This is a guest post by Leah Collins, A training specialist living in the U.K. She has come to appreciate how packaging has a strong impact on her purchasing preference.
I’m Leah. Before starting my training business, I never paid so much attention to product packaging. In fact, until Jeff mentioned that If I wanted to write a guest blog, I should write about why I recently bought a new product. I hadn’t given much thought to what motivated me to pick something up off the shelf.
I have always thought that what mattered, related to shopping, was solely about the product.
I hadn’t given much thought to packaging or design and how it can influence a decision. I was so wrong. I have come to realize that product packaging plays a crucial role in marketing and my decisions on what to buy.
I learned this lesson through mango butter that I use for my hair and skin. It has become my favorite organic beauty products brand. I now understand why product packaging matters to a company’s marketing strategy.
Attracts the customer
One of the critical roles of packaging in marketing is to attract customers at retail or online. There are so many choices – packaging signals quality, image, and an overall image. These elements work together to create something that can draw the customer to the product and entice them to pick it up.
I was struggling with uneven skin tone a few years ago. One day I was shopping for body butter in a local beauty shop when this mango butter caught my eye. I noticed the minimalist packaging design – I am a devoted minimalist myself, who believes that less is more. The product is made by a company called Naked Oil.
It was a simple design, with minimal text and color – white and yellow, with a picture of two ripe mangoes and another cut in half. The ripe mangoes attracted me to pick up the product. This, coupled with the color combination, made an excellent first impression of the product and set expectations for my experience.
I guess I haven’t been so conscious of what packaging communicates. The design, simplicity, and colors were like a magnet – pulling me to pick up the product.
Evokes the right emotions
Modern consumers prefer shopping for a brand that connects to their personal story or interest. Like those who are heavily invested in sustainability or the plight of farmworkers.
You can use product packaging to tell your brand story, the values you live by, and what your brand is all about. This evokes the right emotions in your target customers, allowing them to connect with your brand beyond your products.
The simplicity in design of the mango butter is a sign of all-natural, organic ingredients. It also signifies wellness and purity. The yellow shade signals exoticness, just like the skin after using the product.
I later researched the brand and realized that its mission is to make available organic skincare products. Its vision is to see people happy with their healthy and smooth skin. The brain behind it is a woman who had struggled to find authentic organic skincare products and created a solution. A story I connected with, and which the packaging brought out so well.
It is a market differentiator
Besides attracting customers, it is essential for packaging to stand out from other similar products. When done right, I’ve learned that packaging can give your business a competitive edge over other brand.
While I was shopping for the body butter, this particular mango butter stood out. The logo, a simple leaf, and the brand name were visible for starters but did not overwhelm the design. This clearly shows that they know what they are saying. The other brands looked busy, which appeared somewhat confusing, or like they used too much effort to convince people to buy.
A perfect example of packaging being used as a market differentiator is a cannabis brand that uses bold, neutral colors versus the category standard which are more evocative of Rastafarian colors.
A different color palette than the category can give a brand a competitive edge because it minimizes the stigma associated with the marijuana plant and it separates your product from the category. Check out some of these alternative approaches to packaging cannabis products here.
Encourages repeat business
Since that first encounter with the mango butter, Naked Oil’s brand s been my to-go-to brand for everything skincare. Not only do I buy this brand, but I have recommended it to friends. The simplicity of the packaging and clarity of the ingredient declaration has made me Naked Oil’s unpaid ambassador, helping to spread the word – and the mango butter.
And it all started with a package that caught my eye and delivered on its promise.
Additionally, I love the functionality of the package. It is easy to open, which makes it easy to use. Moreover, it closes tightly to protect the product inside. This has reinforced for me the importance of creating great functional and aesthetic experiences for consumers.
Conclusion
I’m not a marketing professional – just an ordinary consumer. But I see how your marketing materials on your website, social media, email marketing, and other platforms are important but not as critical as the package.
Packaging isn’t just for protecting a product – it is also the magnet to draw in the right consumer.
Note from Jeff: My friend Nancy Frame posted a fascinating article from Kemira, a European packaging firm about the future of food packaging here: https://www.kemira.com/insights/future-food-packaging-four-scenarios-2030/
Leah Collins is a passionate writer who appreciates everything about her profession as a training specialist. Aside from writing, she likes reading, listening to music, and wandering in nature.
You can set up a time to chat with me about your marketing challenges using my calendar. Email me jeffslater@themarketingsage.com Call me. 919 720 0995. The conversation is free, and we can explore if working together makes sense. Watch a short video about working with me.
Photo by Studio Blackthorns on Unsplash
