What is branding? As a broad term it can be confusing. While your immediate thoughts may be of a logo, branding goes far beyond this to include customer service and marketing choices. However, for this article, we will be focusing on branded packaging.
While building a strong brand is essential for any business, where does packaging fit? Should you be concerned about your company’s packaging? And why is it so important?
Recognition
If you picture some of your favourite brands, you will quickly realise that packaging plays a key role. For example, think about food and drink products. At just a glance, consumers can easily recognise leading brands like McDonalds, Coke, or Nutella. But why is this? The packaging. The fonts, colour combinations, shapes and design styles used on packaging all help to make a brand recognisable, building awareness.
Distinguishable
As a business owner, what do you desire more than anything? Success. And how do you achieve this? By increasing customers. Packaging is just one way to do this, by distinguishing your business from rivals. A successful packaging design can help your company to stand out, creating a personality and identifying your brand. As a result, this can make your products more attractive and thus, increase their appeal.
Experience
Marketing is an expensive component of business and as such, companies aim to retain loyal customers. One of the best ways to entice customers to return is by offering an unparalleled experience. Packaging is just a small component of this, but its importance should not be underestimated. Designing packaging that is functional, protects products and looks aesthetically pleasing can improve experience and thus, brand impression.
Engagement
For years, businesses have tried to build emotion into their branding. While this is a common strategy employed in advertising campaigns, it can also be done on packaging. Using Coke again as an example, consumers connected with their named bottle campaign, as it made them feel connected to the product. Attempting to replicate this in your company’s packaging could lead to success.
Trust
Incredibly important is the trust a consumer holds in a brand. If packaging looks professional, well-designed and is structurally sound, it provides customers with a good impression. However, if packaging lacks design, is unfit for purpose, or does not connect with a customer, this could have a negative effect. This trustworthy image can – and does – influence buying behaviour, so should form part of packaging design.
Essentially, packaging is an essential part of brand awareness. It plays a large role in the way customers connect and interact with a product and a brand, and has the power to provide a positive or negative impression. So, as a business owner, the next time you fulfil a customer order and send a parcel, think about the perception your packaging gives and the ways in which it can be improved.
2018 ·