The Science Behind Effective Color Choice in Your Label Design

Are you launching a new product on the market? Or maybe you’re a well-established company preparing for a brand redesign. Either of these situations will require new product labels—and you’ve come to the right place!

Have you considered what colors you’ll want to incorporate into your rebranding and custom label design? There’s much more that goes into choosing your label color palette than simply selecting colors you like. These colors are typically used on websites, logos, business cards, brochures, labels, and more.

Read on to find out how your organization can harness the power of color with M&R Label.

The Psychology of Color and Consumer Behavior

People often overlook the importance of colors in custom labels and packaging. But colors are significant in marketing—color psychology affects consumer behavior.

• 62-90% of buying decisions are based on color
• Most people make a subconscious decision within 90 seconds of seeing a product
• 93% of customers choose products based on visual appearance
• Certain colors can increase brand recognition by 80%

The proof is in the pudding! Clearly research has proven that colors largely influence product sales. Choosing the right colors can make or break your brand’s success.

Colors can be tricky though—their meaning and connotation can vary depending on context. Research has shown that different genders and even age groups have specific color preferences. According to studies, blue is popular among men and women. Women tend to lean more toward green, purple, and blue while men prefer black, blue, and green. Some colors—orange and brown for example—are not preferred by most people. Hence, brands can select their color palette based on their ideal target audience.

Cultural context also matters. While white represents purity and marriage in the West, it is a color of mourning for some Asian cultures. For brands with global marketing campaigns, the cultural context becomes extremely important. It’s important to do your due diligence based on your target demographic and geographical region!

Not only do colors on packaging convey certain emotions, but they also influence people to take action. The colors red and green are often used for CTAs (calls to action) as they prompt people to make a decision and act now. Sales and promotions are often advertised in red so they catch people’s eye, convey urgency, and move them into action right away!

Knowing color psychology is imperative for marketers to do their job effectively. Branding will help build and convey a strong brand image. Some colors become a signature and help brands stand out from the rest—for example the Tiffany blue, Barbie pink, or Hermes orange are very distinctive and have become valuable brand assets.

Connecting Colors and Emotions

Over time, colors have become associated with certain emotions. Knowing which colors invoke specific emotions (or behaviors) can guide your company. Here are some common examples:

Red

• Stimulates appetite, often used for food brands such as McDonald’s and KFC
• Conveys urgency: Used for sales promotions and discounts
• Signifies passion, energy, and excitement

Blue

• Invokes customer trust and credibility: often used by financial institutions
• Signifies trust, reliability, and calmness making it a popular choice for healthcare brands and bottled water

Green

• Expresses abundance and wealth: used frequently by banks and the cannabis industry
• Can be a trendy choice for organic food products and eco-friendly packaging
• Signifies nature, health, wellness, and freshness

Yellow

• Often considered a gender-neutral color, making it popular for brands targeting children
• Signifies optimism, happiness, and youth

Black

• Communicates high end and exclusivity. A great example: the American Express “Black Card”
• Represents sophistication, luxury, and power

Orange

• Often used by adventurous brands
• Invokes positivity and joy
• Represents high energy and fun

Choosing the Right Colors for Your Custom Labels

Selecting the best colors for your product labels starts with choosing a color palette that communicates your values with the consumer. What emotions are you looking to invoke in your target audience?

Expert custom label designers (like the M&R team) can help you with this task! We’re happy to guide you in selecting the best color palette, as well as effectively using these colors in your labels for a successful outcome.

Positive (and Popular) Colors to Use

The psychology of color can be very confusing. There are also no hard and fast rules for colors, but they do have certain connotations that are well-known. Here is a list of common colors we see our clients use:

• White: Purity, peace, and cleanliness. Used by many cleaning products!
• Orange: Bravery, energetic, and playful
• Purple: Luxury, creativity, and opulence
• Yellow: Represents optimism, happiness, and warmth
• Blue: Trustworthiness, loyalty, and professionalism. 40% of Fortune 500 companies used blue in their logo!
• Green: Health, nature, and growth

Negative (and Uncommon) Colors to Avoid

Some colors have negative connotations attached to them and may scare customers away. While this does not mean you cross them off your list completely, you may want to be careful with the following:

• Gray: Can feel dull and uninspiring as a stand-alone color
• Black: May make labels seem heavy, scary, and cold depending on your product
• Red: Represents danger, alarm, and urgency

Partner with M&R Label for Your Custom Label Needs

The right colors can help your brand stand out on the shelves, boost sales, and attract repeat customers. Your color choice can also help your company develop a strong brand image and reputation. The wrong colors can sabotage your marketing efforts, tell the wrong story, and hurt your bottom line. Choose wisely!

Our label design experts are here to make your job easier. We’ll help you create the perfect custom label for your business. We’ll carefully choose graphics, fonts, and images that align with your brand values and goals. Rest assured, we can run as many tests as you’d like before settling on a winner. Next comes time for choosing the best materials, adhesives, shapes, sizes, finishes, and more!

As your full-service label solution provider, M&R Label offers clients across the United States the very best in class when it comes to design practices, customer service, and consultation. Together we’ll collaborate with your team to design a premium label solution that exceeds expectations. Let’s get started on your unique, high quality label!