Posts Tagged ‘hair packaging’

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Best Packaging Colors for 2013

Thursday, December 27th, 2012

The expression ‘balancing act’ is something we all relate to as we strive to find harmony in the frantic pace of our everyday lives. The same can be said for fashion as we look for balance between light and bright, classic and new. This season’s color palette emphasizes this need for balance, while at the same time allowing for individuality, self-expression and excitement.
- Leatrice Eiseman, the Executive Director of the Pantone Color Institute

The New Year is here and it’s time to start it off with a beautiful palette that will color our entire year from fashion to packaging and shape our moods and inspiration for the next 12 months. Pantone just released its latest color report for 2013 and, keeping its spring agenda in mind, the palette is full of pastels and bright colors but with some welcome surprises.

Pantone Colors for 2013Deriving inspiration from the New York Fashion Week, the colors selected allow for self-expression, balance and renewed energy. Lemon Zest, Tender Shoots, Nectarine and Poppy Red are vivid, exciting and full of youthful vigor while Emerald, Dusk Blue, Grayed Jade, African Violet and Linen add calm and serenity to the mix.  Monaco Blue sticks out from the pack because of its dark accents that add a touch of mystery, toughness and sexy to the 2013 palette- Spring would have been too wholesome without it!

As always, we have come up with some color schemes for you, using Pantone’s selection for 2013, that you can use to design your packaging and stay ahead of the trends in the New Year.

1. Lemon Zest and Poppy Red

Lemon Zest and Poppy RedFor the ultimate eye-catching packaging, we combined two of the most vibrant colors on the list- Lemon Zest and Poppy Red. If your target customers consist of young people who like excitement and bright colors in their lives, your hair packaging can reflect that personality type with this color scheme.

Use this color scheme carefully though. The result can be dangerously volatile!

2.  Dusk Blue and Nectarine

Dusk Blue and NectarineThis is quite the unexpected combination (suggested by Pantone themselves) that can produce rewarding results. Dusk Blue captures the calm that falls at the end of the day and provides serenity while Nectarine adds some fun to the mix by providing a dash of tangy flavor. Together the colors represent the balance between our needs for peace and excitement.

3. Linen and Tender Shoots

Linen and Tender ShootsLinen is airy and neutral. Tender Shoots is bright, active and cheerful. Together, they make for an understated combination that can be as open and nude as Linen or as invigorating as Tender Shoots. This is a safe color scheme if you aren’t sure what will connect with your customers as the combination will resonate with all age groups, genders and consumer types.

Once you have gone through the 2013 colors and decided on your favorites, do ask our hair packaging professionals for advice and further guidance. Depending on your specific packaging needs, we will be able to incorporate your color picks into a modern and functional packaging design that is high on aesthetic and on top of 2013 trends while still fitting your business needs.

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QR Codes and Hair Packaging

Thursday, November 8th, 2012

Have you suddenly started seeing black and white squares full of jumbled square dots everywhere?  Are you seeing them on everything from business cards and print ads to t-shirts and packaging? Don’t worry- your vision is fine. These particular little squares are called QR codes and, to jog your memory, here is a picture of one.

QR Code for http://www.hairpackaging.comA QR Code is a matrix barcode. The QR in the name is short for ‘Quick Response’ and their primary functions are information encoding and identification- same as traditional barcodes. However, while simple barcodes like UPC can contain limited information, QR codes can be used to encode a large amount of data- including everything from serial numbers and text to URLs. QR codes boast larger storage capacities and faster readability than traditional barcodes. And with the widespread usage of smart phones, users can now quickly scan a QR code- whether it’s on a print flyer or a T-shirt, through a variety of available QR codes apps and go directly to the promoter’s website.

QR codes started out in Japan as a Toyota project but they quickly found numerous uses outside the automobiles industry. Now every business- big and small- is scrambling to get its own QR code which they can use in promotional material to lead readers/viewers to their landing pages, offers and discounts etc.

