What’s in a label?

The choice of packaging and label design, colour and style identifies your brand, gives it a unique appearance and hopefully will help keep the brand name front of mind. It distinguishes your product from your competitor’s and communicates directly with the consumer to present an image that expresses the product whilst also describing contents and providing instructions.

An attractively packaged product makes all the difference at the point of sale, this might be on the shelf but also increasingly on an online e-commerce platform.  So, as applies to most things, first impressions count for a lot.

However for any new start up or specialist, craft producer there is a lot to think about, costs need to be kept to a minimum and it’s no good having an amazing label if it takes all the profit.

Here we look at some helpful tips to get that all important label right first time.

1. First and foremost really think about the design
This includes the colours, how do these relate to the product, what do the colours infer, how do they translate across different mediums and, if applicable, in different markets. How would they appeal to your customer. Think about whether you want to use strong graphics or something softer such as illustrations or an abstract theme. Think about where your products will be on sale.

2. Think about packaging and label shape
Can you use a more unusual shape, a customized-cut label?  Be sure to consider how this will work with all your brand sizes though.

3. Engage with the customer
Try to include something that will resonate with the customer, it might be a healthy angle or environmental or even family related. Highlight the positives.

4. Be clear and concise
Make sure you include all the important facts on the packaging, clearly and accurately and meet all health and safety guidelines. 

5. Think about packaging and label material
Will your product be chilled in refrigerators, will the label need a protective coating? How will it travel and still stay in pristine condition. What does the label need to endure. Do you want a thicker more luxurious label paper to emphasis the quality of the product?

6. Production Runs
How much will you produce and how often? Will there be regular variations on the product as in different flavours? Can your labeling be easily adapted so as to keep costs down.

7. Special effects
Can you give your label a bit of kick with a special finish. This might be hot foil stamping or a gloss varnish or a foiled badge.

New start-up business, Yumello, who produce argan oil and nut butter spreads, got it just right and their products now grace the shelves in iconic department store, Harvey Nichols.

We spoke to Yumello Co-Founder Esther Lopez about their labeling choices.

“When we considered a label design, we needed it to encompass our values, heritage, product ingredients as well as portraying a certain healthy lifestyle image,” states Esther.

“We have a small range of products and needed small production runs of labels but also a printing facility that could print all of our label versions in one go.  Digital label printing was the only solution.”

Yumello wanted to be able to have customized sizes to fit their jars and all of their flavours printed in one run.  But there were other factors to consider also. 

“We produce a premium product, aimed at speciality outlets and high-end stores, so we needed a label that looked premium in quality,” continued Esther. “We managed to find a premium matt paper available on a digital print and this was included in our Start Up package.  So it was a perfect solution for us.” 

For all food and drink producers, packaging should have consumer appeal, a distinctiveness that makes the product stand out against a hubbub of colour and designs.

With grocery store shelves being lined with multiple products from countries far and wide, each competing with one another, packaging provides the first impression that prompts the consumer to pick up the product and look further.  It pays to do your research and be sure about who your customer is, perhaps prepare a profile of their likes and dislikes.  Where will your product sit in the market, is it high end? Is it an every day product or a special treat?

Digital label printing is one option for start-up or artisan businesses to look into. The finishing techniques offered alongside digital labeling are now much expanded with the option to add premium, eye-catching features to the label so there is something to suit most products and producers.

Whatever your market and whatever type of statement you want to make, there is a label to fit.