10 Things to Consider When Choosing the Right Custom Product Packaging
Remember the time you bought something simply because the packaging was cute! Well, this phenomenon occurs more often than you think. Packaging used to be a container that holds the product and a sticker, which tells you what it is. In its raw form, the sole purpose of packaging was to ensure the product was protected and safely delivered to the customers. This definition evolved with the times as the industrial revolution brought products to be readily available and customers starting to edge towards the self-help culture.
The packaging is now, seen as a silent sales-man that can communicate all the values of the company with research reporting that more than 70% of consumers view packaging as an important factor in making their purchase decisions. Label design now must be both attractive and practical to be deemed, successful. Packaging if you think about it like the first impression you want to make on people. Companies that have a gift like packaging make their customers feel special which translates into more than 60% of people making repeated purchases.
Good packaging is a mark of the company being detail-oriented and possible even which would have good customer service and this can be communicated before customers having tired the product. Sure you will get other chances to redeem yourself but the opportunity is too good to lose and frankly in this competitive environment, unforgivable.
Having understood how important custom product packaging is, we need to look into what makes a good design and what should marketers keep in mind when in the designing process. The following factors are all beneficial for a designer to create the perfect packaging for their product:
1) Understand the Company
Before you even begin at the drawing board to design the custom product packaging, make sure, to fully understand the company. The company uses packaging to reflect their values and image. If at the starting point one is not clear about the said values then, the chances of creating a label and packaging true to the company are slim. Does the company want to give out a fun image, or are they a luxury brand in which the packaging should be a gift like, do they provide a masculine or feminine product or does the company want to project a minimalistic approach. Whatever the values of the company they should reflect in the packaging. All Apple products come in minimal packaging, which is a direct reflection of their products that emphasize clean, no-frills product design.
2) Understand the Practicalities
The custom product packaging has now become synonymous with being a tool through which to attract customers, yet at the core, packing serves to protect and facilitate the transport of a product. Therefore, if the product needs any special packaging features then they should be accounted, for in the design process. What kind of opening is best for the product? If it is liquid then must then does it need to be re-sealed. What kind of material could it use? Is it a perishable item or not, whether it needs to be microwave friendly or not, and are there and regulations to follow when designing the packaging.
3) Understand the Information that Needs to go on the Packaging
Packaging often designed to ensure that all the information required by law to place on it for consumer knowledge. Designing a label or packaging without first considering the information needs to go on it is positively suicidal-remember the famous Mcdonald’s lawsuit! As information written on labels, are, a highly sensitive matter, and could lead to litigation if not handled correctly. Information such as any warnings, possible side effects, usage instructions, ingredients, calories and more are now important information, which needs to be listed on the packaging before it is fit for consumption by law. Some products by default may need instructions written on them which specify how they need to be used.
4) Understand How And Where It Will Be Sold
Products that are sold on the internet versus products that are sold in stores have different packaging needs. Products sold in a store may require to be designed in a brighter color to compete with the other brands on the shelf while the ones sold online can rely on product photography to have a completely different design aesthetic. Features of design which do not allow a comfortable shelf placement is discouraged. As the store may find it burdensome to place the oddly shaped packages on their shelves, yet if the very same product was exclusively sold online then the shape would be acceptable. Cylindrical shaped boxes that may slide off the shelf or certain industry packaging such as shoes that come in rectangular boxes are all factors that need to be considered.
5) Understand the Importance of a Good Graphic Designer
Companies often try to act smart and cut corners by not hiring the most professional graphic designer in the market. They believe one is just as good as the other, and the designed product would not suffer from this. Yet the truth is that if a graphic designer is unable to understand your vision then the chances of them designing packaging and graphics will not be up to the mark. A graphic designer who can communicate with you, and you with him would be the perfect fit for the company. The key is to provide the designer with all the necessary information so that they could craft aesthetically appealing and eye-catching custom product packaging.
6) Understand the Environmental Impact
Packaging that is eye-catching and painted in bright colors will catch the attention of your potential customer but it may catch attention for all the wrong reasons as well. In this environmentally charged environment, packaging that cannot be recycled, or uses excessive packaging is now considered a hazard to the environment. There is generally greater awareness about the harmful effects of the use of plastic and packaging that cannot be reused or recycled. Disregarding this fact could lead the company into hot waters and tarnish the company’s image. It is best to incorporate green packaging into the design to uphold the environment and not chance the wrath of customers.
7) Understand the Production Limitations
On the drawing broad the packaging can look great but you need to consider the impact it will have on the production line when the design eventually has to be mass-produced. On paper, the design may look wonderful yet if it proves too problematic then the design is a hindrance to itself and needs to be rectified. Designs can prove to be problematic when they need skilled works to be assembled, new machinery to form, finicky bits that add time on the production line and colors which are not readily available causing a delay in production. Avoiding this problem is only possible if the production team is also included in the discussions concerning the designs.
8) Understand Who the Target Audience is
When designing a custom product packaging it is extremely important to know your audience. We have already discussed understanding the company but it is equally important to understand the target audience. Their demographics, socio-economic bracket, and educational background are important features that must be considered. Chances of designing a package, which reflects the ideas of the targeted audience, will be an instant success. What are the emotions that the company wishes to evoke on the selected audience and is the designed product fulfilling that are all valid considerations when designing for the target audience. Millennials, boomers, generation Z have all different values and companies are aware of the differences between the generations therefore when targeting any particular audience they can cater to their specific needs.
9) Understand the Financial Implications
Good custom product packaging has almost become a buzzword, which is overkill at the time and the budget it drains can sometimes be not justified. Designing the packaging systematically should ideally bring additional value to the company and if it is not happening, then whether it is worth it is a question that needs to be asked. Understanding when a simple design can be beneficial for the presentation of the product is imperative in the grand scheme of things. It is wrong to think that all quirky designs are necessary and will attract a larger market share, as if it brings to real practical value then the financial implications of the design would be worthless.
10) Understand the Fonts
One would think that something as simple as the typography can be an easy hack for any designer or marketer. Yet the simpler the points the more likely they are forgotten by them. Fonts or colors used which inhibit a customers’ ability to read the information or the brand name can prove to be problematic, as then the customer will simply reach for the competitor with more legible writing on the packaging. The amount of information given on the packaging should also be weighed as a packaging filled to the brim with information that may overwhelm the buyer.
At RubeeFlex we know that while rich, durable materials will protect your products, that’s not enough to make them stand out on a crowded shelf. For that extra bit of marketing magic, let us design your packaging for maximum impact.
So do you want out of the box custom product packaging? Choose your custom product packaging style and start designing today!