Customised packaging for consumer goods is more than just a way to keep the product
safe; it’s also a way to communicate with customers and can affect their choices to buy.
The way things are packaged visually speaks to people and slightly affects what they buy and how they think about brands. This piece by Polypouch, which sells stand-up pouches, looks at the psychological effects of package design and how it changes how people feel about brands.
Packaging and the path to purchase
Packaging is an important part of the buying process. It’s the first thing the customer sees when they buy the goods, and first impressions are very important. Up to 72% of customers surveyed by Ipsos said that the style of a product’s packaging affects their decision to buy it. This shows how important it is to have powerful packing.
Also, buyers look for certain things in packaging to make them think the product is worth
buying. Like, it should be simple to open, reusable, and, if possible, eco-friendly. Also,
the package should have clear and straightforward information about the product inside,
such as the materials used, how the product was made, and how it was sourced in an
ethical way.
People today want brands to be honest, and they’re ready to vote with their dollars. NielsenIQ found that just over 70% of shoppers think that being open and honest is
“important or extremely important”. This is why the package of a product should tell people everything they need to know about it. This will help the potential buyer trust the brand.
Important parts of good packaging
Not every package is the same. But a good packing company will choose the right use of colour, the right shape and size of the box, and the right material. Let’s take a closer look at these points:
Change the colour
One of the most important things about packing is the colour. Not only does colour show
what your brand is, but each colour also has meanings that connect with your brand.
For instance, green is often linked to nature, health, and fitness, while red is linked to
activity, desire, and energy. On the other hand, blue means security and trust, and
yellow means happiness and good vibes.
Black is often used by high-end brands because it gives off an air of class and luxury. One study even found that 90% of people decide what to buy based on colour alone! That alone should show you how important it is to pick the right colour for your product packing.
Size and shape
Most likely, a square or rectangular cardboard box is the first thing that comes to mind
when you think of packing. But there are a lot of strange and cool ways to package
things.
A plain square box, a plastic bottle, or a bag might not be enough to make your
goods stand out on the shelf. It’s been good for brands over the years to be brave and
package their goods in new ways, even if it’s just for a marketing effort. Ten years ago,
Nike got people’s attention when they put their Nike Air Max shoes in a bag that was
filled with… air! The air-cushion wrapping made it easy to see the shoes and used less
material than normal Nike packing.
Things used
The material of your package is more important than ever because it shows what your
brand is all about and affects how people think about it. People today care about the
environment, so you should try to put your goods in eco-friendly materials. The good
news is that there are many eco-friendly ways to package things, such as recycled
paper and cardboard, recycled plastic, organic bubble wrap, cornflour packaging, and
even mushroom packaging!
Differentiation: Making yourself stand out from others
There is a lot of competition. You can make your brand stand out from the others in a
market full of shops full of similar goods by using strong packaging. How do brands do
this with their boxes? Let’s look at a few cases.
As sustainability becomes more important to people, more brands are using their products to show that they are committed to eco-friendly practices. For instance, many brands of laundry soap have switched from plastic containers to ones that can be recycled, and this change is clear from the way they package their products. That’s not all, though. These brands also made the boxes smaller to cut down on waste and put information about sustainability on them.
Trying to get younger customers
Different age groups have different ideas about how to deal with packing. Packaging is
being used more and more to appeal to younger customers, especially Millennials and
Generation Z, which together make up about half of the populations in the UK and US.
People in this group like things to be clear, easy, and personal. They are drawn to
brands that use clean, simple packages to show what they stand for and how good their
products are.
Some brands have used clear wrapping to show off the goods inside, or they’ve used
bright colours, big fonts, and simple designs to appeal to this group of people. Take the
well-known makeup company Glossier. On social media, people love Glossier’s pink
and white logo. The phrase #glossier is used in almost 800,000 posts. The way this
group of people likes their packages does show that less is more sometimes!
Conclusion
With the cost of living problem making shopping even more competitive, brands need to
use packages as a way to tell stories to appeal to customers. It’s an important part of
the buying process because it shows the customer what your brand stands for.
You can’t say enough about how choices about colour, size, shape, and material affect
people’s minds. Different colours make people feel different things, and the size and shape of the package affects how appealing it is on the shelf and how easy it is to handle.
Based on what customers care about now, the products you use should reflect the values of your brand. Sustainability should play a big part. When there are a lot of new goods on the market, packing is one of the main things that makes brands stand out and connect with their target audience. Businesses need to use the visual language of packing to get people to buy their products.
