Suppose a customer purchases one of your products multiple times. In that case, you’ve already sold them on it, and they most likely continue to buy it because they appreciate its quality and attributes. That’s the ultimate goal of most retail products, correct? Bring in new customers, and turn those one-time customers into repeat customers.
Persuading a customer to make that initial purchase is the difficult part. Influencing people’s buying decisions and persuading them to stray from what they already know and love are not easy tasks, but they are also not impossible.
Effective product packaging can influence your target audience’s purchase decisions. Product packaging is not just a place to store and protect your product. It does those things, of course, but packaging is so much more than that. Packaging is often the determining factor of whether or not a consumer buys your product over your competitor’s
Excellent product packaging is the result of considerable thought and research, and it stimulates interest from consumers when done correctly. Here are some of the ways that product packaging exerts a powerful influence over buyers and motivates them to make purchases.
Color
Experts devote a substantial amount of research to the effects that color has as a product design element. There are many psychological associations with color; for example, a product like an aromatherapy diffuser creates a sense of tranquility and peace, and packaging designers use soft blue-green packaging to convey that message effectively. On the other hand, a product intended to boost your energy and make you feel more active is likely to be packaged in an energetic color, such as orange or red.
The psychological effects of color rely greatly on cultural influences and can have entirely different meanings to different target audiences. You need to consider these factors when deciding which color will resonate with your target audience the most.
Texture
Research shows that people judge products based on their texture just as much as their appearance. They say you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, but anything goes in the packaging industry.
Texture makes a world of difference to a consumer, even if it’s a subconscious difference. It is appealing to customers when a product’s packaging matches the feeling they might associate with the product, whether it is smooth, gritty, abrasive, soft, etc.
The tactile experience is just as important as the visual experience, especially since most consumers will pick up a product they are interested in and feel it in their hands. When a buyer holds something in their hands, it imparts a sense of psychological ownership. This sense often drives people to purchase the item.
If you ever walk through a toy store and pick up a soft plush toy, it may surprise you how soft it is. The product designers manufacture that soft quality into the toy by design because they understand that, when people love the way a product feels, they form an attitude toward it and develop positive associations with it.
Even if the customer doesn’t purchase the product immediately, the thought will remain in their minds, and they may buy it the next time they’re at the store.
Shape
Believe it or not, even the shape of a product affects consumer perception. Consider a harsh hand cleaner that cleans off tough substances from a person’s hands, like engine grease. This cleaner’s packaging is more likely to have a rigid appearance and sharp lines, as opposed to a smooth design with rounded edges and soft lines, which manufacturers are more likely to use for a product like shampoo.
You should consider the way other manufacturers package products similar to your own. If most similar products are in rounded, curvilinear bottles, your square-bottle product might stand out significantly amongst the crowd. Additionally, shape is a significant factor in the way your product sits on a store shelf and how it fits in shipping containers. Your packaging’s shape is not just a question of appearance but of functionality and transportability as well.
Materials
There are three ways that your chosen packaging materials impact consumer buying habits.
- Presentation and Appearance
- Complexity
- Texture
Consider your product’s presentation. The packaging is essentially a gateway to the product itself. Would you buy a luxury product if it came in a plain, corrugated cardboard box? We wouldn’t. People generally use cardboard packaging for generic, inexpensive products that appeal to the masses. Choose eye-catching presentation methods that appeal to shoppers’ impulsive buying habits.
Above all, you want your packaging’s aesthetic to appeal to your target audience. Ultimately, it depends on your product and how you want to market that product, but the materials you use for your packaging can significantly impact the visual appeal of your product.
The second aspect of packaging material you should consider is complexity, which refers to the longevity and durability of the product within. For example, any product package designed to be opened and discarded immediately should be straightforward so consumers can open it and dispose of it without issue.
You should package a long-term product designed to be kept around for a while in something that is well-constructed and conveys a solid impression. When the complexity doesn’t match the type of product, it makes a disconcerting impression on the consumer.
The third aspect of packaging materials you should consider is texture. Sometimes, consumers end up handling the product’s packaging more than the product itself due to its nature. Think of a can of glass cleaner. The consumer doesn’t come into contact with the spray, only the can. Make sure your product’s packaging feels desirable to hold, regardless of the product’s actual characteristics.
Visual Design
Visual design is arguably the most important factor contributing to your packaging’s appeal. The text and images that appear on packaging exert a considerable influence on consumers as they browse through retailer shelves loaded with items vying for their attention.
Anyone who has dabbled in photography or painting or another similar art form knows that image composition is crucial. You must consider the relationship between the negative and positive space and the way the artwork evokes different emotions in people when designing your packaging.
Furthermore, a surprising amount of work goes into designing the fonts used on product packaging, with some fonts being more conservative and others being boisterous and outlandish.
Any images and fonts used on your packaging should appropriately represent the product inside. When a buyer looks for something new, something as simple as the text font or the ways the colors contrast each other in your image can exert a psychological influence that triggers them to make an impulse decision. The little things matter when it comes to the psychology of product packaging design.
Take Your Packaging to the Next Level with Universal Engraving
Universal Engraving manufactures custom engraved dies for use in foil stamping and embossing applications. Our meticulously crafted dies enhance your product’s immersion through foil-stamped lettering, images, and textures. Well-executed packaging design suggests to your target audience that your product has inherent value, which can give you an edge over your competitors.
Universal Engraving will take your brand’s packaging to the next level and help you establish a brand identity that customers seek out when searching for the products they need. If you are interested in investing in one of our copper or brass dies, give us a call at (913) 541-0503. We can’t wait to take on a new challenge!