Over the past few decades, the retail business has undergone considerable changes. Today, it is all about a comprehensive branding experience. People enjoy this experience even more than they enjoy the product itself. Haven’t you heard of the popular ‘box opening experience’? Its the ‘box’ that adds value to the product. In other words, the role of packaging in marketing has become an undeniably important part of retailing, if not the most important part. For many, it is as decisive as the quality of the product. Here is how it helps further your brand and your product.
The Role of Packaging in Marketing
The packaging for any retail product is now a days termed as a brand’s ambassador and rightly so. The way you design your package determines what image of your company and its products will be retained by the consumers. Packaging can not only impact the way your brand is stored in people’s memory, it also has a great impact on the overall sales. No wonder, immense research is carried out by companies while designing their logos, packages, color scheme, fonts, and graphics etc. Here are some of the significant ways in which packaging can impact marketing for any brand.
- It Helps Establish a Brand Identity
The way your products are packaged, from the material you use for packaging in marketing to the colors your brand ‘wears’, every tiniest detail goes a long way in establishing a particular identity for your brand. The packaging informs the customers about the values of your company besides the information about the product. When the customer is faced with hundreds of similar products every day, it is important that your product stands out and be recognized.
This is what exactly the packaging in marketing does for you. It gives your brand an identity with which your products can be associated. Hence, whenever a potential customer comes across your company-specific packaging, everything from the utility of the product to the mission statement of your company passes through his mind. So, the packaging makes your product relatable and identifiable.
- Packaging Helps in Customer Retention
Once you have managed to create an identity of your own and help your audience identify your product, the next tricky step is to help retain the customer base you’ve created. Here too, packaging has a role to play. Years of experience and thorough research in marketing suggests that the customers are more likely to buy again from a brand whose packaging looks more professional to them and quenches their thirst for a memorable retail experience.
A research conducted by Dotcom indicates that the customers are incredibly more willing to buy from a brand which offers more value through an attractive packaging. Hence, packaging is a decisive tool in not only winning the customers but also retaining them. It helps establish brand loyalty.
- It Considers Specific Demographics of Target Audience
Packaging can have far ranging impact on consumer behaviour especially when it is thoughtfully designed taking into consideration important demographics of target audience. Companies place special emphasis on the taste, liking, disliking, and preferences of the potential customer while designing their packages. A thorough research is conducted before finalizing every detail, and all this hard work is worth it in the end.
Starting from the color combinations if your box to the graphics it will and even the lettering and text placement, every little thing can have profound psychological impact on target consumer base. For example, when a product is specifically for girlies, you may go for funky, vibrant colors and dancing letters. On the other hand, elite business class is likely to be attracted by the packages with mature blue or black tones.
Similarly, the products targeting the elderly may benefit from the packages designed in subtle color tones and minimal graphics. These elements might seem minute to some, but infact, paying attention to demographics plays far more important role in marketing than you might think.
- Packaging Creates that Perfect First Impression
As the trend of online shopping continues to grow unhalted, the one thing that the customers miss the most is the excitement associated with being able to touch a product physically before purchasing. Besides, they miss the retail experience and joyful feeling associated with ‘going shopping’. To do for this ‘loss’, packaging has successfully managed to create a comprehensive, fulfilling retail experience. No wonder, the internet abounds with the videos of unboxing the products.
The box, provides the online buyers with the first physical touch point and also the first impression which will last forever. When your packaging in marketing is exciting enough to create that wow moment and bring the retail experience right to the customer’s doorstep, you deserve a pat on your back.
With an exciting, premium packaging, you have already triggered customer’s emotions and increased your product’s value manifold before it is even opened. Hence your package is crucial in creating that perfect lasting first impression which is the essence of e-commerce.
Tips for Effective Product Packaging in Marketing Purposes
When utilized efficiently, packaging in marketing can do wonders for your brand. It can prove to be a marketing tool second to none. Here are a few simple and yet effective tips to make sure that your packaging does the job for you and helps further your brand.
