Choosing product packaging is a crucial marketing and communications tool that helps your brand stand out from competitors, online and on brick-and-mortar retail shelves. Learn more about the factors you should consider when choosing product packaging right for your brand, formulation, and consumers.
The influence of product packaging is frequently overlooked when it comes to marketing and communication, however this is the first thing consumers come in contact with when they experience your brand in-store and online. Choosing the right product packaging has the potential to maintain consumer attention before they continue browsing or checking out. Here, you’ll learn what and who you should keep in mind when considering various product packaging options.
Build a Successful Foundation
Choosing the best product packaging for your brand, product, and target audience is an essential in laying the foundation for brand success. Earlier, we mentioned that your brand’s packaging is one of the first interactions a consumer will have with your brand. Some things you should consider:
Who is your target audience?
What causes align with your brand?
Why do consumers need your product?
⅓ of consumer decision making is exclusively based on packaging design. With the average consumer spending less than 20 seconds before making a decision to buy in-store and online, and thousands of products competing for consumer attention in your category, it is essential to stand out from your competitors.
Take a moment to consider your favorite brands and their similarities. Some things they all have in common are that their packaging stands out, they don’t change their branding often or at all, their logo is clearly displayed, they cater to your needs, and their values align with your own.
Connect with Consumers
Product packaging serves as an extension of your brand. Have you considered your consumer demographic when choosing messaging and color schemes?
Contemplating age, gender, location, and lifestyle has the potential to boost product sales as it captures and keeps your consumers’ attention. For Instance, Clean & Clear boasts bright and eye-catching colors (orange, yellow, and blue, to name a few) and action packed verbiage (morning burst, zesty scrub, and deep action) that grabs the attention of their target demographic, teens looking to achieve bright, clean and clear skin.
It is essential to design products and labels with your target market in mind. Did you know that colors play a key role in consumer buying decisions? Most brands use blue to raise trust and confidence, orange for a fun and energetic kick, green to evoke harmony and balance, and pink to stimulate tenderness and compassion.
Observe your favorite brands and competitors, take note of their product display, and keep in mind how your product offering will stand out next to theirs.
Invest in Quality Packaging
Choose packaging that works well with the size and shape of your product, as well as the overall presentation. It’s important to invest in suitable packaging that contains your product without damaging it from the moment it is packaged, until it reaches consumer hands. Consider your product formulation — Is it cream or liquid? If so, glass packaging is preferred for factors such as reuse and product protection. Does your product consist of loose powder? Paper-based packaging is the preferred choice of consumers because of its environmental characteristics, such as the ability to recycle and compost.
The use of plastic is becoming progressively unpopular, and brands are capitalizing on this and getting more in touch with socially responsible consumers by rethinking and exploring eco-friendly alternatives such as glass, paper, recycled plastic and aluminum. When you invest in product packaging suitable for your products, and in support of causes that align with your consumer demographic, you increase the quality and trust in your brand, in turn increasing revenue.
Brand trust is built on causes consumers care most about, with 83% of Millennials stressing the importance of value positioning when purchasing a product or service. And ¾ of this demographic is willing to pay more for sustainable brands, while 51% check packaging labels to confirm positive social and environmental impact. To reflect consumer values, consider aligning your brand with a relevant social or environmental cause. Here are a few:
Brands making a positive environmental impact: Anomaly, BeautyCounter, REN
Brands making a positive social impact: L., Sukin Natural Skincare, Farmacy Beauty
Long story short, keeping your brand identity, product, and consumers top of mind are top things you should consider when making your way through the product packaging process. To learn more and, stay up-to-date on news and insights, subscribe to the Freelance Formulations Newsletter at the bottom of our blog.