The Value of Packaging

According to PakWest (2007), consumers on average form an impression of a brand within the first 7 seconds of seeing the product. Fact! Let’s learn how to make it count.

What is packaging design and why is it important? What insight does it give your customer to your product and brand? And how can you take advantage of this forgotten marketing opportunity?

Let's rewind a little and take it back to ancient times. 

Packaging was invented for it’s functional use of transporting, storing, and protecting items. Originating from leaves, it quickly developed into woven textiles, through to glass, tin then finding its way to paper in the UK, in 1310.

But I get it, you’re not here to learn about the history of packaging. So, let’s get into the good stuff and learn how your business can benefit from well-designed packaging. 

You may be thinking that packaging solely lives down the aisles of your local supermarket. But we’re here to tell you to think again. Packaging is everywhere. From the shops, to your workplace, to your home. As consumers, we’re exposed to thousands of packaging designs daily. 

The label on your milk carton. The box design your new Apple iPhone arrived in. A takeaway coffee from your local cafe. I can bet you $50 that you remember the packaging designs of these items. Mmhmm… cough up.

So, what exactly is packaging design, and why is it important?

Packaging design is the process of designing product packaging (including materials, colour, imagery & typography) to best contain, identify and deliver a product.

These days, there’s a lot to think about when it comes to the design of your packaging. It not only has a huge functional part to play for your product, but it equally should look the part, forming a memorable & visual representation of your brand. And on top of all of that, today it’s encouraged for your packaging to have enhanced usability and to be as sustainable as possible, with the end goal of reducing plastic and single-use packaging.

What can it really tell us about a product?

Packaging, if designed well, has ample opportunity to provide the following benefits:

• Memorable brand interaction & experience
• Product knowledge or instructions
• A walking brand awareness campaign (e.g., reusable tote bags)
• Creative insight into who you and what your brand is about
• Represent a taste of the level of quality of your brand 
• Stand out from your competitors sitting next to you on the shelf
• Story-telling of a collection of products
  
  

But it’s just some packaging. How is this a marketing medium?

According to research, businesses see a 30% increase in consumers if they focus efforts in product packaging & design (PakWest, 2017).

If your business requires packaging of some kind, that “packaging of some kind” just became your one way ticket to conversion.

Often enough, the beauty & quality of a product is intangible, and relies on experience to warrant a purchase. This means, when it’s sitting on the shelf, next to all it’s competitors, it needs its own avenue to stand out and tell your product story. Look at this as a marketing opportunity to inform, attract and engage with your customer.  

Want proof? Here’s a little something we prepared earlier.

The team at Boys Get Paid decided it was time to offer their team of horse enthusiasts an upgraded beer brand to go with their love of racing. The brief for this job was simple. Come up with a cool looking beer and box design.

The design team developed and designed the look and feel of the can and the packaging for the box, seen below. 

  Sophisticated? Yes. Unique? Yes. Screams brand awareness? Yes. 

Well then, we’ll drink to that. 

Like what you see? 

If you’re in a business that requires packaging but you’re not too sure where to start - here’s a few ways we can help:

• Brand logo, colours, fonts
• Tone of voice & personality that is represented through your messaging & creative
• Material suggestions
• Inspiring designs
• Sustainability
• Illustrations