Packaging protects, preserves, transports and contains a product over its life span. It offers convenience and facilitates the use of the product. It informs, educates, communicates, builds brand equity and generates sales.
In a fleeting encounter with the shopper, packaging must grab her attention, tell the brand’s story, and evoke her desire to purchase.
It must not be conceived in isolation. On the shelf, where it meets consumers, packaging is surrounded by rivals competing to grab attention.
Thus, from a marketing standpoint, the key to effective packaging, lies in its ability to stand out. It needs to cut through the visual noise that engulfs it. It must get noticed.
Studies have shown that faces attract attention, more so if they are expressing emotion. As social beings, consumers seek eye contact.
Nature too is alluring. Though other considerations come into play, the Tropicana experience does suggest that the image of a fresh orange is more endearing than a glass of orange juice.
Typically, the consumer’s gaze is drawn to aberrations in her visual pathway, contrasts such as brighter facings, distinct shapes, or discontinuities between different shades of colour, and she likes aesthetically pleasing designs.
For instance, in Exhibit 14.3, the dark green Garnier packaging stands out from the lighter shades.
To attract attention the packaging should discriminate from competitors through choice of colour, shading, shape, typography and other design special effects. Yet this distinction must be contained within the context of the brand’s image. The packaging has to be unique to the brand, and distinct from competitors.
The packaging’s consumer journey may be summed up as a series of messages: “pick me”, “buy me”, “remember me”, “use me” and “replenish me”.
When the consumer gazes at the shelf, the pack urges her to “pick me”. It creates an instant impression that should trigger interest among new buyers and evoke loyalty from repeat buyers.
Once it is in her hands, the pack must convey the information she requires, and impart the value proposition that resonates and compels her to buy the brand.
When it is brought home, the pack serves as a cue to remind consumers about the product, to get them to use it, and importantly, to replenish it once it is consumed.
The packaging is constantly engaging with the consumer, persuading her to try it and continue buying it, strengthening her relationship with it and enhancing her affinity for it.
Creativity and consistency in packaging builds long lasting associations and memories. Yet it is important too that the packaging evolves over time, and that it remains fresh and contemporary.
When customers visit a store, they are looking for a product that will satisfy a specific need. However, most of the time, they cannot see, touch, or taste the product that they would like to buy. One of the major functions of a package is to inform the customer about the product. So, for example, in grocery stores, the package must provide information on such factors as ingredients, best before dates, and nutritional information. Because there are many similar products for the customer to choose from, one of the most important functions of any package is to convince the customer to buy that specific product.
If the customer is looking for a product that is more natural, the customer is likely more environmentally conscious. Packaging designers can modify the packaging to use more hyper-recyclable materials, make sure that the fiber for the box is coming from a certified forest, create reusable packages, and even use earth tones of blue and green which are more associated with sustainability to reach out to this type of customer.
If the customer is looking for a high-quality product, then packaging engineers tend to use glass jars or higher-quality, softer, paper packaging because customers associate these types of packaging with higher quality. Packaging engineers also use messages such as “gourmet,” “farm fresh,” and “natural” on these types of packaging. In addition, adding gold stamping, embossing, and other design elements can elevate the feel of the packaging. Packaging professionals have found that customers assign a 30% greater value to the same product if it comes in higher quality packaging.
Students in Virginia Tech’s packaging program learn to use technologies such as eye-tracking to help them understand which elements of the package design customers focus on more. Our program also has a multi-million-dollar computer software program that allows packaging students to realistically visualize every aspect of a packaging design and even place that packaging design into a fully stocked store.
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