Coca-Cola. Amazon. Apple. They’re all iconic brands with one thing in common: recognizable packaging. Though we might not think familiarity and aesthetics influence our decisions, statistics show they do: A report by The Paper Worker says packaging affects one-third of buying behavior.
From color and texture to materials and typography, your product’s packaging can communicate your brand’s message, concept, and vision while evoking emotional responses that turn into direct sales. Your job? Take nothing for granted when packaging is concerned, and look to winning brands for initial guidance.
Make Your Packaging and Brand Pop
How can a product seamlessly link its brand identity to its packaging? Just look at Davines Haircare, which offers clean packaging with a fresh-from-the-lab aesthetic. And Benefit Cosmetics‘ skincare line is fresh and youthful while still maintaining a subtle old-world apothecary feel.
These brands sought to elevate the relationship between buyer and seller through the careful use of specific packaging techniques and considerations. It’s clear to see that they have overcome the major hurdles involved in designing phenomenally successful cosmetics packaging.
Your company can do the same with these strategies:
- Make the customer experience a pleasure.We’ve all had the frustrating experience of trying to squeeze an awkwardly shaped bottle or use a sprayer that doesn’t function properly. Even if we love the products, we hesitate to buy them again because our experience with the packaging has been destroyed.
As a brand, make sure your customer doesn’t have to work to get to your product. Test with all target audiences, and rely on that data and feedback to change packaging accordingly.
- Be sure the packaging design resonates.Why do so many brands continually tweak their packaging? They want to remain relevant for their target markets as their preferences change throughout the years. Sometimes, freshening a brand’s packaging is as simple as modifying the font and color schemes. Other times, it’s an opportunity to completely reinvent a flailing line.
- Keep the copy legible and understandable.The plant vitamin solution Superthrive could be a great brand, but it’s hard to tell what it does, how to use it, or why you should buy it. Choose your fonts and words carefully so that focus doesn’t shift away from the product.
- Play by the rules.The U.S. Food and Drug Administration oversees cosmetics packaging and has some very specific rules of what can and cannot be listed on a label, how the label should look, and where certain information should appear. The Federal Trade Commission governs how you advertise your products, so if your huge bottle contains a small amount of product, you could get in trouble for deceptively packaging your items.
Be sure your cosmetics packaging doesn’t let your customers down. The less frustrating you make customers’ experiences, the more loyalty they’ll show your brand. Use the power of packaging to build your brand, grab attention, and enhance the customer experience for the right reasons.