QR codes help boost conversion rates. Instead of viewing a print ad or packaging- and instantly forgetting about it- users can use their smart phones to instantly scan the printed QR code and go directly to the company’s website. Once they are there, you can provide them with detailed information, showcase the entire range of your products and provide incentives for making a purchase. In fact, your print material should also include some incentive for the user to scan the QR code. By promising them a freebie or small discount, you encourage them to immediately scan your QR code and visit your website.

By using QR codes on your hair packaging and print promotional material (including flyers, posters, t-shirts, letterheads, business cards, etc.), you can give a boost to your web presence and lead your customer to all the important information and product offers that you can’t squeeze onto the print entities. To generate a QR code for your hair business, just go to websites like kaywa.com or use Google’s QR code generator.

QR codes present a superior alternative to traditional barcodes. By getting your own QR code and printing it on your packaging and other print material, you can increase your conversion rate and stand out from the competition.

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How to Choose the Best Colors and Typefaces for Your Hair Packaging

Monday, October 15th, 2012

The packaging for your hair extensions, wigs and other hair products plays a very important role in the success of your hair business. However, when it comes to planning your packaging design, you might find yourself overwhelmed by all the different design options and various looks you can choose from. Two of the biggest concerns in packaging are picking the right colors and typefaces. To help you pick what’s best for your hair business, we compiled the following tips:

Know your brand

The colors and typeface you will choose for your packaging design will not only represent your brand personality but also become an inseparable part of it. Therefore, before you dive into packaging decisions, it’s important for you to fully develop your products’ identity. Are you catering to the masses or an exclusive clientele? Does your target audience respond best to sleek and minimal designs or ornate patterns and celebrity shots? Do you want to position yourself as female brand or establish a generic unisex line? Answers to questions like these will help you pick colors and typefaces that correspond best to your brand’s individual identity.

Understand color theory

How to Choose the Best Colors for Packaging

How to Choose the Best Colors for Packaging

The colors used in packaging design aren’t picked just because they look ‘pretty’ or they are the packaging designer’s personal favorites. Each and every color invokes a particular feeling and gives off a different vibe. Pink can directly make your brand more amenable to a female consumer base, black can be used to represent sophistication and exclusivity, and bright colors like reds and oranges are often used to achieve a fun, youthful look. Depending on the brand image you are going for, your color palette might be anything from a burst of many different colors to a solid black.

Choose between serif and san-serif

Typefaces can be widely categorized into serif and san-serif types. Serif typefaces have tiny feet to their alphabets while san-serif fonts don’t.  For instance, the over used Lucida Handwriting is serif whereas the always dependable Helvetica is a san-serif typeface. Serif fonts are often seen as feminine, flowery, elegant and/or ‘handwritten’- which make them very popular for hair businesses. Generally, san-serif fonts are used to give off a modern, professional and/or corporate look.

As with colors, typefaces can also give a distinct impression that can augment or clash with your overall brand personality. For instance, you might be going for a ‘sleek, modern and sophisticated’ look but if use ‘Comic Sans’, you might end up being counterproductive.

Of course, you could always leave these decisions to professionals like us. We hear out your ideas and goals, and then design hair packaging that’s just the right fit for your business. Contact us now for advice and a free quote.

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The Role of Packaging in Successful Brands

Thursday, September 6th, 2012

Just how important is packaging to a product’s success? Should you be concerned about your hair business if your product is high quality but your packaging isn’t? You are probably no stranger to questions like these and they are all quite valid and good questions.   Let’s take a look at a few popular packaging case studies to get some insight on the matter!

Coca-Cola Brand

Coca-Cola Brand

iPod Packaging

iPod Packaging

Great packaging makes great companies

Packaging is a part of your overall brand identity. For instance, take the Coca Cola brand and its packaging. The classic logo and colors, and the distinctive shape are as much synonymous with Coca Cola as the drink itself. You don’t even need to see the name of the company anywhere to recognize Coca Cola’s branding and packaging. Similarly, the gorgeous box packaging Apple uses it for its products creates a positive emotional feeling in its customers, and emphasizes and complements the entire Apple experience.

