Packaging may hold a product, but it can also do more. It can cause people to stop and daydream about ownership. The beginning of brand desire is when a package is useful, it feels special, and it tells a story on every single occasion it is used. Good packaging makes customers want to buy the product.
Studies indicate that the visual elements of packaging affect perception, feelings, and purchasing decisions. A recent study also correlates material, typography, form, and familiar brand elements with more brand recall and repurchase tendency.
Start With a Feeling
Each package conveys a mood. Choose colors or finishes before choosing the feeling the brand is going to evoke. A product for well-being can seem relaxed and untainted. Snack time can be an exciting and active experience. A luxury item can seem over-the-top and elegant.
Write a sentence describing the emotion. For instance: “Everyday self-care is like a reward with this product.” Utilize that sentence as a guiding principle for all designs.
A good emotional direction to go is:
- Calm and natural.
- Bright and playful.
- Bold and adventurous.
- Warm and handmade.
- Clean and modern.
- Elegant and gift-ready.
The package enhances its memorability when the color, shape, message and material are aligned to create the same feel.
Use the First Look to work hard.
Customers will only spend a couple of seconds on a package. The front should become easily understandable.
Follow a straightforward organizational structure:
- Brand name.
- Product type.
- Main benefit/flavor.
- Important proof point.
Avoid placing all the messages on the front. Excessive text could make customers more tired. A good design guides the eye in one direction and makes it more accessible.
Contrast to differentiate the product from the competition. It could be a striking color, out-of-the-way form, prominent icon, simple background or memorable artwork.
This is a Signature Detail.
A signature detail is a repeated feature that customers come to recognize as your signature. It could be a color, border, pattern, illustration, seal, opening or paper texture.
Sharps – Make Materials Match the Promise
The material should complement the brand’s message. A handmade product might work well with textured paper or kraft board. High-quality gifts may be appropriate for stiff, paperboard, a tight-fitting lid, or a smooth surface. A low-waste brand might employ recycled board and a limited amount of structure.
The material may have a bearing on consumers’ perception of quality. But, high cost does not necessarily equal high quality. The package should feel appropriate to the product’s price, the occasion of purchase, and brand expectations.
Before selecting materials, ask these questions:
- Is it a protection for the product?
- Is it the right price?
- Does it require a strong grasp and be open?
- Is there a way to recycle or reuse it?
- Is it going to stay clean on delivery?
A good package is both attractive and practical in its purpose, not too expensive and does not place an undue burden on the owner.
Make this a trip to remember!
Don’t complicate things. The package should be easy to open and require few steps. Include a surprise if it adds to the value – like a care guide, flavor card, thank you note or refill reminder.
Retail Display Boxes as Brand Stages: Make the most of them to promote your brand.
Display boxes can create a more powerful product line appearance in retail. A display is a visual block of separate units, rather than assigning a random position to each unit on a shelf.
For one message, use the front of the display. Display the brand, product benefit, and one easy-to-follow visual cue. Keep products in view for easy selection by the customer. The displays should be stable, replenish able, and accessible for the store staff.
Provide Customers Helpful Evidence.
The more they trust, the more they desire. Communicate action, not empty promises, using the package. A QR code can provide the customer with more information without taking up too much space on the label. Can display a video about the product, origin story, recycling instructions or a useful tutorial. The link should load within seconds and provide the content advertised in the package.
Do not use general customer-facing terms like “best quality” or “eco-perfect”. Specific information is more believable. For instance, 70% recycled paperboard is more transparent than green packaging.
Create desire by consistency.
Repeated cues are memorable to customers. Maintain the same look (logo position, color, typography, and design tone) throughout the range. This allows consumers to easily identify the brand on shelves, in search engine results, on delivery boxes, and in social media posts.
Consistency is more apparent in displays, since they group related products together. Color matching and layout give the range brand blocking, helping shoppers perceive the range as one cohesive collection.
Remove Waste and Add Value
Packaging can make the desire without excess. Recycled paperboard, molded fiber insert, reused tin, or refill pouch can demonstrate thoughtfulness on the part of a brand.
Eliminate layers that do not serve to protect the product, enhance use or provide important information. If you have a small package that fits the product well, with no empty space, then it’s more of a luxury.
Explain disposal clearly. State whether the customer requires removal of the label or unwrapping of the insert. Sustainable choices are practical when accompanied by clear instructions.
Don’t print without testing. Always test before printing.
Ideas must be put to the test in the real world. Print a sample and set it out adjacent to competing products. See from a few feet back, on a phone, and in a normal shop environment.
Have people who don’t know the brand ask:
- What product do you think this is?
- What emotion does the package evoke?
- What detail of it do you recall?
- Does it look right for the price?
- Does the main message stand out?
- Get feedback and refine the clarity prior to ordering at scale.
Final Thoughts
Packaging is a brand experience, outside the box. Can motivate desire with a clear design, recognizable signature detail, appropriate materials, helpful information, and a simple opening moment.
Great packaging doesn’t have to scream. It helps the customer understand the product, visualize enjoying it, and believe they made a good choice today. Retail display boxes, physical packaging, and digital content can be used as a unified system to generate recognition, trust, and desire.