Your Packaging Is More Important Than Your Product

If you have a retail business, then there is one thing more important than your product, and that is how you package that product. Quite simply, product packaging has the single biggest impact on a consumer’s decision when it comes to buying.  

Just think about it, your packaging communicates a ton of things to a ton of people. It tells them about the product, what it can do, how it can be used, what your company’s ethos and values are. It can even show off your creativity and innovation. Basically, your packaging is critical to both your marketing and communication strategies and thus your brand.

Read on to discover the main reasons why packaging is important.

Stand Out From The Crowd

It doesn’t matter what corner of the retail market you operate in, chances are it is rife with competition, all of whom are trying to grab the attention of the same consumer by shouting louder. That’s where packaging comes in. Research firms that use detailed planogram software have proved that over 33% of consumers base their decision simply on the packaging. As such, success relies on your ability to stand out. Just look at the liquor industry, where the bottle is often more important than the booze itself. Don’t believe us, just look at these cool bottle designs that have been developed with one thing in mind; grabbing customer attention.

Color Sways Habits

Whether you care to agree or not, the colors used in your packaging play a key role in the demographic you are trying to attract. The reason for this is, the brain reacts to different colours in different ways. A great example of a brand that knows this is Jo Malone, which uses off-white and navy blue to convey a feeling of sophistication, style, and purity. They’ve done their research and delivered a packaging strategy to mimic their brand. The more colors thrown into the packaging, the less sophisticated a product is deemed to be. That is why it is so important that you research what different colors mean and what your chosen audience looks for in a product.

This Is Direct Marketing

Your packaging should be associated with your brand and your overall strategy. That is why it is so important to be consistent with your brand packaging and so important you have your logo center and middle. Both of these traits will encourage brand retention and recognition, and will encourage potential consumers to stop and stare the next time they see one of your products, should that be on advertising or on the shelves. So the next time you have a design discussion about your packaging, think about whether it is selling your brand, whether it could be doing it better, and whether it would attract you.

Packaging Commands Recognition

Just pause for a second and think about some of the biggest brand names in the world. Apple, are known for their slick and smart products, their minimalistic design and their sexy packaging. Domino’s pizza is known as that pizza company that promises to deliver to you in under half an hour. Tom’s is known for is philanthropy, where they donate a pair of shoes to children who need them every time you buy a pair. Coca-Cola is another great example of this. They have been around for years and years and years, and yet their brand packaging has hardly changed at all. The logo, the colors they use, the packaging and the taste; they have all remained true to their brand, and that is what you need to aim for.

Main Image: Flickr