Beauty is only skin deep, so the saying goes. However, in the case of food packaging, what’s on the outside is just as important as the goodies held within. Whatever niche your product falls into, it’s undoubtedly a crowded market. This means that if your product’s packaging isn’t quite up to scratch, it risks being overshadowed by its more glamorous neighbours.
However, this is only one reason why every food brand needs outstanding packaging. The following discusses food packaging design and the multi-faceted role it plays in sales success.
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Good branding equals recognition
The most obvious reason is that branded packaging allows consumers to easily recognise your product. Branding plays an integral role in marketing, and the trick is to create a design that stands out in a sea of similar products. The use of prime colours, strategic fonts, shapes, etc – all of these help influence whether your product is chosen in preference to a competitor.
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Packaging tells your brand story
Every product has a story to tell. In other words, a product needs to communicate its USP (unique selling point) in a succinct and appealing manner. The term, ‘show, don’t tell’, is key. Very often, an image paints a thousand words, so consider whether a message could be better communicated in picture format. Your product only has a split second for the packaging to influence a purchase, which is why design is such a vital element in the marketing of a food product.
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Great packaging design creates emotion
In a similar vein, packaging can create an emotional connection with your customers. Hit that sweet spot and such attachment is a powerful tool that positively drives sales.
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Quality packaging considers the environment
The purchasing decisions of today’s environmentally-aware consumers are at least partially driven by sustainable aspects of the packaging. Huge swathes of plastic are a turn-off, as is packaging that isn’t obviously bio-degradable or, ideally, compostable.
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Branded packaging lowers future marketing expenses
A combination of all the above is what drives customers to return to your brand again and again. It’s the reason big-name brands have such massive marketing budgets, often spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on expensive re-branding to ensure sales are being forcefully driven by this truly powerful medium.
Getting Food Packaging Right: The 1 – 2 – 3 of design
The design of top quality food packaging is a true art form. No matter how small or large a brand, no retailer can afford to ignore the importance of getting it right. Partnering with an expert source to create the design – from shape and font through to colour and the emotional message – can be the difference between failure and success. Getting food packaging right the first time is crucial. Utilising a professional design service is money well-spent, both in terms of immediate and future sales.
