Few things are more important than a first impression. According to a study conducted by Business Insider, customers usually only take about seven seconds on average to develop a first impression about a particular product or brand. When that first impression comes in the form of a well-designed piece of direct mail collateral, that’s one thing. But what happens if that first impression occurs in the aisle at a customer’s local retailer?
The answer is simple: product packaging becomes the single deciding factor as to whether or not someone makes a purchase. Your product’s packaging should communicate a purpose: what your brand stands for and what it means for your customer. Packaging is powerful because it tells consumers why your product and brand are different.
The goal of marketing is to develop your brand and make it appealing to consumers, and the packaging you choose plays an integral role in this process. Nothing defines the image or solidifies a consumer’s impression of your product more than its packaging.
First point of contact with your customer – create impact
First impressions count. The right packaging will create a first impression that is both memorable and in line with your brand’s message and aesthetic. Before your packaging can convey anything about your product, it first has to be noticed; effective packaging will stand out from the crowd of competing products in a retail aisle.
The imagery and graphics play key roles, but the packaging design itself can also set your brand apart. An elegant, durable, or convenient packaging design will stand out from the crowd, and by extension will make your brand seem like it, too, is on the cutting edge of innovation and design.
Your product is the star
A product’s packaging should highlight its positive attributes, accentuating the elements that will get a consumer from “thinking about it” to “purchasing it”. It should be consistent with your overall branding efforts, from colour scheme to fonts and images used. It should also send a clear message – is your brand all about luxury, or having fun, or being environmentally responsible and all natural? The types of materials, colours, and images you use in packaging should all point to your overall branding theme.
Packaging designs that incorporate a transparent element have the added advantage of showcasing your product itself, displaying it while at the same time being able to highlight key features with text and illustrations.
Product Packaging: Innovation by Design
It’s clear that product packaging is an opportunity that you just cannot afford to overlook. Aside from the actual functionality of the packaging, you need to think about it the same way you would any other piece of print marketing collateral. Pay attention to colour choice – use red and yellow to invoke feelings like excitement or happiness, while relying on white to convey cleanliness and simplicity.
In the end, part of what a brand offers is an experience that transcends the actual product or service on display. Brand loyalty is built on emotion and relationships, and the key thing to understand is that this experience begins from the marketing arm of your business. The right packaging design won’t just help get your product to store shelves in one piece. It will separate your product from competitors in the minds of consumers. It will attract the right type of attention. It will inform and educate and help sell the experience you’re offering. With products like box bags from FPS, you have valuable real estate to communicate the best aspects of your product to your customers. If your products have specific requirements that require specific packaging, talk to our sales team today and see what we can do for you.
