Seeing Your Packaging Through The Eyes Of Consumers

Today’s consumers are sophisticated and educated. Thanks to the vast amount of information available online, consumers are much more perceptive to brand messages. Moreover, because smartphones have become nearly ubiquitous, customers have access to brand information on the go.

Packaging, one of the last vehicles for brand messaging a consumer sees before making a purchase, plays a critical role in motivating shopper behavior. Being able to see your packaging through the eyes of consumers is an important exercise toward designing a functional, attractive, and effective packaging design that drives sales and influences shopper behavior.

So ask yourself these questions to help you see what customers perceive when they encounter your retail product’s packaging for the first time:

What Element of Your Packaging Catches Your Eye First?

Because you are so familiar with your packaging design and haven’t considered it from the perspective of a new customer in a while, it may be difficult to identify what really stands out. Trying to see your packaging from a new perspective can help you improve it. For example, if the thing that stands out most isn’t what you intended, it may be time to make a change. The logo could be minimized or the colors could be too bright. You need to make sure the first thing customers see is what you want them to notice most.

How Functional Is Your Packaging?

A customer’s decision to purchase isn’t based on appearance alone. Many consumers want easy-to-use functional packaging. If your folding carton or plastic packaging doesn’t deliver in this regard, consumers may not purchase from you again.

One of the most important aspects of functionality to consider is how practical your packaging design is for your particular product. Even if it’s an otherwise sophisticated design, it won’t matter if it isn’t suited for your product. Great packaging complements your product.

How Engaging Is Your Packaging?

Once customers pick up your product from the shelf, do they want to keep interacting with the packaging? One key way to understand how your customers view your packaging is to consider how they interact with it. Does your packaging give consumers other opportunities to engage with your product?

Packaging has the capacity to create a unique experience for customers, so engagement needs to be a top priority when considering how consumers view your design.

How Many Messages Does Your Packaging Send?

A top-quality packaging strategy achieves a level of balance. Too many few branded messages on your packaging wastes a valuable opportunity for advertising. However, too many brand messages can confuse and overwhelm customers and detract from your main message. Instead, your brand messaging should be streamlined so customers can scan the box and immediately understand the key takeaway of your product. All text on the box should be purposeful and easy to understand.

What Vision Does Your Packaging Bring to Mind?

Packaging helps customers form a clear connection with your brand. It allows them to create a vision of how using your product will impact their lives. A clear and uniform vision is crucial for your packaging to fit seamlessly into your overall branding strategy because it ties back to messaging. All the elements of your packaging strategy need to work together to form a cohesive design.

If you are looking to revamp your packaging design based on customer feedback or to create a more uniform appearance, contact a packaging expert like JohnsByrne to elevate your product packaging strategy.