Of all the things that a business can neglect, product packaging is one of the most commonly overlooked.
But, considering that a full 40 percent of all customers say they’d be willing to share pictures of product packaging on social media if it were interesting or gift-like and 74 percent of adults ages 18-to-25 are likely to share a product’s packaging when it has been ordered online, leaving your packaging to chance can be a huge mistake.
Sure, you may not want to be the next BirchBox, but there’s plenty you can do to boost the marketing power of your packaging without spending a lot of money on elaborate materials.
Before launching a makeover for the boxes for your entire product line, take a step back and ask yourself these questions:
Does the packaging reflect my brand image? Above all things, you’ve got to consider your brand image and audience when designing packaging. If your brand caters to parents of toddlers, but uses dark colors and heavy fonts, you should consider redesigning it in colors that the audience finds more appealing. In the same vein, imagery matters, too — choose appropriate pictures to reinforce the perception you want people to have of your product.
What does my packaging require to be consistent with the product’s needs? Depending on what you’re packaging and your method of product distribution, your packaging materials may need to be significantly more sturdy or specialized than your competition’s. Consider stiff multi-compartment boxes for assortment packages that will travel through the mail as-is. Softer packaging might be possible with items that are encased in Styrofoam or are virtually unbreakable.
Is my packaging simple enough to make it clear what I’m selling? Another place many companies go wrong is in making their packing design too complicated in an effort to get their message across. Think of your packaging as a Post-It® for your product — you want to only put the most valuable information on it. That includes things like your logo, the product’s name and any instructions that might be useful in helping a customer make a purchase decision. Save the promises, abundance of graphics and other eye-popping visual noise and you’ll reduce the incidence of problems like merchandise returns when the product isn’t what the customer expected.
If you want product packaging that grabs customer attention and encourages them to share their exciting purchases on social media, take a step back and consider how your packaging functions as a sales tool. The better the packaging, the better the customer response.
