We know that your product’s packaging can make or break a sale. The initial first impression on the shelf is everything. It can be overwhelming to know what type of style to use in your packaging…but it doesn’t need to be if you research and plan properly. Let’s take a look at the three basic steps your packaging will need to make sales, and what goes into them.
Step 1: Draw the customer in
Don’t be afraid to stand out
As the busy consumer walks down a crowded aisle, your packaging must:
1) Grab their attention
2) Keep that attention long enough for them to look more closely.
This can be just a matter of a few seconds…so make sure your design is cohesive, smart-looking, and unique. It needs to have a look and vibe of its own.
Before you begin planning your design, you must research the competition. Don’t do what everyone else is doing with their packaging. If they’re all going for a clean and simple look, why not make yours more bold or colorful?
Color can connect
The colors you use have the potential to make a powerful impact on the consumer, because of the emotions they can trigger. Are you selling a tea that is supposed to have calming effects on the nerves? You’d perhaps want to use cool colors and pastels. What about an energy supplement? Most likely the opposite…something bright and bold.
Feel free to experiment with different color combinations in order to maintain a unique look. They will all generate a different emotional reaction, so you can test them out yourself. Try and find the right balance of colors that represent the message you want to send about your product, and that also differentiate you from the competition.
Use your words wisely
The biggest mistake most business owners and marketers make with their copy is to focus on the features and not the benefits. The customer doesn’t want to know so much about what your product is, but rather what it can do for them. If you brainstorm all the benefits your product can provide them, and then use that list to source your copy, you really can’t go wrong.
Also, it’s great to pay close attention to the type of font you’re using. Fonts are like colors in that they also send different emotional messages…so it might be best to experiment with them the same way you would with color.
What’s in a name?
Your product’s name is so crucial to success. It should be both intriguing and easy to remember. Make sure it’s displayed clearly on the front panel of your package, and don’t be afraid to get creative or incorporate humor if it’s appropriate.
Choosing a product or brand name can be a lot of pressure packed into those few words. You can always seek help from others in the industry, test out names on people you know, or even hire someone to do the branding.
Be sure to incorporate all these elements into your packaging to ensure that it is memorable for the consumer! Now let’s discuss how to hold their attention and increase the possibility of a sale.
Step 2: Inform and Persuade
Make it easy on them
Everything the customer needs to know about your product should be easy to find on the front and take in quickly. Emphasis on need. Want to tell more about your brand story or family history? You can put a call to action to your website or social media somewhere else on the package.
Only give the most important information on the front panel. If this section is crowded, you will most likely lose the customer’s eye. Include things like title, product description, USP (your Unique Selling Proposition), company name and logo, and the net weight of the product.
Make it clear
As far as the product description goes, don’t have people guessing what type of product you are selling. The branding is not more important than the product description here. Before they know your brand, they’re not going to care too much about it until they try your products…so if there’s one thing to make clear, it’s “what is this product?” You can include secondary features that the customer would be looking for in smaller print, such as gluten-free, organic, etc.
Step 3: Convert
Now that your product has caught the customer’s eye enough to pick it up, it’s up to your secondary panels. These areas need to support and build upon everything you put on the front.
Romance copy
This is just a buzzword for “other text of choice, either informative or persuasive.” You can include whatever additional information you’d like about the product or your brand, as long as it adds to the perceived value.
For example, if you have a food product, you could include: a recipe, a list of “goes well with” foods, or other uses pertaining to beauty, cleaning, etc. A recipe can get a customer excited to go home and use your product…and showing multiple uses will definitely help sales!
Romance copy works best on the back of your package, whether it is a box or round.
Benefits, benefits, benefits
Now it’s time to take that list of product benefits you brainstormed and pick which ones to include. Will your product make them healthier, happier, or more rested? Will it save them time or money…bring them joy or comfort? No need to cram in too many of them–just give a brief understanding of why someone would buy your product.
Benefits could be spaced out all over your package. You can include them on the front panel too, as long as it doesn’t crowd the space and confuse the customer about what the product is.
Putting it all together
A package design is more than meets the eye. There is an art and a science that goes into this crucial piece of your marketing…but taking the time to carefully plan and incorporate these three steps to success will pay off in the long run. More sales, less design redos, and more exposure for your product!
Crème de Mint has specialized in beauty, food and supplement packaging design for more than 15 years. Our CPG branding agency knows how to create compelling, craveworthy designs that can help your brand stand out! Book a call today to chat with us about your packaging design.