You’re walking down an aisle, scanning shelves packed with products. You’re not reading labels. You’re not analyzing ingredients. You’re just noticing. And then—something catches your eye. Without thinking, you reach for it.
Was it a conscious choice? Maybe. But chances are, color decided for you before you even realized it.
First Impressions Are Everything—And Color Is the Hook
Studies show up to 90% of first impressions are based on color alone. It’s not just decoration—it’s persuasion. A well-chosen color scheme can make a product feel premium, eco-friendly, high-energy, or even delicious. The right color grabs attention, builds trust, and influences purchasing behavior. The wrong one? It might send customers straight to your competition.
For small businesses, packaging color isn’t just about looking good—it’s about standing out, making an impression, and ensuring that your product gets picked up first.
Why Color Plays a Bigger Role Than You Think
Color does more than make a product visually appealing. It shapes customer perception before they ever pick it up. Think about how different colors make you feel. Fast food brands lean into reds and yellows because they stimulate appetite and create urgency. High-end skincare brands love soft neutrals and crisp whites because they signal purity and simplicity. Natural products use greens and earth tones to convey sustainability and wellness instantly.
The colors you choose for your packaging influence not only what people think about your product but also how they feel about it. In a world where people make split-second decisions, that feeling is everything.
How Different Industries Use Color to Sell
Food and beverage brands use warm, inviting colors that spark cravings—reds, yellows, and rich browns. A sleek black energy drink can suggest power and intensity, while a bright orange sports drink signals hydration and refreshment. In contrast, a soft green tea package tells a calm and natural wellness story.
Beauty and wellness brands use color to set expectations. Minimalist skincare brands use clean whites and muted pastels to communicate simplicity, while bold cosmetic lines use high-contrast, vibrant hues to radiate energy and confidence.
Sustainability-focused brands lean into earthy tones, recycled paper textures, and deep greens to clarify that they prioritize eco-friendly practices. Meanwhile, high-end products embrace black, gold, and deep jewel tones to reinforce the idea of exclusivity and sophistication.
Every industry has its own color language, and if your product's packaging doesn’t speak it, it could be sending the wrong message.
What Your Packaging Colors Say About You
Your brand’s colors aren’t random—they tell a story. A clean beauty brand wrapped in crisp whites and soft neutrals feels fresh and gentle. A bold energy drink decked in electric blues and fiery reds feels powerful and intense. A handcrafted wellness product leaning into deep greens and warm browns feels natural and calming.
If your colors don’t match your industry's or audience's expectations, your product could be overlooked—even if it’s incredible.
Is Your Packaging Helping or Hurting Your Sales?
Many small businesses don’t put enough thought into their packaging colors. They choose something that looks nice, slap on a logo, and call it a day. But savvy brands know that color isn’t just design—it’s strategy.
And the data backs it up. Studies show that 73% of purchase decisions are made right at the shelf, and 90% of snap judgments about products are based on color alone. Even more compelling? Brands that maintain a consistent color scheme see an average revenue increase of 33%.
The right color choice can boost brand recognition, influence impulse buys, and communicate product value instantly. If a product looks high-end, customers will be willing to pay more. If it looks natural, they’ll trust its ingredients. If it looks cheap or inconsistent, they might not trust it at all.
A 2019 study on packaging psychology revealed that red-based packaging increased impulse purchases by up to 28% in food and beverage industries, while muted blues and greens were more likely to drive repeat purchases in wellness and beauty markets. Meanwhile, luxury brands that used deep blacks, metallics, and jewel tones saw an 11% increase in perceived value.
Color consistency across packaging, branding, and marketing materials strengthens brand recognition. Customers who see the same color palette across your social media, website, and product lineup associate that color with your brand—and your brand alone.
But what about trends? Should you jump on the latest packaging color craze or stick with what works? The answer: balance.
Trendy colors can give your packaging a fresh, updated feel, but they should always align with your core brand identity. A timeless foundation with subtle seasonal updates can keep your product relevant without confusing your audience.
What’s Next?
Color is just one piece of the puzzle. In Part 2, we’ll explain how to choose the right packaging colors, balancing creativity with strategy, avoiding common mistakes, and ensuring your product gets the attention it deserves.
Take a look at your packaging. Does it stand out, or does it blend in? If it’s the latter, it might be time for a refresh.
Want expert insights on color strategy? Let’s talk. Your next best-seller could be one color change away.
Sources:
Carow Packaging. (2024). Impact of color in packaging on purchasing decisions. Retrieved from https://carowpackaging.com/impact-of-color-in-packaging-on-purchasing-decisions
International Journal of Novel Research and Development (IJNRD). (2022). How brand consistency affects revenue growth. Retrieved from https://www.ijnrd.org/papers/IJNRD2209223.pdf
ResearchGate. (2024). Influence of color psychology on consumer buying behavior. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/379527709_INFLUENCE_OF_COLOR_PSYCHOLOGY_ON_CONSUMER_BUYING_BEHAVIOUR
ResearchGate. (2019). The effect of packaging color on product sales. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/356834656_The_effect_of_packaging_color_on_product_sales
