Packaging design is a crucial element of branding that has gained more importance in recent years. Because in a market overflowing with products and companies fighting to gain customer’s attention, only an engaging brand identity can win the hearts of the audience. In today’s time, companies end up spending almost 50-80% of their capital solely on creating and maintaining a brand identity, rest everything follows. Let us discuss some eye-opening facts about packaging design that you should keep in mind while starting your brand.
First Impressions are the Last Impressions
All humans have an in-built first impression bias which makes them rely on the first pieces of information that they receive to form a judgement. These consumers can form an opinion about your brand in the initial 7 seconds. Packaging is one of the first things that the customers will notice about the brand. Hence, the packaging design sets the foundation for the brand positioning and does half of the story-telling for you. To hit the nail when it comes to getting the packaging right, get a consultation with a branding agency.
Packaging Design Influences Purchase Decisions
Studies have shown that more than 50% of the audience agree that packaging design of a product and the material used for the same often influences their purchase. This is truer if the brand is concerned with jewelry, cosmetics, fragrances, or other luxury products and services. Spending on premium packaging is the best way to penetrate a high-ticket product in any market. Oftentimes, brands use this method to appear exotic.
Packaging is Canvas for Storytelling
Packaging design provides a lot of room to the brand to build a storyline. You can strategically select the color palette, fonts, and designs to build a brand narrative. Let us take the example of a newly launched sustainable footwear and fashion brand, BirdHouse. Since BirdHouse promotes sustainable fashion, they focus on natural inspirations in all their branding strategies. Their packaging design involves mud red and white color with prints depicting a sky full of birds. Mallika Garg, founder of BirdHouse, says that the packaging was an attempt to capture the image of a sky full of birds that inspired her with the brand name.
Packaging Enables Brand Recall
Strong and consistent packaging significantly enhances brand recall because it helps the customers to identify and associate with the brand. Elements like distinctive shapes, colors, and graphics can create a lasting impression, making it more likely that consumers will choose your product again. For example, Coca-Cola’s iconic bottle shape has encouraged consumers to pick it up again.
More than half of any brand’s target audience today agrees that they watch the product’s unboxing video and get attracted to the product packaging before buying it.
Packaging Design Builds Emotional Connection
The consistency in the color scheme, visual aesthetics, verbal communication, and correspondence with the brand’s core mission and brand identity helps the brand to make emotional connections with its audience. Let us take the example of the soap and beauty brand Dove which used its packaging and color theory to communicate its brand message of self-acceptance and beauty in all the faces.
Packaging can be Functional
Functionality and aesthetics shall go hand in hand for a packaging design that is class apart. Factors like ease of opening, resealability, and protection make an appeal to the customers and affect repeat purchase. Even advancements in technology can also aid the packaging design.
For example, some brands are readily using AR technology to enhance customer interaction with the brand by providing them with QR code on the packaging. Customers can scan this code to see additional information about the product in an interesting manner.
A Korean instant noodle company, Nongshim, has created microwave friendly packaging which instantly gave it a surge in the market. Such innovation in packaging design will definitely give any brand a competitive edge in the market.
Sustainable Packaging is Getting the Hype
Over the recent years, the business world has seen a surge in sustainable start-ups and customers basing their purchasing decision over the factor of sustainable packaging. This is especially true for brands that claim to be sustainable, eco-friendly, vegan, and chemical-free. Audiences get intrigued by the new-age packaging and are more likely to try it out. This will definitely get your brand sustainability scores. For example, Nike has also recently created a shoebox entirely made of recycled trash.
Packaging Design has Legal Limitations
Packaging design is not just about the aesthetics but has many legal considerations also. Depending on the state or industry corresponding to your business, watch for any legal restrictions or specific requirements related to the packaging. Such requirements may be about the package sizes, sustainability of the packaging element, shapes of new packages or more. Being ignorant to such requirements can result in a financial as well as operational bundle later.
If all this already sounds like an essential but tedious task for you, you can always hire a branding agency to take care of the packaging design and overall branding of your venture.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS [FAQs]
1. How can I test my packaging design?
You can create a small sample batch with packaging design and test it in the market. This helps you introduce your product in the market through try out as well as test the packaging.
2. Should I make my packaging culturally relevant?
Making a culturally relevant branding builds more trust with the audience and strengthens the brand in the long term. You can conduct rigorous market research to understand local preferences and cultural nuances.
3. Is sustainable packaging compulsory?
Sustainable packaging is not compulsory but as an ethical brand, you should abide by the environmental protection laws in your state and look for innovative sustainable alternatives. This will also make your brand appealing to the audience.
4. What are the current trends in packaging design?
The current trends in packaging design include sustainable packaging like paper and cloth based packaging, minimalist designs, and high-tech packaging such as introducing QR codes. However, rather than focusing on the latest design trends, you should focus on the core brand identity and communicate the brand’s mission through its packaging design.
5. What are some of the common mistakes to avoid when making your packaging design?
The best method to create a good packaging design is to keep the message and brand communication simple, clear and honest. Cluttered designs or text messages, poor readability due to font or spacing, non-functional packaging, or designs that violate the cultural norms of an area will result in truly disastrous packaging design.