When you think about any product, the purpose of the packaging might at first glance appear to be obvious. However, there is a great deal more to packaging than meets the eye. Proper packaging can make the difference between a product that sells and one that stays on the shelf.
Many packaging companies have spent a great deal of time perfecting package design and function and tailoring them to each product. This is an essential part of the logistical and marketing side of doing business that cannot be overlooked, if you want your product to be successful.
The functions of packaging will impact how the product is manufactured, shipped, and used by the consumers. Businesses should work closely with their packaging company with the goal of ensuring their products are useful, functional, and practical for the consumers.
Here are the 5 useful functions of packaging that all business owners should consider how they design their product:
Function #1: Protection
One of the most important functions of packaging is that it gives protection to the product. No matter what is inside the packaging, it must arrive in the hands of the consumer without any damage or contamination. This can mean a great many different things across industry sectors. For example, fragile items such as glassware will have to be packaged in a completely different way than items such as clothing. Once you introduce food or other consumables into the mix, this adds another layer of complexity.
There are two important parts of this function. The first is one of practicality, meaning the product must be protected in shipping. The second is that the packaging needs to provide the consumer with the confidence that is has been protected. Sometimes, a package for a fragile item will be overly strong and sturdy. This demonstrates that the company cares about the product and ensures people feel comfortable ordering it online.
Function #2: Branding
Upon receiving a product, the unboxing is often a huge part of the experience. There are many YouTube channels dedicated to just the unboxing of products such as iPhones, jewellery, BBQs and more.
Something as simple as a specific colour of a box can have a huge impact on how it stands out on the shelf in the store. In-store displays can often compliment the package design to make the product stand out even more. This can make a great deal of difference when competing with other products in-store.
Function #3: Bespoke design
A simple box can be all that is needed to get your product safely from the warehouse, to store, to the consumer. However, having a little bit of extra design go into the packaging can go a long way to present the customer with the image of your brand that you want.
Having unique packaging comes with many great benefits. One of the main benefits is that you will instill great confidence in the product within as it shows that it warrants the effort involved in designing the packaging. This elevated the product to a level where a higher price point is acceptable as it may now be considered a premium product.
An example of this would be cell phone packaging. Even though many will purchase the phone in-store and walk out with the phone in their hand, the packaging is designed with great care to showcase just why the $1,000 plus price tag is justified.
Function #4: To trigger engagement
When the packaging means something and can be so easily identified, it can be a great driver of free advertising as customers share your branded packaging socially.
A great example of this is the Tiffany Blue Box. This is so iconic and simple, just a turquoise box for jewellery that communicates so much more. It is such an easy to identify brand that demonstrates wealth, status, and much more. It is a great achievement when customers will gleefully share pictures of the packaging of a product with just as much gusto as the product inside, sometimes even more.
Function #5: Social responsibility
Millennials, also known as the youthful demographic with big purchasing power, are important consumers in any market. They have such a great buying power that many brands have taken notice over the past decade, catering how they do business to accommodate these consumers.
Packaging can be a wonderfully creative way to connect with the millennial demographic. Nowadays, businesses often include socially progressive messages as part of their packaging to demonstrate their brand’s core values. For instance, we see companies integrating their support for LGBTQ equality as part of the packaging designs. We’ve seen companies like Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream celebrate marriage equality with their packaging designs. These types of messages resonate especially strongly with millennial consumers, improving their perceptions of the brand.
Many large businesses and corporations have a lot of influence over the public. The messages on their packaging design can potentially reach millions of people worldwide. This gives companies a great platform to promote their principles and social responsibility with their packaging. Over time, consumers will take notice of the company’s stance and will reward the business with their loyalty.
