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Color: the ultimate consumer persuader

Package color is one of the first things that attract consumers at the store shelf; consider breaking the color mold in a product category for differentiation.

Kraft’s 'Mac & Cheese' is instantly recognized by its color.
Kraft’s 'Mac & Cheese' is instantly recognized by its color.

Packaging is the most tangible representation of a brand. Consumers can touch it, pick it up, read its brand communication, and determine whether they wish to purchase the product. But first, they have to be attracted by the packaging, or they won’t engage with it at all.

The stakes are high; it’s win or lose at the retail shelf. Studies show that when consumers shop, they make choices in as little as 20 seconds. They also ignore up to two-thirds of category products in retail environments. These statistics explain why so many products fail. 

What persuades consumers to gravitate to a specific branded product in a store aisle? What is it about packaging that piques interest? Is it unusual structural design? Bold graphics? Contemporary lifestyle imagery? A distinctive brand identity? Chances are color attracts people first. 

Ownable color
A color palette, distinctive graphics, and brand identity work synergistically and can eventually become iconic if consistently maintained. Imagine seeing a soft drink can in signature red with a white swirl, but without its brand mark of “Coca-Cola.” Would people still recognize the product and immediately call the brand to mind? Surely just about everyone, the world over, would. Many brands are instantly recognized because of their signature colors. Ditto for the red-and-white Campbell’s Soup can label, and for the Kraft Macaroni and Cheese blue box.

Think about Garnier Fructis’ signature lime green on hair and skin-care products and what it signifies to consumers about natural botanical blends. Cadbury’s identifying purple is so important to the brand, the company sought to trademark it. Hot Wheels’ red and yellow-flame brand mark speaks to generations of fans.

The iconic big red “K” on Kellogg’s Special K brand has been leveraged on products in new categories other than cereal—how effective a brand identifier is that to loyal consumers? Tropicana’s signature visual on its juice cartons—a straw plugged into a fresh orange—is an incredible mnemonic device. Consumers look for this icon among myriad choices packaged in orange and green. Ben & Jerry’s multicolored visuals always point to the brand’s ever-evolving ice cream flavors inside. Yet its packaging is dominated by its logo, featuring legendary chunky lettering seemingly rendered by hand within a black and yellow cartouche. This ever-hip, eco-friendly brand speaks to fans everywhere.

When a brand “owns” a strong color, it should be carried into its packaging as its calling card.

Besides signature color, unique icons, package structure, imagery, typography, and perhaps tactile packaging substrates along with a strongly placed brand mark all combine to create “ownable,” one-of-a-kind packaging within a category. In well-executed packaging, it is this very synergy that prompts the “buy” response from consumers.

Category colors become stale
Because color has psychological implications, companies often choose “category colors” in a deliberate manner as a tool to relay information and to elicit an emotional response.

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