Promotional Packaging: What Matters?
You want your product packaging to attract attention. You want consumers to see your product, interact with it, and buy it. What packaging do you need to achieve this goal?
Protect Your Product
Packaging serves the primary purpose of protecting your product during transport to the store and from the store to your customer’s location. The packaging must prevent product damage so that it arrives in new condition, without blemishes.
Reduce Bulk
Consumers are generally aware of wasteful packaging and more appreciative of recycled and minimal packaging. Less bulk equals more convenience in most cases. Once a product is chosen, it often must be carried to a vehicle then into a home or business. If your packaging can reduce bulk and make transportation easier, customers will appreciate it. Less material for the end user to dispose of is also a plus.
Easy Open
Packaging should be reasonably easy to open. Provide directions on the packaging to show the easiest method of entry, and if possible, make the package able to be opened without needing tools. Don’t let easy open packaging compromise the protection provided by the package, however. Fragile items may need to be packaged more securely than an easy-open design can provide.
Visibility
Making a product visible and appealing to consumers is a huge part of the packaging goal. Use a clear font and large font size to make your name visible among competing products. Highlight product features if there is space, but don’t sacrifice size or clarity to include details. If possible, let the product speak for itself by allowing it to be seen through the packaging material.
Color
Full-color packaging is everywhere. When you look at packaging on store shelves or online, many colors and patterns fight for your attention. Choosing a multi-colored picture or logo for your product may seem like a good idea, but it may actually make your product blend in with all the others. A monochrome packaging theme is an option to make your product stand out from the rest. While other packages attempt to stand out with their many colors, your package with many shades of the same color will catch the eye instead because it is different. If you’d rather not go monochrome, try choosing a few complementary colors to incorporate into your graphics. Choosing a minimalist approach to color will set your product apart from competing products.
Creating optimal packaging is a combination of art and science that combines eye-catching graphics with function. Consider the protection your product needs, the visibility you want, and convenience for the customer as you choose promotional packaging.