Today, consumers are not restricted to local stores and only regional products are available in the market. They have access to a wide variety of products from around the world because of the accessibility of the Internet. Wherever they are, whether they are standing in a physical store aisle looking at a shelf or looking at the e-shelf of an online store, they expect convenience. An important aspect of this is the packaging.
Offering more than just functional benefits makes the packaging exclusive and in effect contributes to increasing its appeal to customers. From old-school designs to bright and catchy colors packaging can promote a sense of familiarity while at the same time creating PASSION and POSITIVE feelings. When designing creative packaging that will capture people’s attention, there are the following five things to consider.
1. Choose High-quality Materials
Quality material matters a lot, that’s why it is important to start brand packaging with the use of high-quality materials only. Cheap or thin packaging can ruin your experience even if you are holding in your hands the best product on the market. It is the first physical touch that the customer interacts with your product, and it tells a lot about the attention you place on your brand.
Do not consider materials that give a cheap feel to products and structures they have been used on. Customers have a tendency to associate figuratively, high-quality packaging means the production of equally high-quality products. While some packaging uses materials such as robust plastics, thick cardboard, or rigid material to create customized packaging, adding a personal touch makes the difference and makes your product highly recognizable to promote your business.
2. Add Striking Imagery
Your packaging is the place to put words where pictures and other graphics inform about the product’s features. They facilitate a customer’s first impression of the product before they get to feel it or even unwrap it. This is especially apparent in the manufacture of beverages, cosmetics, and food, where the outlook of the product is a key factor in the decision-making process.
Make sure you use dynamic and creative images that appeal to your targeted customers. The use of a carefully designed visual component can not only make your product attract the buyer’s attention and stand out from other similar products but also reflect your brand’s creative work. It can provide a sleek outlook and represent creativity that makes the difference in getting the customer to purchase.
3. Try Vibrant, Purposeful Colors
The use of colors is considered the most effective aspect of custom packaging design. It is considered the first thing that a customer visually notices and that is why it is very effective in the creation of a well-known brand image. Choosing the right colors will evoke certain emotions, convey important information about the brand’s values, and make your item stand out among other similar products.
In determining which colors to use, it is quite easy to go for the ones you like most. But of course, a better way of getting at it is by learning about the psychology behind the choices of colors. Each of the colors has its association with a certain feeling for people. For example, red is meant for love or passion whereas yellow means energy in the right context.
It is also worth highlighting that you may be able to attract attention to your product by lighting the working area with opposite color contrasts. Such colors as orange with blue, purple with yellow, and red with green are excellent examples of contrasts that automatically draw people’s attention. This is a technique utilized by McDonald’s and Cadbury to make their packaging stand out.
Further, if your brand likes to support sustainability or the use of natural products, one could use the production of natural colors like green and blue.
4. Practical and Innovative Labeling
Your product labeling is the other packaging element you need to make sure is sturdy. This is probably the best place to be creative and make sure that your product has a story to tell. While they include the basic information on the package, labels are not just void of character and personality themselves but even contribute personality to any product.
5. Bold Typography and Messaging
While images and colors bring the focus to your content, your messages and fonts maintain it. The content of the message and its format are a key determinant of the communication objectives of branding, about the company and its products, and its values. Choose an eye-catching font that is simple and graphically aligned with your company’s message. Make sure that font size and position are within customers’ immediate peripheral vision.
Another approach adds an element of creativity to your package by the use of taglines or product descriptions. It is a best practice to represent the product features and services of your business.
6. Sustainable Packaging
This is the emerging trend that consumers are becoming more environmentally-conscious thus the need to adopt sustainable packaging solutions. With increased global concern for the environment, using recycled, biodegradable, or even plant-based plastics in packaging can not only attract customers with a conscience but also improve your company’s image.
For this purpose, you need to use recycled paper and cardboard, biodegradable plant-based plastics. Today, customers are concerned about the impact their actions have on the environment, so it will reduce the use of carbon footprint and lower costs, increase the product’s value, and tap the conscience of the customers.
