Packaging Design: Make Your Products Fly Off the Shelves

Although it’s a good rule in life never to judge a book by its cover, the same is not true when it comes to packaging design. As a retailer, you probably do want your customers to be judging your packaging because their reaction to your packaging will play a role in whether they buy from you or not.

This is especially true when your customers don’t really know much about your product. It is also equally true when they do. If you sell high-end and luxury items such as designer clothing or natural cosmetics, but your packaging design looks cheap and thrown together at the last minute, there’s going to be a disconnect between what your customers see and what they expect from your brand.

So, if you’re like most business owners and want your products to fly off the shelves, we’ve put together some useful packaging design tips to ensure they do just that.

Understand How Your Branding Impacts Your Packaging Design

Branding is about so much more than the visual elements of your business. While visuals — such as your logo, website colours, and fonts — are part of your brand, branding is equally about the perception others have of your business and your products.

So, when it comes to creating your packaging design, you need to have a solid understanding of your brand, and the perception your customers have of it. What does your brand stand for? What is it known for? If you were to survey your ideal customers, what three words would they use to describe your brand?

These may not seem important when creating the packaging design for your latest product launch. But on a subconscious level, your customers are making the connection between your brand and its packaging. As the saying goes, “a confused person never buys.”

So, if you’re selling children’s toys to a broad market, you’re going to want to design packaging that attracts your ideal customers. This means, bright, shiny, and fun packaging that appeals to children. If your packaging is bland and boring, or the sleek and sophisticated retail packaging that would appeal to an entirely different demographic, you’re not going to see much success with your sales.

Use Colour Psychology When Creating Your Packaging Design

The role that colour plays in influencing purchasing decisions is something that has continued to fascinate branding and marketing professionals for as long as the professions themselves have been around.

If you ever wondered why it costs so much to redesign a simple logo, such as the famously expensive, $1,000,000 redesign of Pepsi’s logo in 2008, there’s a simple reason: brand and colour psychology. The creative team behind Pepsi’s rebrand may not seem to have done a whole lot to justify a six-figure fee for something that looks like you could do it yourself on a free graphic design programme. But it’s about more than a logo and packaging design — it’s about understanding the customer and their psyche.

Pepsi wanted to modernise their logo and packaging design, but it had to be subtle so the famous red, white and blue design they’re known for would still be instantly recognisable as the trusted brand people know and love. Anything else could have been a branding disaster for the soft drinks giant.

Colour psychology is equally important when it comes to establishing a new brand and creating your packaging design. Let’s say the products you’re selling are organic, such as superfood smoothies and juices. For this type of product, you want packaging design and colours that instantly scream healthy lifestyle, vitality, natural energy, and anything else you would think of when looking at similar products.

So, you need colours such as oranges, bright greens, blues, pinks — anything associated with nature and the colours of fruits and vegetables. If you go for black and gold or a rustic brown or earthy colour, the effects simply won’t be the same.

Get Experimental with Your Packaging Design to Expand Your Message

The above elements are important when it comes to your packaging design, but you also have to remember that packaging alone is not enough to make someone want to buy your product. Potential customers are looking for something to connect to — something that tells a story.

Your packaging design gives you a real opportunity to be creative with your branding and marketing. A company who have mastered this are cosmetics company Soap & Glory.

Not only is their packaging design fun and feminine, like the products they offer, but each year for Christmas they create a new gift box style. They’ve had everything from a suitcase style box to hamper boxes, and they’re just going to keep on creating more.

What they also offer on all of their packaging — not just their boxes — is a lot of wordplay and creative copy. This is one of the reasons customers remain loyal to the Soap & Glory brand, because they feel a connection to it — like they would with a fun and trusted friend.

Are you ready to bring your brand to life with some creative packaging design and watch your products fly off the shelves? Then get in touch with us today for a custom quote and see how we can help.