- Be considerate to the Audience’s Preferences
Effective packaging, more than anything else, is about the capability to read the customer’s psychology; what attracts them, what appeals (and doesn’t appeal) them, how they react to different color schemes, what would help capture their attention amidst hundreds of packages they go through, and what excites them to explore the contents of a package.
If you’ve done your homework on most of these factors, the chances are that your ecommerce packaging will be good enough for branding and marketing. Color selection, font selection, lettering, logo designing, etc. in packaging is done not according to the seller’s preferences, rather from the Customer’s point of view. So, the foremost rule in the packaging in marketing world is to ‘know your customer’ and know him well.
- Try Customized Packages
They are inevitable if you are to have a brand identity of your own. The customized packaging is tailor made to your product’s specifications. In this regard, the die cut, made to order boxes are very much in trend. They provide your product with the best fitting outfit and enhances its beauty. A customized package is hence the first step towards creating a brand identity. It carries your logo, your company’s mission and its specific persona with which your customers are going to recognize your brand.
- Use the Space Thoughtfully
This is another highly crucial area which demands the expertise of an adept designer. The blank, white space needs to be managed skilfully to create an impression which is sophisticated and elegant. Here, simplicity and minimalism are the trending virtues. Look at the Apple’s boxes as an example of packaging in marketing plan.
For most of their packages, whether for mobile phones, laptops, notepads, watches, or other products, the box doesn’t contain a lot of graphics or text and yet it is the most compelling and readily identifiable packaging in marketing. Ineffectually it doesn’t even contain the company’s name; a sheer example of minimalist approach at its best.
If you decide to put some text or graphics on the front of the package, other than the logo, make sure you do it while maintaining a visual balance, and your box is not overly crowded. It is not only important for aesthetic appeal but also has to do with functionality. I.e. the retailers would be using promotional stuff like discount stickers etc. By putting them on the most prominent place on the package.
Hence, there should be some room for such stuff so that it doesn’t obstruct with the important text or graphics on the packaging.
- Try Special Promotional Packages Time to Time
If you are looking to promote your brand through high class packaging, you mist have heard of the promotional packaging boxes. These are by far the most efficient tools used for marketing for any brand and they are worth every penny spent on them. The high quality, luxurious promotional boxes have a huge range of applications.
They can be used to promote your products or services at conferences, and exhibitions. Imagine your products being presented in an executive, rigid box, neatly organized for a professional outlook. The promotional boxes and display boxes make your product look premium and the value added by this marketing-oriented genre of packaging is second to none.
You can also use the promotional packages to introduce the ‘limited editions’ if your products. Or these can be used to send samples to potential valuable customers. Promotional boxes are also used by many companies to introduce discount coupons, gift items, introduction of a new line of product, and innumerable other purposes.
In short, no other type of packaging fulfils the purpose of marketing as efficiently as the special promotion boxes do. So, it is a good idea to introduce them every now and the. And trust me, these aren’t an additional burden on your budget, rather they contribute to additional sales in the long run.
- Pay Special Attention to the Quality
Since the packaging in marketing speaks abound of the quality of packaged product inside, it is imperative that your packaging in the first place is of the highest quality. This includes every tiniest detail from the make to the print of the box.
Moreover, make sure you rely only on that manufacturing material for your packaging in marketing which is degradable. This is because the learned and conscious customers today are more likely to buy from the manufacturers who act responsibly towards the environment.
Being able to mention the words ‘recycled’ or ‘eco-friendly’ on your box can go a long way in establishing goodwill and hence enhancing the sales for your product. In this regard, eco friendly kraft material is one of the most preferred options today.
Make sure that your boxes are sturdy enough to bear the challenges of long transits especially in the era of e-business. A damaged box means a damaged image and that the last thing you want while using your package as your marketing tool. Besides, it is important to pay attention to the quality of printing. Use the colors wisely, and in accordance with your audience’s preferences.
