The right packaging is paramount to the success of a product. Whereas before, customers stayed loyal to the brands with recognised packaging, any brand can now persuade people to purchase their products with engaging and relevant packaging design.
Businesses across industries are beginning to invest more in high , hihh quality and interesting packaging to stand-out on the shelf. But in an ever changing consumer landscape how can brands find new and diverse ways to make more valuable connections with their audiences using their packaging?
The element of surprise
Creating a sense of wonder with a product’s packaging, or giving customer’s something they hadn’t expected, can deliver a memorable brand experience which strikes a chord and becomes more meaningful.
An unusually shaped, printed or textured package will not only help your products stand out from competitors, it will also spark your audience’s curiosity and help them develop a refreshed image of your brand. Including the surprising features of an all-over printed design, print on the inside of the package as well as the outside, or unusual branding techniques, will create intrigue and an association of additional care and quality with your products and brand.
Appealing to other senses apart from visual cues – touch, smell, sound or even taste – can provide your packaging with an edge that will connect with your audience more deeply. Perhaps you could include samples of your product within the packaging to enhance the user experience, or contrast two senses to spark surprise. Developing packaging that looks like one thing, a banana for instance, but smells completely different, like chocolate, can offer excitement and a more instant connection. With a surprising conflict of sensory representation, consumers will more likely attribute a personality with your brand to increase your products’ desirability.
Be personal on all levels
The increasing need for instant gratification from packaging makes it harder for brands to connect with customers above the competition. In a climate where consumers’ minds are made up immediately by the look and appeal of a packaged product, it’s essential that you make them feel special and valued.
Personal packaging needs to make your audience know that they’re valued, whether it makes them feel unique or part of an exclusive community. Taking advantage of QR codes for promotions, hashtags or URLs for customers to engage with you online, will give your customers access to a whole branded community. Not only can you gain better consumer insight and direct feedback from those purchasing your products, you can also connect customers to others also interested in the same products.
Another way to create a more personal connection through packaging is to include customisable features that extend engagement with your product and brand. Features such as changing colour options on the packaging, or giving the packaging an additional post-purchase use will improve the consumer experience with your packaging, products and brand overall. Remember to include any social icons on packaging so that these interesting features can be shared by your audience online.
If you’d like to attract and inspire wider audiences with a refreshed product packaging design, why not speak to one of our experts? We can offer advice on how to achieve your packaging goals or help turn your packaging ideas into a reality. Simply call us on 01256 352415 or contact us via email at info@thepackagingexperts.co.uk
