There are many different factors that influence our shopping decisions, many of which pop up time and time again. For a lot of people, price is an important reason for choosing to buy a product as we are always looking for the lowest price, or searching for a great bargain. To the wide majority of people, brand is also extremely important. We prefer to buy from brands that we recognise and trust as we believe we are likely to get a better product.
With all the focus on certain factors for influencing purchases, it’s relatively common that brands fail to realise just how powerful product packaging is in affecting consumer buying decisions. Research suggests that around a third of buying decisions are made based on packaging – with this figure in mind, brands can’t afford to ignore the importance of developing the right packaging design to enhance the product that they have worked so hard on.
To create effective product packaging, it’s useful to gain a good understanding of the other key factors that most commonly influence shopping decisions:
• Branding should be clear. As branding has such a strong effect on so many buyers, product packaging provides the perfect opportunity to strengthen a product and make it more appealing by visibly incorporating your brand name.
• Product packaging should represent the price of the product. For example, when selling a luxury item, it’s important to use a packaging design that strongly represents this.
• Give the buyer a good experience. As well as providing a great end product, it’s essential to ensure that product packaging helps to enhance the browsing and shopping experience. Consumers are more likely to make a purchase if they have enjoyed a positive shopping experience.
• Educate the buyer. Use your product packaging to provide the information that will help the customer make a buying decision.
• Be social. In general, consumers are reassured by the opinions of others; using your packaging to provide reviews can be a highly effective way of winning sales.
By gaining a strong understanding of the vast combination of different factors that may help to influence purchases of your product, you can design much more effective and successful product packaging and develop a much stronger marketing solution. After all, there’s no better time to market your product than at the point of sale!
When it comes to the most powerful product packaging, it pays to look closely at the elements that most affect a consumer’s buying decision. For advice on how to make the most of your product packaging, call us today on 01256 352415 or email info@thepackingexperts.co.uk.
