Packaging Design

The Hallmarks of a Winning Package Design

Reaching consumers these days is a difficult and exacting business. No longer do traditional methods of advertising and marketing warrant the attention of consumers or their dollars. Business owners and advertisers alike, struggle to come up with creative ways to grab even the smallest bit of attention for their products. Creating an effective package design is one of the simplest and most cost effective ways to do this but requires ingenuity, creativity, and the ability to connect with consumers.

Ingenuity-What makes you so special?
Let’s face it; consumers are not particularly open to changing their purchasing habits or experimenting with new products. Why fix it, if it isn’t broken? When introducing your product to consumers you have to display ingenuity in your packaging design. Consumers look for packaging that is visually pleasing and representative of the actual product. Your package should demonstrate your company’s ability to uniquely display your product through color, size, or logos.

Creativity-Not all packaging is created equally!
Just as with people, packages that are different tend to stand out. Using unusual colors, containers, and catch phrases are all effective ways to catch consumer’s attention. You can reap huge rewards by using packaging design to market the same product to multiple target groups. Product packaging can give new meaning to the same product for different consumers. It is important to note however, that creative packaging is no substitute for a great product. You don’t want to be known for being all fluff and no substance.

Establish an emotional connection
Consumers purchase products because of a perceived need for them. Therefore, your package design must demonstrate a fulfillment of a need of some sort, as well as the benefits of choosing your particular product. Your package should elicit emotion from your consumer, whether it is happiness, serenity, or even hunger. If there isn’t a feeling of excitement or necessity, you can bet your product will remain on the shelf. Consumers like to feel that a company is in touch with their specific needs and offers them something special. You must connect with your target audience.

Your package design is your product’s calling card. Effective package design keeps the consumer’s needs at the forefront while still remaining effective in demonstrating the product and its benefits. For better or for worse your packaging design will be a significant deciding factor in whether or not your product is purchased.