The key components to good packaging design.
Fun fact: it takes just 7 seconds for someone to create an impression of you the first time you meet. The same goes for customers meeting your product for the first time. Given your packaging is the first thing your customer sees when they’re browsing (online or in person) their next purchase, it’s one of the most important parts of your product marketing strategy. Not to mention- it’s also a key staple of your brand’s wardrobe! Just like our personal style, your packaging showcases your brand’s aesthetic identity, as well as its values and ethics.
How many times have you gazed over a product and simply continued on? You likely don’t remember, because… well… you didn’t care enough to take notice of the product you ignored. Let’s rephrase that question. How many times have you found yourself impulse buying a product you didn’t intend to buy, but it just looked (or sounded) so good you simply had to give it a go?
It’s okay, we’ve done it plenty of times too (we’re suckers for a pretty label!)
The point is: when it comes to first impressions, psychology tells us your customer actually cares less about the quality of your product than they do the way it’s sold to them. There’s no point showcasing the incredible things inside the box if that box is just going to sit idle on a shelf gathering dust.
This is why your packaging design is SO important. It not only gives your product a great ‘fit to wear on the shelves, but it helps to capture your customers’ attention. This then leads to their interest in reading the label, a discovery about the great things inside, and ultimately, a purchase at the checkout.
Components of great packaging
At Zest, we’re pretty experienced in creating eye-catching, necessity-inducing product packaging.. And our simplified approach to designing the perfect assets helps our clients create packaging which stands out among the competition.
We believe great packaging is born from nailing three key components:
Aesthetics
When we design (or redesign) your brand, we’ll cover everything to create the perfect ‘look and feel’ for your business. In knowing this will carry into the products you sell, we’ll do some future planning to prepare for how your branding will translate into packaging.
As experts in creative design, our packaging assets are deliberately created to capture your ideal customers’ attention by catering to their aesthetic expectations and tastes. It’s important to note: while we’re conscious of keeping things modern, we’re not in the business of supplying you with packaging that becomes lost among shelves of carbon copy ‘trending’ products. Instead, we prefer to showcase your brand’s unique and unparalleled personality through beautifully bold, standout packaging that appeals and adds to your growing fanbase.
Functionality
When we talk about functional packaging, it’s easy to think about the obvious things: pump bottles vs squeeze tubes, bags vs boxes, swing tags vs tissue paper, reusable vs recyclable- the list goes on. However, it’s important to remember, the packaging that houses your products is just the start. Creating boxes and custom shipping materials helps to not only extend your branding, but also ensure your products arrive intact and in ways that uphold your sustainability promises and ethical standards.
At Zest, we’re all about practicality at every stage of the customer journey, and we especially love creating functional packaging that creates the ideal experience for your customer. Our supplier partnerships mean we have access to a wide range of packaging options to suit your needs. Whether you’re after more ‘classical’ options, or you're on the hunt for more innovative approaches to housing and shipping your products, we’ll find the right fit for you.
Customer Experience
Three words: Tiffany & Co.
Whether you’ve experienced it first hand or simply seen the brand / store on television, chances are a few things came to mind when you read those words:
The Tiffany blue colour
The white ribbon bow
The minimal, small, serif font
Expensive / luxury
Special occasion
The Tiffany store / experience
Tiffany & Co. has created a worldwide reputation for not just selling silverware but for selling the experience of purchasing, gifting, or opening their products. And it’s all centred around a simple, blue box.
Tiffany boxes represent the experience of standing in the store, champagne in hand. Their gift wrap induces joy as you hand over the unmistakable blue bag. Their signature touch celebrates your own anticipation as you slowly pull the tail of that impossibly perfect white bow and lift that blue lid to see what treasure awaits you inside the matching suede bag.
The Tiffany experience is as much about the product as it is the packaging.
You see, Tiffany’s packaging says: ‘I love you’, ‘I think you’re special.’ ‘You deserve the luxury inside this’, ‘You’re beautiful’, ‘You’re worthy.’
It’s this sense of experience which we consciously inject into each aspect of product packaging we create for our clients. We take your story and your message, and with it we create magical ways for your customers to begin experiencing it the moment they lay eyes on their purchase.
How to uplevel your packaging
Now, while we’ve simplified the theory behind great packaging into three key components, the reality of bringing it to life is complex. And time consuming. And daunting.
And that’s okay!
If you’re feeling great about what you’ve created, we’re all for it! We want everyone to succeed, and we’ll absolutely cheer you on from the sidelines. But if you’re feeling overwhelmed by the whole process, this is where we’d highly recommend outsourcing. Yes, it’s an investment. But as you’ve just learned, so is great packaging. And like any good investment, your return in the long run makes it all worthwhile (and then some!).
Whether you’re after feedback on your current assets, guidance to get started, or someone to help you from beginning to end, we’re always open to help you. Click the link below and we’ll be in touch for a virtual coffee date to discuss how we can work together!