Innovative packaging style increases sales potential in several distinctive styles. It creates magnetic impact on the shelves and encourages shoppers to pick up products and interact with the content. Packaging also create added value for the consumers in terms of functionality, convenience and product enjoyment.
The most important benefit demanded by the consumers is the sustainability. However, research shows that around four-fifth of the consumers are concerned about the environmental impact of packaging. Therefore, packaging should be convenient to reuse and practical besides being tempting and luxurious.
What makes and breaks a good packaging design?
Honesty:
Often the designer misleads the consumer by depicting a product in an over perfect way imaginable. For instance, the package will show cookies in chocolate for a simple chocolate flavoured biscuits. This is actually disappointing the consumer after they have made the purchase and leads to poor sales performance and brand image. This is where honesty is in question. The consumer will never have anything against simple and inexpensive products as long as they are aware of what they are buying.
Simplicity and clarity:
Whenever you visit a marketplace, pick some random products and browse the internet to find what this product is for?
What is the brand behind it?
You will be surprised to find out that it is hard to get answers to such questions in less than 4 seconds. Sometimes, you will also find a few products with a list of benefits without mentioning any brand name. They look great from the outer appearance but fail to explain what is inside the box. Therefore, if the consumers fail to identify any products in terms of its usage, content or brand identity, the packaging design can never perform well in the stores.
So, be clear about the product and its brand.
Here is an example of an intuitive Hungarian cottage cheese package featuring the fats percentage on front side of the box.
Practicality:
Customers always prefer ‘tried and tested' formula. Practicality is the most ignored aspect of packaging. However, those retailers who know the importance of practicality have been benefited from it. Practicality deals with the functionality of the product container, its actual shape and size and not just the wrap and the label. For instance, if a simple bottle of tomato ketchup is redesigned to a ketchup bottle that is turned upside down, sales skyrocketed.
Authenticity:
Originality, memo ability and character are closely associated with great brands and their packaging style. There are thousands of products competing to grab the attention of the consumer. However, the only way to make your brand stand out of the crowd is to make it authentic. You need to be bold in your creativity to make your packaging design exceptional. Unexpected source of design inspiration is always welcome to make products look unique.
Extensibility:
A product packaging design should allow room for an easy introduction of any new line extension or for a sub-brand. For instance, there is a specific packaging for an orange juice. After a few months, the clients decide to launch a blueberry flavour under the same brand. This new idea may create a problem with extensibility. Therefore, creating a visually systematic design keeping future need in mind will allow easy changes for the products.
Shelf impact:
A product is never seen alone and in great details. Products are arranged in rows and columns and it becomes difficult to view it from the shelf because of distance. Therefore, retail packaging should be appealing and distinctive to drive the attention of the consumers towards the shelves. Shelf impact makes a massive difference in product sales.
Packaging delivers the last message that a consumer see and the last chance to convince them to buy the products.
