Building a customer relationship is an effective way to ensure return purchases. Humanize your brand through captivating labeling. Create those instantaneous connections through personalized imagery and innovative labeling techniques. Take simple, but also meaningful steps in creating designs your customers will love.
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Lifestyle Marketing
Take a look at local influencers in your area. The above image is the best nine Instagram posts from The GR Guide. Notice how many local products and businesses are featured in their top nine images of 2017. By collaborating with local entrepreneurs such as social media influencers, you expand your reach and connect with the community on a more intimate level.
Create personalized, promotional, one of a kind labels for collaborative prospects like these. This also is a fantastic way to create a community connection at special events. Even use their event hashtags in your design. As you may notice (particularly if you’re a Grand Rapidian), two of the best nine images shown above are from ArtPrize. ArtPrize is the biggest public art event in the world, by the way. So, local businesses who create ArtPrize specific labels for their products during that time are taking advantage of the buzz.
Tell a Story With Your Packaging & Connect With Locals With Impactful Imagery
On Monday we looked at ways brands tell stories with their labels. This is done through imagery, using a small section of space to write a short story, and through connecting customers to content with labeling technology. Again, locals make connections between your label using local sites, and their memories. They see what values the company holds. Or, they get a behind the scenes look at how the product was made, demystifying and informing them.
Social Media & Labeling Technology Nurtures Relationships
As mentioned above, your customers are going to social media to share their experiences with brands. This is far more prominent in social media influencers, but also a part of the average user’s posts. Create hashtags for your label design to engage with your customer base. By giving your label a call to action, you give your brand an opportunity to nurture customer relationships. A secondary label specifically for the call to action is a great way to include the information without redesigning the label. It also prevents removing and reapplying labels (or also over-labeling).
Instead of cultivating a generic release, creating a call to action allows individual engagement on social media. Create a contest associated with the promotion to garner more response. Then, create an on-going dialogue with your biggest fans. What can you offer them for their loyalty? Sharing their post on your social media page? Coupon code for a discount on thier next purchase? A special message from the heart in response? Whatever you do, make it sincere. Show them that you appreciate their loyalty.
Create Event Oriented Calls To Action on Your Packaging
It doesn’t just happen on social media, however. Foster relationships by getting customers into your store. A secondary label, as mentioned, provides a simple way to display event information. Instead of the need to incorporate a link, it acts as a small ad your customers will take home with them. If the label is small enough and uses removable adhesive, it allows customers to apply the label to their calendar.
Keep the label design simple. What is the most important information they need to know about your event?
- Date and time
- A hook – brief explanation of what the event is about or how it will solve a particular problem they have
- Where the event is taking place
If there is a custom web page for the event, a link is great, but not necessary. Take the above horticulture secondary label as an example. The address is unnecessary when there is only one greenhouse store location. It just shows date, time and the hook. Customers don’t nees a web link or QR code when they already know how to find the greenhouse’s Facebook page. Simple, but effective.
Haptic Labeling Creates Positive Associations
Haptic labeling is labeling that engages the senses. Studies show that by engaging certain memories, customers will create positive associations with your brand. If your label has a velvety smooth texture, they’ll feel a sense of comfort. So, use subtle ways to engage positive associations.
Here are techniques Great Lakes Label offers which will enhance brand associations:
- MiraFoil – a precise liquid foil
- Hot Stamp – brilliant foiling technique
- Cold Foil – luminous shine
- Tactile Screen – raised effect created on top of the label
- Embossing – a stamped raised effect
- Rotary Screen – a glistening raised effect
- Cast & Cure – holographic, colorful look
- Soft Touch – cashmere soft texture
- MotionCoat – holographic look using light and texture
- Tri-Panel Label – booklet style label
The Power of Instant Redeemable Coupons (IRCs)
Show your customers that you appreciate their patronage by giving back. Add a removable Instant Redeemable Coupon (IRC) to your packaging. It enhances the customer’s shopping experience while encouraging them to return to your store. IRCs also give you a leg up on your competition in the grocery aisle. When given the choice to receive a discount or not, the decision is a simple one.
Again, social media plays a role in connecting with your customers when they post about using the voucher. Also, promote the label on social media to let followers know how long the promotion will last. You create three routes of relationship building with one promotion. Social media discovery, the positive association in the grocery store aisle and the follow up purchase using the discount.
Are you interested in learning more about what Great Lakes Label offers, or how to incorporate these techniques into your label design? Get label samples to see these techniques in person!
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