No matter your industry, product packaging design is a crucial factor in garnering sales. For example, the next time you are at the supermarket, think about why you made the choices you did. What influenced your decision to buy? Then think about how your packaging accomplishes the goal of influencing buying decisions. Will buyer insight actually help increase your bottom line? We think so. After an in-depth examination of several buyer insight studies, here are some interesting (and incredibly common) results regarding the influence of product packaging design.
The psychology of colour. There are countless studies out there that confirm the fact that colour plays a major role in purchasing decisions – so it therefore should also play a major role in your packaging design plan. When shopping, people make, usually unconsciously, connections and associate certain colours with certain feelings, knowledge, etc. Here are just a few:
- Green – natural or eco-friendly
- Black – high quality
- Pink – girls or women
- White – pure
- Red – romantic or exciting
If your current packaging doesn’t take into consideration what your colour scheme accomplishes, it might be time to head back to the drawing board.
The shape of your packaging also plays a role. Think about the shape of different products you purchase on a regular basis. Do any of them stand out? Are their shapes recognizable even if the branding is not there? We are thinking here about a certain chocolate bar with an interesting mountain-like shape. As mentioned with colour, people make associations, and when a product’s packaging is exciting, different or interesting, they are more likely to buy it than a similar product in a regular-shaped box.
Sustainability is also a major player on the buyer influence field. People are far more earth conscious than they were even ten years ago, and so when presented with the option to buy a product with earth-friendly packaging versus one without, the majority will automatically pick the one that won’t be as harmful to the environment. Don’t just take our word for it: a recent study done by Packaging World found that, when presented with the option to choose between two products (in this case, cereal) – an eco-friendly packaged product and one not-so-eco-friendly, the eco-friendly option beat out the other option 6-1. That’s a pretty significant number – and something that should not be ignored.
There are various other design features that should be taken into consideration when you set out to develop a concept for the perfect package, including font and letter sizing, branding, images, etc. Don’t just treat the packaging as a house for the product – make use of buyer insight and design a package that will get results.
For more about optimal packaging design please contact Packaging Technology Inc. by calling 1-800-303-5883 or visit us online at www.ptibox.com.
