DeJuan Wright November 26, 2021 We’ve all heard the saying to “never judge a book by its cover.” And while that saying certainly is helpful in helping us to not take appearances for granted, and not undervaluing things and people based on what they look like on the outside – we still make decisions on plenty of things based purely on aesthetics. It’s just what we inherently do…it comes natural to us.
According to a study conducted by the Paper and Packaging Board, 72% of consumers stated that a product’s packaging design has influence over their purchasing decision.
So, in knowing that it’s human nature to judge things by our first impressions of them – including product packages, as a marketer – you can utilize preconceptions to help your brand’s products appeal to consumers by producing product packages that will entice consumers to try them.
Recent data shows that these are some of the most pivotal factors that consumers consider before purchasing a product for the first time or making a repeat purchase of a product.
The ease factor
To consumers, one of the most important factors that plays a part in the consideration of making a repeat purchase is the product’s package functional accessibility. In other words – how easy it was for the consumer to remove the packaging to get to what they’re looking for.
If consumers experience frustration due to opening a package, they’re less likely to purchase that product again.
In fact, findings from a recent survey conducted by leading sustainable packaging leader DS Smith, that was published by Businesswire, shows that almost 20% of consumers would not purchase a product from the same brand or company again if they found the packaging on a product from that brand was difficult to open.
It’s vital that brands make it as easy as possible for consumers to be able to unwrap the gift that is their product. That means communicating with customers on their experiences with the product’s packaging and working closely with the brand’s quality control team to ensure that customer satisfaction as well as safety is at the forefront of the manufacturing process.
The distinctive design factor
Presentation matters in just about every facet of our lives. Someone’s perception of you can determine whether you get admitted into a good school, get hired for a job, get accepted to live in a certain neighborhood, or even get allowed in a restaurant. So, with that in mind, it’s in our best interest to appear as normal as possible to the public in our personal lives.
And while appearing normal works great for us in our day-to-day lives. It has the opposite effect when it comes to branding. Being perceived as an average brand just won’t cut it if the goal for that brand is to stand out from competitors.
That means that the brand has to be distinctive in order to appeal to consumers. A great way for a brand to convey distinction is to package its products in a way that ensures that it stands out from all of the other brands in its category, so that it triggers instant curiosity as soon as the consumer sees it. This also makes it easier for the product to achieve the coveted word-of-mouth marketing that all marketing managers aim for.
That’s because as social beings, we’re naturally inclined to share information with others when we discover new things that we think are “cool” because subconsciously, we believe that it gives us social currency because of course…if we discovered this cool thing, that must mean that we’re cool also…right?
In his book Contagious: Why Things Catch On, author and marketing professor Jonah Berger stated, “The most important aspect of remarkable things is that they are worthy of remark, worthy of mention. Remarkable things provide social currency because they make the people that talk about them seem, well…more remarkable.”
And since people want others to view them as being remarkable, products that come in remarkable packages are more likely to be shared with others when they’re discovered. In fact, according to a survey from Dotcom Distribution, 40% of consumers share photos on social media of products that they perceive to have distinct packaging.
A simple way to create product packaging that is distinct, is to create packages that come in different colors or shapes than those of its competitors. A great example of this is the packaging for Trojan’s Magnum condoms. Initially, the gold wrapper for the condoms were so distinct — people had to talk about them (as well as the other reason that made them different from the other condoms on store shelves).
So, in a world of potato chips that come in bags, be more like Pringles and package them in tubes.
The green factor
Consumers today are more environmentally conscious than any other time in history. And that consciousness often carries over to how purchasing decisions are now being made by consumers. According to a recent survey from Trivium Packaging, conducted with Boston Consulting Group, 54% of respondents surveyed stated that they take sustainable packaging into consideration when they’re selecting a product.
The market has spoken, and what it’s saying is that consumers prefer product packaging that is as ec0-friendly – even if it costs them more money. In fact, the same survey shows that 83% of consumers under the age of 45 – are willing to pay more money for a product if it comes in sustainable packaging.
So, since consumers prefer “green” packaging, brands that produce products that come in packages that aren’t eco-friendly are at a total disadvantage to those that are. And even worse, those products also hurt the environment – which is obviously a bad thing.
As the world continues to become more environmentally aware of climate change, brands that produce products with sustainable packaging will become the only options to conscious consumers. And brands the that don’t, will become a thing of the past.
Originally published here.
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