The Importance of Product Packaging and Labeling

In business there are always a million and one questions that need to be addressed.  It is important when you are selling a new product or rebranding an existing product that the products labeling and packaging are thoroughly evaluated.  Product labels and packaging have a strong impact in the marketing mix.  It is crucial that product labeling conveys the message that the company is trying to send to consumers.  The appearance of the product is what draws many initial purchases while the products quality creates repeat purchases. 

Packaging plays the important role of protecting the company's product from damage.  Not only does the package offer protection during transit from the manufacturing facility to retailer but also while it is on displayed on store shelves and transported for end user consumption.  Most products that consumers will purchase have some type of packaging.  Crackers for instance have a package in which they are sold to consumers in and a separate package for transport while produce may only have a package for transit but not for sale. 

The attraction of your product mainly comes from the way in which it is labeled.  The products label is used to market your product to consumers.  Companies do extensive research to determine the best options in color scheme, logo design, label material and overall product packaging to appeal to consumers. 

 Another important role that product labeling and packaging has is to promote the product and key information about it.  The label may contain a list of ingredients, recommended uses, pricing, company information and additional information that consumers need to make an educated purchasing decision.  This detailed, factual information about the product propels the purchase on its own without assistance from a direct sales person. 

Brands need to stand out from one another.  Choices in package and label design ensure that competing products are differentiated from one another.  The colors used on the label and packaging, along with distinct branding marks, such as a company logo, help consumers to tell the difference between similar products that are shelved close together.  The idea behind this being that consumers should easily recognize the brand and product by the packaging and label colors and design upon initial site.

Shoppers use all of their senses to identify specific company brands.  This propels them to purchase the product.  When a company looks to redefine its brand it should consider the residual effects of completely changing the colors, logos and distinguishing markings on the products packaging and label.  It is crucial to remain true to the products original identity to a point when considering a change to the products package or label because consumers find a certain level of comfort in familiarity. 

At Anchor Printing, we take pride in offering our clients cut & stack labeling, pressure sensitive labels, roll-fed labeling, shrink sleeves as well as flexible packaging options. Contact us today at http://anchorprinting.com for all of your product label design, printing and packaging needs.

Tips For Using Color In Product Labeling

Extensive research has gone into researching the effect color plays on the emotional psyche of consumers during the purchasing process.  In order to hone in on consumers during the critical moments before they make a purchase graphic designers must elevate their feelings for the product.  The value of emotional marketing in business is not to be overlooked.  Color triggers emotion, emotion triggers purchasing and purchasing triggers success in marketing. 

When creating a label it is important that designers account for the way consumers react to different elements of design, including color, as a trigger in their purchasing decision.  The emotional response seen by different colors is not only influenced by a consumer’s personal preference but also cultural influences as well.  Consider how our western culture perceives the colors pink and light blue or red and royal blue when used in combination of one another.  In the first example, pink and blue, instantly most consumers will draw up images of baby boys verse baby girls where as in the second example, red and blue, most often when used in conjunction will draw an image of hot and cold.

From the above it can be gathered that certain colors have certain emotional expectations.  Below is a summary of what emotions are associated with certain colors.  Remember that this changes as colors are used in combination with one another as well.

Red:  The color red is often thought to evoke the emotional response of warmth, heat and fire.  Think about the color red; what image pops into your head?  Did you see a fire engine, a camp fire or something else?  When designing a product label, designers often use shades of red when looking to elicit a high energy, intense response.  The color red is powerful.

Blue:  Blue is often seen as a color that resonating emotions of stability, serenity and 

stillness.  When thinking of the color blue what imagery comes to mind?  Do you see floating clouds, waves, water or other strong, masculine images?  Blue tones and shades often evoke emotional responses of cleanliness, intellect and consciousness.  You will often see blue in labels and marketing materials promoting airlines, banks, vacation locations, retreat spas and bottled water.

Yellow:  If a designer is looking to promote energy, happiness and enjoyment then yellow if the color that they will choose.  When yellow is used in labeling the emotional response is general cheeriness.  When used in labeling yellow stimulates hunger, freshness and order.

Green: When a product wants to come across as eco-friendly, health conscience or natural label designers will choose shades of green.  Green shades are often emotionally linked to the harmony that is seen in nature.  When advertisers seek to convey natural products, eco-safe, or environmentally friendly they will use green in their label design.

White and Black:  The two most basic colors in the spectrum of advertising are black and white.  White is a clean color that shows purity and innocence.  When used as a design element it is considered a new beginning or sterile space.  It is often used to promote medical cleanliness.  Whereas black is more elegant, formal and a color often seen in mourning.  When used with bright colors the black makes the colors pop. 

At Anchor Printing, we take pride in offering our clients cut & stack labeling, pressure sensitive labels, roll-fed labeling, shrink sleeves as well as flexible packaging options. Contact us today at http://anchorprinting.com for all of your product label design, printing and packaging needs.

Key Advantages of Shrink Sleeve Labeling

There are a number of options available to manufacturers when considering materials to use for product labeling including cut & stack, pressure sensitive, roll fed, shrink sleeves and flexible packaging.  The market for stretch and shrink sleeve labels continues to be one of the fastest growing in the labeling market to date. 

This is largely driven by the benefits shrink sleeves offer when it comes to marketing, brand identity and self impact.  Another reason that the popularity of shrink sleeves is growing is due to the developments in the manufacturing process including improved quality, economic influences, consumer demands and retail trends.  Below we will examine the forces driving shrink sleeves popularity as a product labeling option.

Shrink sleeve labeling has one major advantage over other types of labeling in that it offers a cost effective approach at labeling containers that are complex or not traditionally shaped.  Shrink sleeves enable manufacturers the ability to reduce the wall thickness on plastic and glass containers as well as eliminating the need for special colored containers.  In fact shrink sleeve labels smoothly contour packages that might otherwise be difficult to label with standard adhesive labeling options.  With the increased popularity of sleek, curvaceous bottles in beverage packaging, this is an important advantage for shrink sleeve labeling. 

Another advantage that shrink sleeve labels have over other traditional types of labeling is that it really makes a product stand out from its competition.  Sleeve labels can be applied to a package in several different ways.  From covering just the shoulder of the container, the cap of the package or the entire full three hundred and sixty degrees of the body of the package shrinks sleeves are an option. 

The extra space that shrink sleeves offer manufacturers the ability to add colorful, eye-catching designs while offering additional space to communicate pertinent product information to consumers.  Regulations in labeling, especially in food, beverage and pharmaceuticals have become much more strict in the previous years.  With shrink sleeves manufacturers do not have to worry about including the needed information within just one small labeling space.  Shrink sleeve labels offer extra space to maintain its ability to reach consumers while ensuring that manufacturers conform to regulatory standards that are in place. 

There are a number of practical advantages that shrink sleeves offer as well.  For instant a pre-formed shrink film band can be manufactured to fit a particular container without needing to be custom designed.  They can also be used to attach the container caps to provide extra safety in the form of a protective, tamper-evident seal.  This is extremely important especially in the food, beverage and pharmaceutical industries.  These pre-formed bands around the caps of products are a simple and effective way that informs consumers if their product has been tampered with before they have had the chance to use it. 

At Anchor Printing, we take pride in offering our clients cut & stack labeling, pressure sensitive labels, roll-fed labeling, shrink sleeves as well as flexible packaging options. Contact us today at http://anchorprinting.com for all of your product label design, printing and packaging needs.