumer groups)
secondary-label

To make sure that you create a good product label while still complying with labeling regulations, you can read our other blogs below:

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