The color of your packaging plays a pivotal role in marketing products to consumers. Each color can trigger different thoughts and emotions that impact your audience. In fact, 85 percent of shoppers name color as the main reason why they purchase a product. Of course, this leads to an important question – what are the colors that sell your products?
The short answer is that it depends. There are a few different factors that impact which colors are right for your packaging. Let’s break down what different colors can mean, and what you should consider when deciding on packaging colors.
The Meaning Behind Different Packaging Colors
Before you can try to invoke certain emotions through color psychology, you must identify which colors are right for your packaging. The right color or combination of colors can help potential buyers get a sense of your brand identity as soon as they see your packaging. In general, these colors align with the following meanings.
- Red – passion, excitement, strength
- Orange – fun, adventurousness, vitality
- Yellow – energy, optimism, joy
- Green – growth, security, happiness
- Blue – honesty, serenity, dependability
- Purple – royalty, luxury, indulgence
- Pink – femininity, beauty, calm
- White – elegance, simplicity, purity
- Black – stability, wisdom, authority
- Grey – balance, timeless, practical
- Gold – affluent, successful, expensive
- Brown – earthy, comforting, reliability
Of course, different shades or tones of each color can suggest different brand identities. You’ll also need to determine exactly which type of message you want your packaging to convey. To do that, you’ll need to weigh a few different factors.
Choosing Colors That Sell Products: Key Considerations
When picking the most suitable shade for your product packaging, there are several factors that impact your choice. Each of these elements can impact not only your target identity, but also what packaging is available for your products. As such, you’ll want to weigh the following considerations to determine the perfect color(s) for your product packaging.
Your product
First and foremost, your packaging colors should clearly communicate your product’s purpose. If your product is supposed to be exciting or fun, flashy hues like yellow and orange are a natural fit. If the product is related to health or wellbeing, clean whites or serene blues make a ton of sense. Your packaging says a lot about your product, so it’s important that your choice of colors tell the right story.
Your consumers
Your target audience can certainly play a role in which colors make sense for your packaging. For example, blacks and golds naturally imply that your product is higher in value, which is great if your audience is looking for high-end items. If your consumers want something a little safer or more accessible, soft blues and greens can convey a much more approachable option.
Your industry
Some colors already have an established identity in various industries. Buyers looking for healthy food products are going to naturally look for some form of green packaging. Similarly, pinks and blues are natural choices to help denote male and female beauty products.
Using these color standards can help create a reliable identity if you’re trying to attract a certain type of buyer. Of course, you can also avoid these trends to help your product stand out from a swath of same-colored products. Try and toy around with different combinations to make sure that you balance color identity with eye-catching combinations for your industry.
Your brand
It’s no surprise that your brand is going to play a major part in your packaging colors. Your logo and brand’s color scheme should help you create instantly recognizable packaging. Of course, those same colors may clash with other options. As such, you’ll want to work with pigments that won’t clash with your existing brand. Fortunately, online color wheels can help you find complementary colors to accompany your brand’s existing look.
Your packaging supplier
Once you decide on the perfect packaging colors for your products, it’s time to invest in the containers and closures you need to succeed. To do this, you’ll need to work with a packaging supplier that can help you source the retail, commercial, or industrial packaging that matches your exact needs.
At Pipeline Packaging, our goal is to help you invest in the perfect packaging that match your design needs. Our extensive global sourcing network allows us to provide a wide variety of options for every type of packaging. Our in-house packaging design team can help you invest in a custom container for your products.
