Imagine that you’re in the parking lot of a shopping mall. It’s darkly lit, and it feels like someone will jump you if you step outside your car. So you decide to leave and go to another mall, albeit you aren’t sure if this new mall has what you need.
It’s the same analogy you can apply to product packaging. Customers can change their minds at the last minute just because they weren’t impressed with the packaging of your products. It creates a lasting first impression, an experience you might not recreate if you’ve failed on the first try.
Consumer Expectations and Experiences
Nowadays, you aren’t just competing on the quality of your products. You are also competing for the chance to impress your customers with the unforgettable experience receiving your products will give them. Imagine two scenarios. In the first scenario, you received a well-packed item. The shipping boxes even have the logo of the company on them. You are impressed. The boxes don’t even have a dent.
In the second scenario, you received a box that’s bent on all the wrong angles. The seal is almost wide open. Your name and address were handwritten on the box. How would you feel about these two experiences? Would you order from the second shipment again? No matter how great the second delivery’s products are, customers will not likely return to that business to transact.
Branded Packaging
Your brand is the enduring presence of your company in one’s homes. Customers will remember your brand based on the image you created. The journey begins from the moment they opened your website and down to the moment they received their package in the mail or go to a store to pick up the item. They will then associate your brand with the packaging.
Do you notice that Apple always has clean and sleek lines? This is their brand; you can see it in their stores, packaging, and products. On the other hand, cereal boxes are always fun-looking. They try to attract kids and kids-at-heart. They’re healthy, but they also want to be fun. That’s the brand that cereal companies want for themselves.
People “Eat with Their Eyes”
Do you know what they say, right? You eat with your eyes first? That’s why chefs put such a premium on making their food look good. They plate their dishes to perfection because people are going to devour those with their eyes first. It is the same thing with product packaging. You should want to entice your customers from the first time they lay their eyes on the product. Premium and luxury packaging screams that something important is inside the box.
How would you feel if someone gave you a gift wrapped in an old brown paper bag? Sure, the giver is more important than the gift, but wouldn’t it be nice if the item was nicely wrapped, too? The old brown paper bag defeats the purpose of making the recipient of the gift feel special.
Reusability
People reuse shopping bags all the time, so why shouldn’t you make the main product packaging reusable, too? Good product packaging finds its way into the cupboards, pantries, and drawers of the consumers. Some wrap them in special paper so that they can reuse them as a decorative piece. Those who do not see the need to wrap or paint over the boxes are surreptitiously exposing the whole household to your brand name.
It’s not just about reusing the packaging, too. It’s about your role in environmental protection. Businesses must also do their part in reducing the impact of their activities on natural resources. The environment is strained, and it will be more so if businesses don’t care enough for its protection. You must let your customers know that part of your commitment as a business is to promote environmental sustainability.
Stand Out
More than anything else, customers expect you to stand out as a company. Packaging is another way to build and market your brand. The little blue box has always been associated with Tiffany & Co. while two intertwined letter C is for Chanel. These brands make sure that their customers will remember who they are when they see the logo on the packaging. They make their boxes premium because they want to give customers their money’s worth. That’s what businesses should strive for.
Investing in product packaging will give your company an edge. You will reap the rewards way after you’ve already recuperated the money you spent developing your product packaging. In itself, your chosen packaging can help make your business a success.