Designing compelling packaging is one of the best ways to stand out from your competitors. Investing the right amount of time in how your product packaging looks can have a significant impact on your sales. Quite often, how a consumer perceives your brand is strongly influenced by the packaging you use. Poorly designed packaging or packaging that is difficult to read can leave a strong and lasting negative impression on your brand that is difficult to overcome.
Stand Out with Packaging
Getting to know your target market is the first step to setting your product’s packaging apart. You should also look at your competitors’ products to see what they are doing and how they are doing it. The results of this can tell you a lot of things. Packaging should accurately represent the product that you are selling. You can send the wrong signals to the consumer if you don’t do this.
In most cases, you can create product packaging that represents your brand well and makes a positive impact on consumers with the assistance of a good designer. Here are some tips for creating packaging designs that stand out.
1. Prioritize what’s important
In a recent consumer survey conducted by the label manufacturer Luminer, it was found that 60% of consumers are unlikely to purchase a product if the label does not provide enough information about it. You may end up with a cluttered and confusing design if you put too much information on it. Keeping customers’ needs in mind means prioritizing the information they really need.
Make sure your designer knows which information is most important when you work together. Does the product have a unique claim that you must highlight or a special ingredient that you must emphasize? There is a possibility that as you explore various design options, the information you thought was important may change.
2. A variety of options
You should get multiple options, regardless of whether you work with one designer or several. You shouldn’t settle on your package design too soon because it affects how consumers perceive your brand. It may be worth considering testing not only multiple designs, but also multiple materials if you have the budget and the time to do so.
The experience may be enhanced so much by using a more premium material that it may be worth the extra cost. As a business, using sustainable materials is a great way to stand out and something that consumers are becoming increasingly interested in. In a recent study commissioned by Asia Pulp & Paper, more than half of Americans believe packaging waste to be a serious issue in terms of the environment.
3. Be consistent and clear
Your packaging doesn’t have to tell a story – although some companies have had great success with humorous or compelling narratives – but it should convey something about your brand. With regard to the first tip, you should prioritize the information that is important, but you should also ensure that all of the information works synergistically together as a whole.
Whether you decide to use a logo or colors, the decisions you make when it comes to your package design tell a consumer what matters to you as a brand. Are you playful? Are you serious? Are you premium? Consider how your package design fits within all of your other marketing communications, such as your website. As part of your overall brand identity, the packaging design of your product is just one part, so it must be consistent with everything else in order to prevent your customers from becoming confused.
4. Know your competition
On a store shelf, you see thousands of different packages. Is there anything that makes them stand out from each other? When you’re walking down the aisle, what catches your eye? Consider the packaging of your own brand in the same way. It is crucial to know how your product compares to your competitors if you have a product that is competing for shelf space on a store shelf or on an online store.
The font, colors, and size of your package should all be compared. Working with your designer will help you identify areas where your product can stand out if it blends in too much.
5. Design testing
As an example, let’s say you’ve gone through the design process and come up with something you’re really excited about. Congratulations! It’s likely that you’re your own toughest critic, which is exciting. You should get your product into the hands of real consumers before launching it to the world. In spite of the fact that your opinion matters, you’re not necessarily your customer, so it’s vital to research whether it meets their needs. Research doesn’t even have to be formal or focus group-based.
If you are in need of advice, sometimes asking a friend or neighbor is a good idea. However, make sure that you are asking somebody other than yourself. It would be a shame to wind up in a situation where you’ve wasted money printing thousands of labels that are missing a key piece of information, because you didn’t ask for an opinion prior to printing them. These tips can help you build more than just a great product package, but also a lasting relationship with your customers.
Conclusion
Every business will outsource some functions – including graphic design – regardless of its size or shape. In every business, the concept is the driver of the business. Small businesses and start-ups must develop a strategy that analyzes their market position, identifies their competitors, and sets a price point.
There are many types of businesses and organizations that graphic designers work with. They can help your business start off on the right foot by bringing their creative skills to the table. They’ll also be there for re-designs and re-brands when the time comes.
