It is not easy to start a company or launch a product line. Some work is enjoyable, while some can be tedious. The best product label design is one that sells. It’s fun to experiment with new designs but it can also be daunting because there are so many things to consider in order to attract customers to your product. Here are some tips to help you create your masterpiece of a label.
How to Create Your Design
You need to think about a few things before you start putting pen to paper, or paintbrush to canvas. These elements will help you to design even the simplest aspects of your label. From these elements, you can develop more details to make your label stand out.
Your Brand And Story
Everybody loves a good story. Your label should reflect your brand and tell your story. What makes you different from the rest? Is there a story that makes you stand out from the rest? For example, are you a dog lover who is so confident in cannabis-based products, that you started a company to create a whole line to help pets around the world? Have you ever seen a family member’s pet benefit from your product? Do you give a portion of your profits to an animal charity? A little blurb on a label will help you attract customers.
You don’t have to tell the whole story of your brand. Your story may not be as unique as the product. You might have an all-natural product, while the majority of your competitors use synthetic ingredients. While “all-natural” may not be prominent on the shelves of a health-food store shelf, it can still be a strong brand point in a pharmacy aisle.
This is where the idea comes in: Think about what makes your products stand out from the rest and create your label to emphasize that difference.
Recognizable, Yet Different
You’ll notice similarities in the labels of products if you pay close attention to what you see when you go into a grocery store. You’ll notice that most pasta sauces are rustic and cereal boxes are brightly colored. Take a look at the competition to see what common elements they use, and try to copy those commonalities. Your job is to make something unique and appealing that connects to the consumer while remaining familiar.
This isn’t to say that anti-traditional hasn’t had its successes. Yellow Tail Wine shows this perfectly. They created brightly colored labels to stand out from the rest in a market that is dominated by rustic labels and snobby expectations.
Understand Your Audience
You should have a clear understanding of your target audience. You can find a lot of marketing reports online, such as our Ten Tips to Increase CBD Store Sales, Shopping Trends for Every Generation and Top 2022 Consumer Trends in the Cannabis Industry. After identifying your target market, you can create a label that appeals to them. A label that appeals to a teenage girl may not be the same for a mature woman. You could easily turn off your target audience by using a label that they find distasteful or gaudy.
Your Label’s Flow
In English-speaking countries we read from top to bottom, and from left to right. You will want certain items to be included in that same flow.
- If Trademarked, Product Name and Trademark
- Branding Claims ex. All-Natural and Branding Story
- TagLines ex. Just like Mamma used to make
- Product Description ex. Original Recipe Sicilian Marinara
- Directions and Dosage (if applicable)
- Volume and weight
- Contact information for companies
You can get a good idea of flow by going to the store, looking at the labels that grab your attention and then paying close attention to how it flows. You might even discover a new idea.
Current Trends
When designing the perfect label, it is important to be aware of current trends in labeling.
- Bold Gradients – Graduating colors from each other creates a three-dimensional, eye-catching effect on a label.
- Minimalism – As with current web page design trends, less is more. The popularity of minimalistic, bold labels that remove all the unnecessary verbiage and reveal the essential elements in a simple label is increasing.
- White and Black — Simple, elegant labels in black or white can help your brand stand out from the crowd, especially if your competitors use brightly colored labels.
- Bold Pastels – Bold, powerful pastels not only make a product stand out but also add a sense of luxury.
- Vintage Style — Labeling is a favorite of the current love for vintage. Modern products will be more interested in vintage-style labels.
Material And Packaging For Labels
When designing your label, the final elements to consider are the label material/finish and the packaging. To help you decide between different color finishes finishes, as well as the design of your packaging, you will need to consult the manufacturer. Plastic-free packaging is very popular, but it may not be economically feasible. The packaging can make your product stand out just as much as its label.
We Can help!
Island Products is more than a wholesaler of premium hemp-derived products. We can help you if you prefer to have professionals design your label instead of doing it yourself. Island Products can help you with your product label design! We are happy to collaborate with you to design the perfect label for your product. Get in touch today to get started!