Whenever a customer is out in the market looking to buy a product, the first thing they see is the outer packaging. And no matter how frustrating it may be for a seller, at that stage of his purchasing decision, the kind of product you have on the inside just doesn't matter. The importance of how a product looks from the outside is not just limited to luxury items. It is as important for daily use goods like tea.
While it may seem trivial at first, a tea label design plays a vital role in sales. But in today's dynamic marketplace, there is no one-size-fits-all solution. Every product has different requirements for its product label design. Despite the specifics of a product being different, the key elements remain the same. In this blog, we will discuss the key elements a product label designer and seller should keep in mind before launching a product. Read on to know more.
Knowing Your Brand and Audience
Before you even try to target a customer base, it is essential to know your own brand. If you are not clear about the brand's identity, it is very hard to connect with customers and determine how to approach the branding. When it comes to tea brands, you need to establish your product's core purpose. Before you begin planning the label, establish an identity for your brand.
Clear Visual Communication
While designing a product label, you can be as creative as you want. However, no matter how creative packaging design you've selected, it needs to provide clear communication to the customers. It is also essential to follow a clear hierarchy in the label. This means the order should be: the brand name, the tea variant, and all the secondary information last. Following a proper structure like this allows the customer to get the full picture of the brand and the product.
Communicate Your Story
Product labels are often considered a letter to the customer by sellers. Ensure to cash in on this by including illustrations, images or icons to tell the customers about your brand's story and give them a glimpse behind the scenes. These illustrations can also include information about the flavour profiles of the tea. This can influence customers to try your product and create an emotional connection with them.
Choose the Right Font
A font does way more than just give the information about the product. Choosing the right font for the right product can be the difference between your product selling like crazy or gathering dust on the shelves. If your tea is tailored towards the younger generations, then having a bold typography can be a marketing masterstroke. However, if your product is more suited towards the older generations, then having a bold font will only backfire, as the older generations usually prefer classy and subtle fonts.
Choosing the Correct Color Tones
Color plays a big role in a customer's perception. Therefore, it is crucial to choose the right color for the flavours. For example, if you have organic teas, then having colors that match the earthy tones would be better. Similarly, if you have orange or citrusy blends, matching the colours to the flavour would be a better idea (yellow for lemon, orange for orange, etc.). There should be proper consideration given to the contrast between the package background and the font color, as it could affect the readability.
Materials Used
In the last few years, customers have shown a preference for products with eco-friendly packaging. Including responsible packaging can be a big help when it comes to increasing your reputation among customers. Not to mention, tea is anyway considered a very earthy product, so selling them in a packaging that is better for the environment will be entirely in line with your products.
Balancing Creativity With Compliance
In a bid to make the best packaging design, we can get overboard and focus only on creating a creative packaging design and completely ignore the compliance that needs to be satisfied. Avoiding these compliances can lead to a lot of penalties and bad PR for your product. Therefore, it is crucial to ensure that your tea label design satisfies all the rules and regulations set by the authorities. Ensuring this will also ensure that customers have all the necessary information before buying the product, leading to increased customer trust.
Testing and Learning
Before you launch your product, it is crucial to conduct some crucial tests. The first test is actually a comparative study with the competition. If you hire a product label designer, they will conduct these studies to check what works in the market. After this, once you are ready to launch the product, it is advisable to test it in focus groups and smaller markets first to gauge customer response. If there are negative or slow responses, then it is crucial to identify these causes and remedy the problems. Only launch your product at full scale when you are satisfied that the response will be positive.
Final Words
No matter what your product is, the first impressions are important. There is a reason why product labels are famously called 'silent salesperson'. It is because these labels have the ability to have a conversation with the customer. And when it comes to daily-use items like tea, having a quality tea label design is even more crucial to make a stand in the market
If you are looking for a reliable product label designer with over 25 years of experience, check out Lien Design.
FAQs
1. How can I choose colors for my tea label?
Select colors that reflect your tea's character and stand out on shelves while ensuring good contrast for legibility.
2. Should tea labels be minimalist?
Minimalist labels can highlight clarity and premium quality, especially for health-conscious or luxury tea brands.
3. How do I make my tea label feel premium?
Use high-quality materials and finishes like textured paper or foil accents to elevate perceived value.
4. Is sustainability important in label design?
Yes, eco-friendly materials and simple designs reflect environmental values and appeal to conscious consumers.