Packaging is all around us. We see and interact with different kinds of packaging on a daily basis from purchasing a pack of gum, to making that big TV purchase. What is it that draws us to a specific product? Is it Color, is it the shape or is it the messaging? We know that certain colors are known to channel subliminal communications instantly. There are thousands of shades of each color, and picking the ones that evoke the emotions you want can help you forge a connection with the consumer. While ensuring the colors are fitting in with the company colors, you must remember not to overuse color. Using to many colors to emphasis your message just turns into noise. Pick one dominant color and then accent with others. Below are 3 things to consider when picking colors.
Ask yourself which one color gets your message across: Red is vital and exciting, Green can communicate healthfulness or sustainability. Pink can be girly or comforting. In some cases, such as a label for chocolate ice cream, the color associations are obvious but for other products, you should choose colors based on the mood you think fits the brand. For example, a camping/outdoor sporting store wouldn’t print their hangtags or boxes with a vibrant purple color since purple doesn’t really give you the feeling of the outdoors. Instead, they would choose colors that would give you the message and feeling of the outdoors like a green or light brown.
Always plan a family of products and marketing assets in advance: Try to think in terms of how these items will look together or side by side on a shelf. If you have multiple flavors of dog treats, for example, plan how all of the different flavors will look lined up next to each other on the shelf. Creating a unified look will allow customers to identify which products come from your brand, while allowing each product or flavor to be easily distinguished from the others. The use of a strong overall color palette will help build your brand and let customer know of all your different product offerings, leading to potentially more sales.
Always do a color-accurate printed proof: Inks respond differently to different surfaces. To ensure that your assets will look exactly as you want them to, have a color-accurate proof made before doing your entire run. Even if you have printed that color in the past, testing it first can lead to more consistency.
You should always consider how things will look and how they will make your customers feel. By keeping these vital color rules in mind, you can create packaging, brochures and other assets that will make your brand more attractive to consumers and easily recognizable from the rest of the competition.
Looking for some help… Let the MGS Team assist you with your next packaging project.
Until next time, stay Creative