Ways to Make Marketing and Packaging work to Increase the Desire to Shop
Feb 18
Packaging is far more then edge protectors. While jumbo edge protectors have a place in securing items for shipping, there is far more to custom packaging solutions then just protecting goods in transit. Only in certain cases is the packaging completely discarded before a product is sold and most consumers glean a lot of information and form perceptions based on the type of packaging they see. If you have a product or service to sell how you market and package it is of vital importance. This goes beyond just getting the product to where it is sold, or to the consumer. While safety and protection are both part of packaging, the hidden side is making that outer surface appeal to the buyer.
Packaging can be viewed as part of the product, the traditional view, or as part of the promotion of that product. It is the showcase of the brand, often including the product name, the logo of the company, graphic symbols, projected personality, and any slogans associated with the product. It is often through the packaging that such things like brand recognition are built as the images and colors on the container often are what is mostly remembered. This innate instant trust in similar goods being placed in the same packaging is what fuels brand loyalty.
When you consider your packaging you should always remember that it serves many functions. Yes it needs to provide physical protection against shocks, vibrations, compression, temperature and other physical hazards. It should also protect against air, water, dust, and other elements that can damage the product by breaking it down. Packaging also allows sizes and quantities to be adjusted to usable levels for ease of transport and sale. In so doing, it limits theft with clever methods to show tampering or including other devices to make the practice unprofitable. These are the things that packaging does for the seller, but what about the buyer?
Packaging shared information about the product. Things like usage, recycling, or disposal are often stated on the package. Additionally there may be storage and handling instructions. The box may make it easier to use or store the items inside and feature such things a spouts, lids, or other built in features. Packaging also alerts the buyer to changes in the product as part of promotions, contrasts an item to others like it on the shelf, an appeals to the buyer’s impulses in such a way as to make them curious about the product and perhaps buy it. Many consumers will seek out the same brand based on previous experience and only switch to a new one when other factors come into play.
It should be clear that packaging influences shopping behavior. While behind the scenes edge protectors and jumbo edge protectors are important to getting products to the market in good condition, for the business owner custom packaging solutions must include consideration on how design, form, function, and impression of the packaging impacts the brand and perception of the goods being sold.