When starting up a new business, everybody knows there will be hits and misses. But did you know 95% of new products introduced each year fail?
That’s more misses than hits!
To prevent your product from flopping, what can you do? You’ve got to nail your branding and packaging. Everyone knows about branding, but does packaging really matter?
Read on to find out all you need to know about how brand packaging can make or break your business venture.
Judging a Book by Its Cover—The Importance of Brand Packaging
Don’t judge a book by its cover, right? But when it comes to package designs, people start judging before they open the box. Why?
Because people see the packaging as a reflection of the product. If the packaging is shabby, they won’t have high expectations for the actual product. But if the packaging is visually pleasing, they’ll have higher expectations and feel more inclined to buy.
On top of this, there are 7 other reasons why package designs are so important. Let’s take a look one by one.
1. Advertise Your Brand
Try to see your product packaging as a form of advertising for your brand. They go hand-in-hand, after all. Because if your packaging doesn’t match with your brand, nobody will know who the product belongs to.
Consistency is essential when branding. Once you’ve got a certain style going, stick to it. For example, who would recognize a piece of Tiffany jewelry without its iconic ribbon-wrapped turquoise box?
If your branding is strong, people will get used to it and start to trust it. They’ll also find it easier to identify your branding among other products. The branding will also demonstrate the professionalism and quality of your business.
2. Stand out From the Crowd
You’ve spent money to create the perfect product. But in a vast sea of competition, it may get lost among the rest. If your product’s packaged in an appealing way, it’ll catch the eyes of potential customers.
Many companies research thoroughly about which designs may appeal to potential buyers. Colors, graphics, and the materials used all contribute to the final package. The key is to keep it simple, as the most popular brands feature minimalist, clean-cut designs.
Beautiful packaging also draws in the retailer. If your packaging is appealing, they’re more likely to display it in their stores. And not push it to the back of the shelf!
3. Decision Time
As well as standing out from the crowd, your packaging should also help customers to make a decision. The information on the package should give them all the details they need to know about the product, without overwhelming them. This will help them to make an informed decision.
Your brand package designs can also emit good vibes about your brand. For example, using eco-friendly packaging helps potential buyers to see you care about the environment. Or information about it being a Fair Trade product will help them see the authenticity of the brand.
Your aim should be not only to give a good first impression, but also a lasting one. This will bring your customers back, time and again.
4. Getting out of a Sales Slump
Most businesses have ups and downs. If you find your sales are in a slump, rejuvenate your product packaging. It might be all you need to get back on track.
For example, MillerCoors beer company sales started declining. But just by changing the packaging of their beer cans, they bumped up sales by 5%. The beer inside stayed the same, but the new packaging really made a difference.
5. Target Your Audience
You can also use packaging to appeal to target audiences. Get to know your demographic and make sure your packaging design speaks to them. Your packaging will vary depending on the age and circumstances of your target audience.
For example, branding for kids’ products is often brightly colored with bold typography. Whereas branding for seniors tends to be a neutral color scheme with an elegant typeface.
It all depends on what you’re selling and who you’re selling too.
6. Extend the Experience
You can use the product packaging to extend the experience of what’s inside.
Imagine you’re unboxing a new piece of Apple tech; your experience starts from the offset. As you open the box, you can see it reflects the quality of the product—sleek, modern, and user-friendly.
Think about your product and design the packaging so that it reflects the essence of it. For example, if it’s a luxury product, you should make the packaging from high-end materials. Or if it’s an eco-friendly product, you should design the packaging from recyclable materials.
7. Successful Startups
As noted, great packaging complements great branding. If you’re starting up a new company, your branding and packaging will have a big effect on the company’s overall appeal. It’ll make all the difference to your startup.
It may even get you noticed by potential investors!
Brand Packaging—The Negative Effect
Now you know all there is to know about the benefits of great packaging, you need to take a look at the other side. What are the effects of poor packaging?
A prime example is the plain packaging laws imposed in Australia. To discourage young people from smoking, they stripped cigarette packets of their branding rights. This means companies couldn’t use their logo, typeface, or graphics.
These plain packages resulted in the biggest smoking decline in 20 years! While that’s great for the health of the nation, it shows the importance of packaging, and the major impact it can have on sales.
If you want to know more about the latest trends in package designs, click here to read more.
Good Things Come in Great Packages
As you can see, brand packaging is just as important as the product inside. So don’t leave it as an afterthought. Make the product packaging an extension of the product itself, and watch your sales rise.
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