If colors and logos meant nothing Lucent wouldn't have spent 11 million developing the "coffee stain" of a logo. McDonald's wouldn't defend their proprietary colors, name and logo so vigorously.
Picking colors, typeface, packaging, etc all matters A LOT. Something with subtle, muted tones will have a different response from bright, splashy packaging.
We used to run through a little worksheets to help us whittle down to the few main elements to get to the visual to aid in what the overall messaging and effect the product would have on the customer. Here are some questions to help your co-workers along.
-Who is the customer, describe them demographically (ages, professions, schooling, income, etc) Just saying "mom" doesn't quite cut it, as you can see from the varied responses below.
-What does the product do
-What do you expect the consumer to do with the product, how will it be used? Where will it be used? How often will it be used?
-Where will the product be positioned (sold) If it's on a grocery shelf, it's different than a Drs office, is different than a health food store is different than mail order. KWIM?
When they're feeling a little overwhelmed: get ahold of a marketing candidate from the local university and see if they'll consult with you. You want someone versed in Consumer Marketing, preferably children -it's a sub-category unto it's own and close to graduating with their Masters degree. Even 10 minutes with them will make a huge difference in your outcome.
When they start digging in their heels about not needing help: Marketers aren't cheap for a reason. They're worth their weight in silver :) Packaging, branding, etc will make or break a product. Over 40,000 new products are introduced every single year at the Grocery convention, only a handful will survive to the next year.
I used to work at a manufacturing company and every engineer said the product worked so well it would sell itself, just need a few good sales people. Yep, it's why they're now out of business. GL!!!