Think Out Of the Box about the Box – Packaging Is Crucial Nowadays

Today, packaging isn’t merely a means to protect or store the products; rather, it has become a major player in business marketing campaigns. It can make or break a brand. Product packaging is important to retailers, brand owners and consumers.

Many studies show that packaging can influence buyer’s decision making process. If you think your packaging design is good, think twice! Know if your packaging is capable of distinguishing your products from your competitors’ products, when placed side-by-side with them. If not, there is still enough room for bring improvements and innovations to your packaging.

When It Comes to Product Satisfaction, Packaging Is Very Important

From the store shelves to the moment of disposal, packaging impacts brand satisfaction throughout the product lifecycle. So far price and quality were considered to be the most significant elements of product satisfaction, but you will be surprised to know that the average consumer considers packaging equally important as brand itself.

How Much Do You Spend On Your Product Packaging?

Now, compare the total spending on your brand with your product packaging cost. The amounts are nowhere near being equal. Perhaps, this is why top marketers have already started focusing more on the packaging aspect of a brand.

Packaging Attributes That Matter

Results of a survey done with an aim to study shopping habits and consumer satisfaction with product packaging by a leading market research company claims that the shape, color, material, graphics and labeling of the packaging play a major role in determining sales of a specific brand. The survey was done on 3000 U.S. based consumers in the month of October 2012.

The highest number, 64% of the participants, agreed that they will sometimes buy an off-the-shelf product only being attracted by packaging, without having any prior knowledge about it. Another interesting fact uncovered in the survey is, around 72% of consumers use smartphones to research a product while they are shopping in brick-mortar stores.

What Drives Repeat Business

Packaging is also one of the key factors that drive repeat business in addition to TV ads, online reviews and word of mouth. Less than 20% of the consumers say that they are highly satisfied with the packaging. Store owners, too, are very satisfied with its look and feel on the shelves, but annoyed with several structural features that don’t perform the way they were supposed to.

Packaging That Works

Out of the 15 packaging features studied to gauge the importance of each, ‘shelf appeal’ or ‘product distinctiveness’ was ranked as the least important one. Consumers have been focusing more on the functionality aspect of the packaging. For example, your packaging should be easy to open and easy to use. If you carry a ready-to-eat food item, you may want to create a packaging that can work as a plate when consumers unpack it.

Are You an E-commerce Business?

It is recommended that you use custom printed shipping boxes, or shipping tubes to leave a lasting impression in the minds of the consumers. You may also use box accessories like foam inserts and corner protectors to add an extra layer of protection for products inside the boxes.

So, what are you thinking about? Hire a professional packaging company and draw in more sales with creative packaging.