You shouldn’t judge a book based on its cover but that is exactly what humans prefer to do. It is much easier to draw first impressions and even firm opinions based on what we see when encountering something new. Because of the human tendency toward prejudicial opinion forming, anyone engaged in marketing a product is going to be forced to put some thought into how the product appears to the consumer.
Often it is the packaging that your product comes in that plays the initial to-be-looked-at role. Here are nine professional tips for creating packaging that draws customers and represents your product in an effective way.
Make It A Part Of Your Product’s Identity
There are too many varieties of goods bought and sold on the market today to even fathom. Each of them is designed with a lifespan in mind. If you buy a grandfather clock you might assume that it will last forever. If you buy a sack of disposable cups each cup will last a few hours at most and the sack will supply the buyer with cups for a week or two. Consider the lifespan of your product, how long will your customers be engaged with it?
By using your product’s packaging to establish your brand with the buyer you can create a longer term relationship. This is especially relevant if your product is consumable or disposable. Your packaging needs to be upfront about communicating who it is that is providing the service of the product. The buyer will then identify with your concepts and brand generally instead of the actual product.
Do Something New
Cereal comes in boxes. Water comes in bottles. There have become generic methods for packaging the things that are nearly universally purchased every day. One way to stand out from the crowd is to break the mold. Be the company that sells water in bags (Hypothetically. It is not necessarily recommended to sell bags of water). Find something that can adequately hold whatever it is that you are selling and try to literally think outside the box. Industrial Polymers Corporation is a good place to consult when looking for a new packaging scheme.
One way to accomplish being new and innovative with your packaging is to embrace the characteristics of the product itself. If it is a weird shape put it in a box that is in that same weird shape. If it has moving parts, mimic it with a package that has moving parts. Try to find a balance between being different from the crowd and the costs that will arise from proprietary packaging.
Quiet Professionality
Sometimes less is more. It is possible to wash out the utility of your product with an over the top sensory input. Flashing LEDs and speakers playing your company theme song might be novel and cool at first but they will also probably suggest to potential buyers that purchasing your product at all is a simple gimmick.
Your packaging should convey your respect for the buyer. It should also suggest that there is a level of decency that is involved with what your selling. The customer should understand that you are a legitimate operation that is churning out items that will make their life better.
Make Them Smile
People buy on impulse. They buy things that cause them to receive a shot of endorphins. It is a good idea to use a color palette that draws the eye but what can your packaging offer them once they glance down to look at it? Consider writing a relevant joke and use it as a company slogan. Consider using humorous pictures as part of the print. Customers who regularly get a chuckle or grin out of looking at or even just thinking about what your product looks like are more likely to fork over some of their hard earned dollars.
For A Limited Time Only
Coming up with a standard line of packaging is vital to foster sales. One action you can take to enhance your standard packaging is to run limited edition versions of the product. By introducing a timing element it creates superficial stress for the buyer. It helps them feel that the time to buy it now because it may not be available tomorrow.
Use a totally different color scheme and consider using different materials and put those new materials into unique shapes. Maintain some core to your brand like the font style of the name of your product, but focus on conveying that this new thing that you are selling is only going to look like this for a short time.
It Can Enhance Your Product
It was previously mentioned that society has taught us that certain products come in certain kinds of packaging. If you don’t want to be the company to sell water in bags (again, not necessarily recommended) then you might consider going the other direction with it. For instance, if you were selling a condiment like ketchup you might want to put it in a bottle like ketchup always is, but you can capitalize on what the bottle does.
If in this hypothetical situation you could figure out a way for the bottle around your ketchup to have added utility the consumer will be inclined to buy the ketchup that does more for him. Whatever you are selling, brainstorm ways that the packaging can make the focused product easier to use.
Everybody Appreciates Going Green
The world today has an increasingly high level of self-awareness when it comes to environmental considerations. Businesses have found that meeting their customers at their ideological preferences increases their sales. So whether your company already has a desire to be eco-friendly or not the move to green packaging can pay for itself. Click here for more information on using sustainable packaging methods.
It Will Be Worth The Cost
Experimenting with your packaging’s look and design is going to cost money. This could feel like a waste when you are pitched ideas on simple plastic and cardboard cookie-cutter options. This tip is one of perseverance and patience. If you can nail your packaging you will increase your sales. This will boost your product’s profitability. Remember that this type of extraordinary effort will yield results and to commit to the investment.
Where Are The Shelves It Will Sit On?
The last thing to think about as you make aesthetic and functional decisions about what holds and represents your product is where it will be sold. Consumers are socialized to look for different queues at different places. Big box stores need to have products that conform to that type of environment just as local specialty stores do. Think about what-what kind of look fits in with where you want your product to be sold.
