Designing Personal Care Product Labels That Fly Off the Shelves
When was the last time you played the role of your consumer in a department store? When was the last time you took a stroll down the department store aisle looking at the multitude of options available?
It’s surprising, isn’t it? You have so many varieties of products that aim to achieve the same end goal – make the consumer look and feel her best. So how do you make your product stand out in the sea of personal care products so it’s the one consumers pick up, read and buy?
The answer might not be what you think. In this visually inclined market, you need to have a flawless label design to attract your target audience.
Here are three ways you can improve your current design or create brand new personal care product labels one that will help your products fly off the shelves and into the hands of your buyers.
1. Listen to Your Customer
In the personal care industry, there are many rumors about ingredients and benefits of formulas. Some are true. Many are not. Still, the customer’s perception about your product is always the reality when it comes time for her to choose yours over the competition.
An example of this is parabens. In the beauty industry, it has been proven several times that parabens are harmless. Still, customers believe they are damaging and dangerous to their health so brands continue to produce paraben-free formulas.
Sulfate dangers are another common misconception. Sulfates themselves are harmless. It’s sulfites that customers should be cautious about using on their skin. The two words are easily confused so brands continue to promote their sulfate free products.
The point is to listen to what the market is telling you. If customers want something specific, give it to them. Make sure you present this met need on your labeling. The better the customer can realize you’ve catered to her needs and produced the product she wants, the more likely you are to make a sale.
2. Test, Test and then Test Some More
After you’ve gathered a healthy amount of data from your customers, tweak and then test a few key designs.
The Main Goal
The goal in testing is to continue listening to your customers. Sometimes, what your customer thought she wanted wasn’t quite on par with what she actually wanted. Sometimes, a customer said she wanted a new container shape but once it got into her hands, she didn’t like the way it felt.
It’s also important to remember that you’re dealing with a very visual customer. She is buying your product because she wants to look better. Your packaging has to reflect that in its aesthetic appeal.
Making Personal Care Products Stand Out
To make your personal care product label design stand out, it must have three core elements:
- Spacing that’s easy to read and scan for your brand’s core benefits;
- Precision with the typography, imagery and readability;
- Smart color choices to bring your product to life without overpowering your customer with overwhelming hues.
Let Your Customers Tell You What They Want
Before you put all of your design eggs in one basket, making such a dramatic shift away from your current packaging, hold a focus group. Listen to what customers say when they’re face-to-face with your new look and feel. You’ll get far better insights this way.
Consider Digital Printing for Low-Cost Market Research
Also, consider launching your packaging with short-run, digitally printed, labels. Because there are not any plates involved, you can easily print variations of your labels and apply them to the same filled product. Then, you can place the different versions in your retail stores and see which one sells the best.
Because you’ve printed digitally, you can easily make any changes to the art at little to no cost. This makes digitally printed labels is a great way to test and see which package best converts potential consumers into buyers.
3. Know Your Competitive Edge
You Can’t Please Everyone
No matter how much you listen to your customer and test your product, there’s one thing that’s certain – someone is bound to hate what you design and that’s okay.
Stick With What You Know
Stick to the attributes about your product that give you a competitive advantage. When you’re creating your label, make sure this brand messaging comes through in full force. Send a clear signal to your target customer about what you offer and why your product will give your customers the best experience possible.
When you have this relentless focus on serving the people who want your product the most, you’re more likely to create a message and label design that sells.
Question: When was the last time you evaluated your personal care product label?
Maybe It’s Time for a Packaging Refresh
If it has been awhile, you might want to take a second look at what you’re showing the world. Is there room for improvement? Have you been ignoring valuable feedback from your target customer that could help your product sell more? Listen, test and put your brand’s competitive edge out on the market. The results could be astounding.