Bad packaging loses money

On the other end of the spectrum, the horrible plastic-and-hinges packaging for the original Star Trek DVD series created thousands of disgruntled fans. The studio ultimately had to do away with the packaging and resort to simple boxes.

Knowing your target customers and their preferences in product packaging can make or break your brand- and save you from thousands of dollars worth of loss.

Your packaging will create customers

If you are a new entrant in the hair business, you will face a lot of challenges in making a name for yourself. Your biggest concern will be trying to shift from being an unknown company to a popular brand that your customers can trust. However, when your potential customers will walk into a store and see your product for the first time, they will probably not know anything about you or your product quality. The only thing they will be able to see is your product packaging. And that’s why your product packaging can be your most powerful marketing tool if you use it correctly. Attractive, eye-catching and visually pleasing packaging could draw in customers and make them curious. They will want to find out more about your products, read what you have to say on the packaging and give your hair extensions or wigs a try. Over time, your packaging will become part of your cohesive brand strategy that will make you stand out from the competition.  On the other hand, if your packaging is unattractive, unimpressive or downright ugly, it will put off potential customers no matter how good your product is.

The truth of the matter is that appearances matter. Your packaging will decide whether your product makes a good first impression or sinks without a trace.

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We celebrate 8 years soon and this is what our customers are saying about us!

Thursday, July 19th, 2012

Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.

I am happy to provide a testimonial for 8 Consulting, LLC, who has produced web and print projects for our work at Emory University, Genetic Metabolic Dietitians International (GMDI), Southeast NBS & Genetics Collaborative and the Southeast Regional Genetics Group (SERGG Inc.).

We have worked with 8 Consulting, LLC since December 2005.  Our consultant Dinesh (Dino) Mahtani and his team have helped us create innovative marketing and educational materials for ongoing projects and medical conferences, including website design with registration, online payment solution and content management systems. Also created and enhanced logos, brochures, envelopes, letterhead, attendee badges, and course syllabi.

Dino took the time to listen to our needs and integrated his web and graphic design expertise to truly capture the vision we wished to present.  The 8 Consulting team worked tirelessly and delivered timely, satisfactory results.

Based on my experience working with Dino and his consulting team, I highly recommend the exemplary services of 8 Consulting, LLC.
Sincerely,
Rani H. Singh, PhD, RD, LD
Director, Nutrition Section, Division of Medical Genetics, Emory University School of Medicine www.emory.edu
Founding President, GMDI www.gmdi.org

Vision Airlines, Suwanee, Georgia, USA.

It is with great privilege that I write in recommendation of 8 Consulting. Our company was poised to  announce a major expansion and 8 Consulting was an integral component of our successful launch.  They possess an extensive knowledge of IT related issues and the skills to execute the assigned tasks quickly and eciently. 8 Consulting also has the ability to foresee growth opportunities, and was very informative in suggesting additional avenues for our company to follow regarding our presence on the world wide web.
Best Regards,
Michael Swing, Manager of Interactive Services and Design, Vision Airlines, Inc. www.visionairlines.com

Caminar Latino (non-profit organization), Atlanta, Georgia, USA

I just wanted to say thank you to 8 Consulting for the incredible work that your company has done for Caminar Latino. Since we first began working with 8 Consulting, you all have gone above and beyond to ensure that we had the tools necessary to reach our community and do our work in an effective manner. Not only do we have an incredible new website that we are able to manage ourselves but also the knowledge that we can contact 8 Consulting for any additional support. Working with 8 Consulting made me feel that we were not just another client, but instead an non-profit organization that was valued in spite of our limited budget!
Thank you 8 Consulting for all your hard work!
Sincerely,
Jessica Nunan, Executive Director, Caminar Latino, Inc. www.caminarlatino.org

 

Southeast Federation of Stamp Clubs, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.

