Last Updated 2 years by Emily Standley-Allard
All too often, businesses view their product packaging as an afterthought. As a business owner, your meticulous efforts that go into creating the product, while ignoring the right product packaging, can all lead to a failing marketing campaign. A product’s packaging catches your prospects eye first, and can communicate many things such as company values, many useful benefits and more!
Consider carefully your brand’s packaging and why it’s a necessary step to include it in all your marketing efforts.
Poor Packaging Can Decrease Sales
Your products get the most visibility when they’re sitting on the shelves of a retail store.
However, if you want your products to get noticed faster, attractive packaging needs to be implemented to catch the eye of a potential customer and stay in their memory.
The best way to think of your packaging is to have a customer-centric approach to it.
To do this you must have your ideal customer in mind when designing their packaging needs. Product packaging can make a significant difference in the shopping experience.
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When you have attractive product packaging, you trigger an impulse for customers’ spending habits. Studies report 64% of shoppers will buy a product without research if they like the packaging.
People really do judge books by their covers!
This study goes to show that product packaging is one of the main influences on purchasing decisions.
When you are facing the task of creating a captivating design package, there’s no doubt you need to make a bold statement.
It should give subconscious reasons to customers as to why they should buy your product at that moment. All of this comes down to several different factors such as; copywriting, the font used, the word space, the coloring of the packaging and more.
So if the product packaging doesn’t fit within the consumer’s perceptions of what they need, you’ll miss out on sales.
4 Ways Product Packaging Benefits Your Business
As you can see your product packaging matters, and it can either make or break your sales efforts. So let’s consider 4 ways how product packaging can benefit your business.
1. Product Packaging Sets You Apart from Other Competitors
A good product packaging design can differentiate your brand from the rest of your competitors.
For example, one of a popular alcohol brand called Cannon Blast, comes in a not-so-standard container. The bottle is actually shaped like a cannon ball. Not only is the design relevant to the name of the product, it’s also eye-catching and highly different from what many of its competitors offer.
Depending on the colors, typography, sales copy, and other elements, you can capture your intended consumers’ attention.
When it comes to good product design, you want to be as unique as possible. A great way to do that is to sell your story, provide value, and show off your brand’s personality.
2. Product Packaging Colors Create Consumer Appeal
Colors play a crucial role in your product packaging and consumer purchase decisions. Different colors can evoke other emotions, so you must choose your colors carefully.
For instance, a product with white packaging can be associated with simplicity and purity. In contrast, yellow packaging can evoke excitement and happiness.
Experts also mention that the more color you add to your packaging, the less sophisticated the product will seem.
Plus, you can minimize costs by limiting the number of colors you use for your packaging.
If you choose to go with a light blue, people will consider it a peaceful, playful color.
However, navy blue conveys a more profound meaning. Overall, blue is one of the most well-liked colors around the world.
However, that doesn’t mean you should immediately go with it.
When choosing a color for your product packaging, gather research data on your target audience.
Studying your demographic will help you make your decision on the best color for your product’s packaging.
3. The Right Product Packaging Creates Brand Recognition
It won’t matter how many products you have; your packaging should always be recognizable to consumers. The way that your packaging looks should be similar across the board by keeping it on-brand.
However, with each new product in hand, you should create a unique packaging style.
Take a moment to think about some of your favorite brands. They all have one thing in common: they are memorable. Over the decades, popular brands have made minor changes to their packaging, but stayed true to their original look.
Keep in mind that recognizable brands should not change a thing because many successful brands that changed their logo, colors or packaging have seen a backlash from shoppers after making a big change. People don’t like change after all!
From color schemes to font choices, you should approach your packaging with an attractive design but instill the brand’s overall look. With a good visual vibe to your packaging, you create a distinct brand identity that customers will want to purchase.
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4. Product Packaging Communicates with Customers
The product packaging alone can sell itself. How many times have people purchased a beautiful outfit or accessory just by look or brand reputation alone?
By providing enough space for sharing information about your product, you’re able to share your brand’s messaging.
For example, a package can contain a minimal mission statement for customers to understand more about your company.
In short, the packaging can also provide value and paint a picture of how the product benefits the consumer or a certain organization.
How to Use Product Packaging as an Effective Marketing Tool
Obviously effective product packaging serves as a crucial marketing tool for your company. You can use it to convey meaningful messages to your customers and make more sales.
Here are a few ways you can use the right product packaging to boost your marketing efforts.
Provide Valuable Information
An effective product packaging design can help a product get mass appeal.
Adding detailed yet minimal information about the product can make it even more appealing.
You’ll want to include information such as an intriguing tagline, directions for use, ingredients, how it improves the lives of your customers, among many others.
When designing your product packaging, it’s absolutely necessary to understand the needs of your customers.
If your customer is a vegan who loves cruelty free makeup your product packaging needs to make this apparent right away.
Consumers will actively search for information fast in order to make a purchase decision.
Think about when you’re in a store or shopping online. You scan the products for the features you are looking for. The ones that have the most appealing product packaging usually win out, yes?
So, if your product design does not have the essential information available right away, your customers may turn elsewhere.
Provide Sustainable Product Packaging
Today’s consumers are highly concerned about sustainability. With consumer awareness on the rise, industries are seeing a change in how waste is managed.
If you choose to use recyclable, non-toxic materials and minimum packaging, let your customers know about it. They’ll feel better buying your product and knowing that you’re going green to make the world a better place.
Product Packing Functionality
While designing attractive packaging has its benefits, you should also consider how consumers store and use the product.
Iterate on the size of your text and color combinations to make it easier to read if you have older customers.
You should also opt for grabbing the buyer’s attention with a memorable brand name.
Customers will typically not get repeated orders if they cannot remember the name!
How many times have you bought an item you really liked but the name didn’t stand out in your mind?
For this reason, you should clearly put some thought into a memorable brand name to put on the product packaging.
The Right Product Packaging Persuades Your Customers to Buy
Avoid considering your packaging as an afterthought. You should use it as a key focus to incorporate elements of your sales and marketing efforts.
Product packaging should also have a place for vibrant designs and telling your brand’s story.
If you provide value in the packaging, you propel your customers to buy your product.
Pay close and careful attention to your product packaging and be sure to work with a trusted designer and supplier to show off your product to its best ability.
Author Bio
Eleanor is the editor-in-chief at Designerly Magazine. She was the director at a marketing agency prior to becoming a freelance web designer. Eleanor lives in Philly with her husband and dog, Bear.
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