What makes a product a success? It’s a question that every big business must consider before they go to the market. The answer is that a great many things make up the successful formula for a product – from quality to timing and pricing – but one thing that cannot be forgotten is the packaging. The way in which your product is presented and protected matters a lot and without giving this enough thought you could be missing a vital piece of the puzzle.
Here are five reasons why your packaging is so important:
It conveys a message: Your packaging is the clearest and most tangible display of ‘what your product is’. The colours and shape of the packaging will help the customer to easily identify your product. If you’re new to the market, you might want your product adopt a similar colour and shape to your rivals – these are good signals to show that you’re offering an alternative. Or, if you want to try something bold, you could use your packaging to stand out from the crowd – with a style that is eye-catching and different from the rest of the pack. Developments in web press printing make it easier than ever to embrace the benefits of flexible packaging.
Creates an emotional connection: Your packaging can also set the tone and create a more emotional connection between the brand and the buyer. That might just mean using higher quality materials or an expensive lining – or it could mean a witty or well-written description that speaks to your customer in the right voice or a really smart design that they enjoy. Either way, you can do more than sell with your packaging – and can certainly say a lot about the quality of the product contained within.
You notice when it goes wrong: While you can get a lot right with your packaging, you can also get a lot wrong too. Packaging that is poorly designed, contains little of the information the user needs or that easily breaks and causes the product to be damaged will lead to complaints and could damage your reputation.
Vital buying information: Speaking of information, there’s much you can do here to help the customer to make an informed choice. Whether it’s nutritional information on a food or drink product or application information on a paint or other substance, for example, your customer will want to feel they have all the information they need in order to make the right choice for their needs. Make sure you give this information on your packaging.
Part of your marketing: Your packaging is also the ‘front line’ of your marketing campaigns. It should display and convey any brand messaging you wish to get across – and use design and imagery to tie closely in to any written or visual promotional material you might be using in the rest of your marketing output. If your packaging and marketing work hand in hand it should boost recognition with the customer and if, as mentioned above, it becomes a part of a luxury user experience, it should also help to spread the word of your product among customers.