Southeast Federation of Stamp Clubs is extremely pleased with the web site developed by Dinesh Mahtani and the folks at 8 Consulting. From our first meeting, 8 Consulting was professional, courteous and helpful in the planning and design of our website. Dinesh took the time to ask questions and to get to know our clubs and what things were important to us. He offered suggestions and recommendations that really enhanced the look and usability of our site… things that we would have never thought of on our own.
Thank You
John Coles, President, Southeast Federation of Stamp Clubs www.StampClubs.com

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Best Packaging Colors For 2012

Tuesday, June 5th, 2012

Pantone recently revealed its selection of the trendiest colors for 2012 and it’s a mix of bright hues full of vivacity and deeper shades dripping with fantasy. The Fashion Color report comes ahead of the New York Fashion week and since hair packaging is all about fashionable and good looking product packaging, these colors should give you a lot of ideas and inspiration for your hair packaging. Check them out!

Packaging Colors for 2012 Pantone Colors Hot Colors

Packaging Colors for 2012 Pantone Colors

“By playing to consumers’ practical side with versatile neutrals and boosting their confidence with bold, spirit hues, this skillfully balanced palette has something for everyone”

-  Leatrice Eiseman, the Executive Director of the Pantone Color Institute

 

Our personal favorites are French Roast, Honey gold, Olympian Blue, Pink Flambé, Tangerine Tango, Ultmarine Green and Rhapsody- all of which are great fits for some really eye-catching and trendy hair packaging. In fact, we came up with some color schemes for you based on these colors that you might want to consider for your packaging:

1.       French Roast and Honey Gold

The French Roast can be used for the requisite ‘hair like’ dark background and the Honey Gold can be used for lettering that really pops out! This scheme is a nice variation- but yet sufficiently similar- to the classic black and gold combination. The colors are different enough to make you stand out but the color combination has roots in a tried and tested successful match!

2. Pink Flambé and Rose Smoke

These beautiful pastels are perfect to give your hair packaging a classy, vintage look. The pink is feminine and vibrant enough to be interesting and appealing, and the Rose Smoke is demure and understated enough to offset the packaging looking like a hot pink extravaganza. This color scheme is also perfect for the dress your real or illustration model wears on the packaging. For best results, compliment these colors with browns and golds.

3. Tangerine Tango and White

For a clean, modern look, use a white background, a healthy dose of Tangerine Tango and pitch black silhouettes of models and hair for your packaging. The white will make everything look clean and fresh, the Tangerine Tango adds plenty of color and personality, and the dark silhouettes will add a sophisticated artistic look.

Once you have a general idea about the colors you like and the approach you want to take with your hair packaging, go over your ideas with our professional hair packaging designers. We will advise you on the best color schemes for your packaging after considering your product and target market, your personal preferences and the year’s trendiest colors!

“By playing to consumers’ practical side with versatile neutrals and boosting their confidence with bold, spirit hues, this skillfully balanced palette has something for everyone”

-          Leatrice Eiseman, the Executive Director of the Pantone Color Institute

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Choosing between a Static and Dynamic Website

Sunday, April 15th, 2012

Now that you’ve decided to make a website for your business, you are ready to take the next big decision: the scope. How thorough or detailed your website is going to be? What features and functionality do you want it to provide? Will it also be an e-commerce solution? Questions like these and many others will need to be answered in the planning stage to ensure that your website is created exactly according to your requirements, functions smoothly and fulfills its purpose.

