Does Your Brand Own a Color?

June 1, 2011 at 9:05 am by Ted Mininni

Stand in an aisle of a store. What is it about packaging that catches your attention? Chances are color attracts you first. Signature color has the power to become iconic if consistently maintained, and as long as every other aspect of your packaging is working as well as it should, of course.

Imagine walking the soft drink aisle of your favorite supermarket and seeing a can in signature red with a white swirl, missing its brand identity. Would you still recognize it as Coca Cola? There are few people around the globe who wouldn’t. Switch gears to hair and skin care products. What about Garnier Fructis’ signature lime green packaging? Now think toys. What color comes to mind when you think Hot Wheels? Matchbox? Barbie?

Because of psychological associations consumers have with color, companies often choose them in a deliberate manner within specific categories to relay information and to elicit an emotional response. End result? Whole categories of consumer products filled with scads of me-too-looking brands. So what do we do as package designers?

First, we determine if the brand already owns a particular color within its category – one that is truly unique among the competitive offering – and if there are any equitable associations between the brand and that color among consumers. If this isn’t the case, we begin to explore.

We consider the value of doing something unexpected, like choosing an uncharacteristic color, or adding a secondary color to stand apart – and stand alone. For example: Imagine how effective stark black packaging with bright colors being used to segment varieties might be, especially when visualized by consumers in a sea of category products in predominantly white packaging.

Help differentiate your brand by using color inventively, in conjunction with strong package design architecture and package structure that refers back to the brand. By consistently leveraging and maintaining signature color and the key elements in package design, your brand will become instantly recognized and appreciated by consumers over time.

Which branded products attract you due to the execution of signature color on their packaging?
Which brands do you recognize instantaneously as a result of careful stewardship of the signature color and key elements in their packaging?
Please share your thoughts on leveraging color in brand packaging with us. What works? What doesn’t? We’d love to get your take.

Categories:

Branding, Package Design, Consumer Products

Comments :

No Comments