Since the package is the first thing that customer is going to notice, and the only thing deciding whether he picks up your product from the shelf, hence it must be printed professionally. Use the graphics which are appealing. For example, emotional appeal in the graphics can be helpful in acquiring customer’s attention.
Moreover, your box must be finished well for a professional look. The finishing options like the aqueous coating, matt finish, gloss finish, rose gold finish, etc. Are sure to add an extra tinge of professionalism to your package and give it a premium look. Additional features like embossing, debossing, spot UV, etc. can also Give your box an eye catching appearance. So don’t hesitate to try the extras.
Types of Packaging in Marketing
The best type of packaging is the one which is comprehensive. Besides protecting your product, providing the customer with convenience, it helps market your brand. Hence, a good packaging is a complete package. Depending upon the nature of your product, it is important to select the most appropriate type of packaging in marketing. It should be the one which combines utility with style. Here are some of the most commonly used packaging types for effective marketing;
- Paperboard Packaging
When it comes to combining the affordability and utility, the paperboard packaging in marketing is among the too options. The paperboard can be used efficiently in making the custom boxes. They can be shaped according to your product’s specifications. Hence it enhances the product’s outlook without being too expensive.
Moreover, those looking for eco-friendly packaging options can use paperboard packaging like the unbleached ones or the kraft paper. These can be as fancy as you can imagine and yet be within a reasonable budget range. It all depends on how well you design your package using the paperboard.
- Corrugated Cardboard Boxes
These are perhaps the most common types of boxes in the packaging company. T
he corrugated cardboard provides the extra strength and durability especially because of the corrugated layer. It generally has three layers. An outer layer of cardboard, an inner layer and a medium corrugated layer which helps absorb the shocks and provide safety to the product.
It too can be made with the pulp obtained from recycled material and it can further be recycled many times. The cardboard boxes can be made in any shape and size and can be customized easily according to your preferences. Hence they combine the all essential features of a perfect package for marketing. I.e. affordability, utility, present ability, and durability.
- Plastic boxes
Plastic boxes are preferred for a number of reasons as a packaging option. They are light weight, provide visibility for the product inside, they can be sealed and made airtight to protect the food related products, they are easy to ship and can be coated with any type of coating option you prefer. Plastic packages too are affordable and, in many cases, even recyclable. However, they are still not as eco-friendly as some other options though they do provide greater strength and can be recycled.
- Rigid Boxes
The rigid boxes are among the most luxurious packaging options and also the most presentable ones. They serve the purpose of marketing better than anything else. Although they too are made with the paperboard or cardboard but the strength of the material has been increased manifold due to its highly condensed nature. It is 4 times thicker than the general material used in daily use cartons. Hence, they become non-bendable.
Rigid boxes are not among the most affordable of the packaging options for marketing but they certainly are among the most effective ones. You can add windows to these boxes for better visibility, compartments for more organized product display, and additional features like embossing, debossing, spot UV etc. for enhanced appearance.
- Polyethylene Bags Packaging
The flexible nature of polybags makes them suitable to package virtually everything and anything from a flower bouquet to a huge machine with sharp edges. They provide protection against contaminants and pollutants and can also be used to wrap food items.
Polyethylene is durable and yet flexible. It is the most commonly used type of plastic and its versatile nature makes it perfect for multipurpose use. It can even be printed with different graphics and logo for improved marketing.
However, the polyethylene used today is not among the biodegradable options. The one that was used a few years ago was made with nature-based materials and was degradable but it had a shorter shelf life. The poly bags or polyethylene sheets used today for packaging in marketing are not environment friendly and are not readily degradable.
Conclusion
Packaging is by far one of the most effective marketing tools if not the most effective. A well designed and well executed marketing strategy centering around professional packaging can lift any brand amidst the fierce competition.
The important thing here is to choose the packaging in marketing type thoughtfully and be very particular about every minutest detail in printing, graphics, color scheme, logo designing, space management, lettering, visual balance etc.