A major decision in website creation is choosing between a static and dynamic website. These two don’t have to be mutually exclusive- you could have static as well as dynamic sections or pages within the same website. But on the whole, websites can usually be categorized as either ‘static’ or ‘dynamic’. What these words essentially mean for your website is that a static website is one that is developed using just html and is WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get): whatever you develop in html is exactly what will appear to the end user without any functions like individual customization or interactivity.  A dynamic website, on the other hand, is one that is developed with server-side languages (such as PHP, ASP, Coldfusion etc). These scripts draw content from your website’s internal database- or content management system- and display it based on the end user’s actions. This allows for a ‘dynamic’ experience for your visitors who can interact with your website- whether it’s through forms, blog postings, message boards, an online store or personalized user accounts etc. This is a sharp contrast from content on a static website which is just displayed to the user and they can’t ‘play around with it’.

The best option for your website could be either static or dynamic- and even a mixture of both. But what it really depends on is your requirements and constraints. If your website will be used for just providing information (for instance, you just want to have pages that tell a little about yourself, display a bunch of images and provide contact information), a static website is probably the right choice for you. Static websites also usually cost less and provide you with flexibility to change up the design on every page of your website. On the down side, you’ll always need to update the website’s development code to make changes, extensions or updates. And that might require you to call upon your developer, time and time again.

If you want to enable user interaction for your site (especially if you want to have an e-commerce component) and make it a dynamic experience, you may need to pay a bit more for a dynamic website. However, a dynamic website is generally far more engaging and useful for your visitors and you can usually easily make updates and changes yourself by simply using your browser. You could add additional product categories and items without the need to changing existing code or creating more pages. You could post news and updates by just clicking the ‘post’ button. Moreover, your users could personalize your website according to their preferences. The possibilities of a dynamic website are endless.

Both static and dynamic websites serve certain purposes and either could be a complete solution for your needs. Take the time to discuss what will be the right choice for you with your designer.

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Designs for Print vs. the Web

Thursday, March 1st, 2012

Many design companies like HairPackaging.com offer design services for the print as well as the web. To most people, a graphic merely represents a graphic whether it’s used on a website or printed out as a poster. But, actually, a lot more goes down behind the scenes before a graphic can be optimally used for either medium. Here are some key differences between designs for print and those for the web:

  1. 1. RESOLUTION

While digital printing is now reducing the problems caused by resolution, it has long been one of the key differences between designs created for the two mediums. Virtually all web graphics are created at 72 ppi (pixels per inch) – which is sufficient for optimal display across most varieties of browsers, operating systems and computers. However, the printing process require graphics to have a resolution of 300 dpi (dots per inch) which basically means that the graphic has to be several times larger in its digital form than it is when it’s finally printed.

  1. 2. FONTS AND TYPOGRAPHY

With print designs, you can go crazy with your typeface. You can use whatever font you want to and it’s completely possible for your printed result to look exactly the way you designed it on your computer. However, font choices are much more limited for website designs. Because text appearance is handled by the browser at the user’s end, you need to use a font in your website design that your user’s browser can display. This restricts your font selection to a small list of standard choices that deprive you of the creative choices you get with print design. If you absolutely must display YOUR creative font on the web, the text will need to be exported as a graphic or produced through a paid service like Typekit.

  1. 3. OVERALL APPEARANCE AND SIZE

Similar to the fonts dilemma, designs for the web are highly dependent on the conditions at the end user’s end. Depending on the user’s browser, operating system, screen resolution and computer etc, you web design might end up looking nothing like you want it to. Your best bet is to test your web designs across as many popular platforms and settings as possible and hope it doesn’t get ‘lost in translation’. With print design, you can take WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) pretty much for granted. However, you have to keep certain things in mind. The kind of paper your design will be printed on, the limited range of user-friendly sizes it can utilize and the color palette it has access to are all important considerations for print design.

To ensure your designs, whether they are for print for the web, are fully optimized and effective, you should hire the services of a professional design company like HairPackaging.com.

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How to sell your hair products online

Sunday, January 15th, 2012

Thinking about taking your hair business to the ‘world wide web’? Done the right way, this decision will help you grow your business immensely by introducing it to a wider audience. However, there are several things you need to consider before you take this important step. Here are a few useful tips to help your move to the Internet as smooth and profitable as possible!

