Make Your Packaging Design Stand Out

 

Sometimes the choices available can be overwhelming for customers which can make it hard for your products to stand out. One way in which you can increase the chances of this though is by using your packaging. In a physical store it can make your products stand out from competitors on the shelf and online it can help to build brand loyalty and secure future sales.

Keep it simple

Think about your products from the view of your customers while they are also surrounded by your competitors’ products. When they’re looking at your product you don’t want them to have to be reading the small print and trying to decipher what your product is or does. Customers nowadays feel increasingly pushed for time, which means that they will want to be able to make a quick decision on whether a product is for them or not. Packaging that is simple, clear and easy to decipher can draw shopper’s attention to your products, leading them to analyse your products further, and if they like what they see they are more likely to buy. Simplicity doesn’t have to mean boring either, so creating attractive yet simple packaging design can work together to draw in your customers without overwhelming them. If you need to add a lot of writing or descriptions, try adding it to the sides or back to avoid cluttering the front of your packaging.

Simple Packaging

Don’t be generic

Although it’s important to employ simplicity in your packaging it’s important not to let that become generic and bland. Using a cheap and un unique design is unlikely to grab anyone’s attention and will convey the feeling that whatever its contents are, are also of the same design and quality. Don’t fall into the trap of viewing your packaging as an annoying cost but instead treat it as an investment that will pay dividends in the future. Creating an attractive and unique packaging design gives you the chance to make a good first impression to your potential customers and makes them stand out amongst competitors.

Keep your packaging relevant

It’s important to ensure that any packaging design that you use is relevant to the product you are selling and the demographic that you are selling them to. Designs that don’t match the product or aren’t tailored to the right demographic are not likely to make potential customers pick them amongst a crowd of competitors products. For example, using a design that would work well on a cosmetic product isn’t going to look right on a children’s cereal box and would cause confusion and convey the wrong message about the contents. Having packaging that is relevant to both your product and target market will help to steer customers towards your products and increase the likelihood of them purchasing your products over buying from a competitor.

Choose the right colours

Colour can have a very big impact on the way that your product is viewed as it can convey different emotions to your customers and affect their perception of products and influence the buying decisions. This gives you an excellent opportunity to take advantage of, to make your packaging more attractive to your customers and to stand out against your competitors. For example, if you have a product that is meant to be enjoyed by your customers consider using bright, warm or cool colours to catch their attention and give a feeling of excitement or relaxation. On the other hand, if you have a product that is meant to be serious, bright or flashy colours might make it hard to take seriously. Some colours also make it easy for you to identify which product is which and have been ingrained in society, for example, the colour coding of different types of milk and crisps is the same across many different brands.

Make good use of images

The saying goes that a picture is worth a thousand words, and with your packaging design this holds true. Making good use of images for your packaging design is an effective way in which you can grab customers attention and allow them to quickly identify what each product is. Imagine you’re in a shop on an aisle filled with different types of flat-packed furniture that’s all packaged in cardboard boxes with descriptions of the contents but no images. Now imagine you’re down another aisle with the same products but this time the packaging has images of what the furniture looks like. You’re more likely to find it easier to pick which product you like best when you can see what it looks like as a finished product than by going solely off the description. Helping your customers easily identify your products and being clear on what they are purchasing is a good way to draw customers to them and increase your sales against competitors.

Tell or show your customers how to use your products

It’s likely happened to all of us at some point in life where we’ve bought a product and not been entirely sure how it works or how to use it. Your product may seem simple, but you need to think about it from your customers point of view; you work with your product, but your customers may not have used, handled, or seen it before. If you fail to do this and it ends up being difficult for your customers to use your products you run the risk of making them frustrated and they may not purchase them in the future. For example, if you’re selling electronic items that come with different parts and accessories it will be much easier for the customer to use them if they have information for what each part is and what it is used for. You can achieve this through having printed instructions or even just an image on your packaging showing your product in use.

Make it memorable and easy to identify

Think of some of the world’s most successful brands, Coca Cola, Lego, Adidas, Disney and many more and you’re likely to know what their logo is as well. This helps to play a vital role in their success as their logos are unique to them and are easy to identify across the globe. Creating a packaging design that stays with customers after their first purchase is a big bonus as it offers them familiarity the next time they are looking to purchase similar products, giving you a significant advantage over competitors (providing you have left a good impression the previous time). Try to make your logo and brand consistent and unique to your company so that it is easy to identify.

Make your packaging reusable

This in itself doesn’t necessarily make your product stand out, but when you combine it with the previous points it can work as a powerful tool in the future. By being reusable you are allowing your packaging to serve as a reminder of your products and brand after the initial purchase of your products. For example, a custom printed box with your logo on it might be used for storage and can remind customers of your brand long after they made that initial purchase and serve as a reminder for them about your brand and products.

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Sarah Hickson

With more than seven years experience as a member of the Davpack sales team, there are few who know more about the range of packaging materials we sell than Sarah. She recently left the company to become a full-time mother, but still maintains regular contact with her former colleagues. As well as sharing her own accumulated wisdom and experience on the blog, Sarah is looking forward to passing on stories from the front line of packaging sales. Davpack

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