At its most fundamental level, packaging serves as protection for the product inside. It makes shipping and transportation simple and ensures a decent shelf life for your product. Secondly, and perhaps no less important, your packaging needs to make the right impression. In fact, the importance of packaging cannot be overstated when it comes to marketing your products. It fulfills a variety of functions and when it comes to brand identity, recognition and customer loyalty, it plays a crucial role.
Why is it so important to get your packaging right?
Packaging differentiates your brand from the competition. You want your products to stand out and be noticed even before someone has made a purchase or tried them out. Your first means to do this is through the design of your packaging. Retailers tend to group similar products together so the need to make your product stand out from the competition is vital.
Well-made packaging featuring eye-catching design is a great way to achieve real differentiation. The size, shape and construction of the packaging may be similar for comparable products, but the design can often be very different. Some simple designs go on to be iconic. The actual tin that contains baked beans will always be identical, but few people would mistake the classic Heinz design for its competitors.
Although that level of differentiation may not be achievable for most brands, a degree of individuality and distinctiveness can be achieved by intelligent use of colour and design, in line with your brand identity.
Packaging colour can influence consumer purchasing decisions and habits
Although we all might like to believe we’re too sophisticated to be swayed by something as simple packaging, colour can have a real impact on our purchasing decisions and habits. Choosing the right colours for your packaging can help elicit an emotional response from your customers.
Black makes a striking impact and is associated with both luxury and authority. White on the other hand, can represent simplicity and purity. Passion and boldness can be communicated through red packaging, whereas green can represent nature and an ecological approach.
Product packaging is a marketing tool
Product packaging is a valuable marketing tool in its own right and one that you shouldn’t pass up. It’s a channel for communication that you can use to project your brand image as well as supply people with vital product information.
Quirky, memorable and interesting packaging can all communicate a message to your brand. It can also display your brand values in the choices that are made for your packaging. Perhaps your packaging is deliberately luxurious and high-end, alternatively it might have an artisan and handmade feel. Whatever you choose, your choice of materials and the information your packaging includes will communicate a message to potential consumers.
Consumers are increasingly well-informed and their values are coming more and more to the fore when they make their purchasing choices. Through connected packaging you can create greater consumer engagement, collect data and enhance the user experience.
Packaging creates brand recognition
As we touched on above, iconic brands are immediately recognisable. Think of the Nike swoosh, the Coca-Cola font, or the Campbell’s Soup Tin. These are brand identities that have gone from being a marketing tool to a cultural phenomenon. The means by which they achieved this is by placing their brand identity across their products and then getting those products into the hands of consumers.
If customers are attracted to the colours, fonts and designs of your product and it positively influences their choice, then this same attraction can help them recognise your brand in the future. It also makes it easy for consumers to make repeat purchases without having to search too hard.
Alternatively, they may see your packaging displayed and remember the positive experience they had with your product and then make another purchase. Brand recognition makes it much easier to build brand loyalty and to grow a consistent customer base for your products.
If you want to learn more about marketing and packaging? Why not check out our article on "What is digital packaging?"
To find out more about the innovative Appetite Creative approach to product packaging and marketing call (+44) 7814 394 310 or contact us by clicking here.