  1. 1. YOUR WEBSITE AND ONLINE STORE

The first step for most hair product companies is to develop your own website. Your website is like another office for your business except it’s located in cyber space. In creating your website, you need to come up with web design and content that complements your hair product in the best possible way. A well-designed site that provides all necessary information about your product and your company is the bare minimum these days. And because your website will also be used to sell the hair products online- and not just promote them- you will need a reliable and effective e-commerce solution. Your online store will need to have a secure payment system and be properly structured and maintained to ensure efficiency and safety. You might also want to run a blog on your website to post related articles and updates.

  1. 2. SOCIAL MEDIA PRESENCE

These days, your hair business needs to have presence on popular social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter to be able to reach out to maximum customers and remain competitive. In fact, most start-ups do away with the necessity of having their own website altogether by having prominent presence on social media websites. Your company’s Facebook and Twitter pages will help you in easily promoting your hair product (by giving out all necessary information and updates), generating interest, gathering ‘followers’ and affiliates, and receiving feedback. Clearly you don’t want to miss out on such a huge chunk of your customers when they spend so much of their time ‘tweeting’!

  1. 3. SEO AND OTHER PROMOTIONS

It is not enough to just create your website and Facebook page and start waiting for the customers to come in. You must now promote your product online. You can do so by employing SEO techniques (email/article marketing etc) as well as by being an active participant in your industry’s latest happenings. Stay connected with other players in the hair industry, keep with the latest news pertaining to your product category (such as ‘hair shows’) and be on the alert for the latest internet opportunities you can exploit to your benefit. You can also promote your hair product in popular message boards (especially the ones that are about hair and beauty products), product and business directories and sponsor ads on websites and search engines frequented by your target customers.

The Internet is a great platform to sell your hair products on. With the right amount of work, your hair business will soon have a successful e-presence!

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What SEO can do for your Hair Product Site(s)

Wednesday, November 30th, 2011

You’ve probably heard a lot about Search Engine Optimization (SEO) from internet marketing beginners as well as successful professionals. But while every one likes to name drop this acronym, you’re probably still not sure as to exactly what it is or how it can help your hair product business.

To understand SEO on a basic level, imagine a scenario where you’ve got a great hair product- whether its wigs, headbands or extensions etc- that people would be willing to pay for but you’re unable to sell it. Why? Because of the simple fact that no one’s aware of your product. You could make a great website for your hair product and if it does not get ‘traffic’ (internet marketing lingo for visitors), your hair product, regardless of how good it is, will fail to bring in the sales.

SEO helps you avoid the aforementioned fate by making your hair product website more visible to search engines and, consequently, to your target customers. SEO experts do this by creating and tailoring the written and technical content on your site in a way that best relates to your targeted keywords. This could include a range of services that include everything from keyword optimization to article and email marketing. The objective is to make your website a top result for your product category. So, for instance, if what you are selling is wigs and extensions, the  ‘search engine optimization’ process will be one that makes sure your website pops up in Google results when users search for ‘wigs’, ‘extensions’ and ‘hair products’ etc.

A common misconception about SEO is that it’s just ‘keyword stuffing’- which is actually a bad SEO practice that merely entails saturating your website’s content with as many of your targeted keywords, and as many times, as possible. In fact, such practices are now more detrimental than they are beneficial as search engines these days are smart enough to distinguish actual quality content from stuffed rubbish. And if your website uses bad SEO practices, it might get blacklisted by search engines and user directories even if the hair product you’re selling is actually high quality.

Good SEO practices are more about creating and presenting content that is relevant, interesting, useful and persuasive to your targeted customers. With the right SEO techniques, your website will go up in search engine rankings, develop its own following through the ‘domino’ effect and generate good word of mouth- all the while raising sales and creating new customers.

In summation, SEO can do wonders for your website and your product’s profitability. Just make sure you go about it in the right and effective way. As always, when in doubt, hire a professional!

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