7 in 10 consumers say that packaging affects their purchasing decisions. The reason is simple: most customers don’t have the time or energy to compare the advantages and disadvantages of the products in their shopping carts, so they tend to make a decision based on the most powerful thing — the product’s packaging.
Whether a product has been purchased in-store or online, the packaging is the first thing the customer sees, and it gives them the biggest impression. However, for quite a long time, the product packaging design used to be the most overlooked element of marketing. But over the last few years, the importance of packaging has reached new heights, as many influencers started to share ‘unboxing’ and ‘gift opening’ moments across social media. The rising trend got more and more companies to understand that they need to impress their customers with not just a great product, but also with an even better packaging, which is actually an incredibly powerful marketing tool. Today, unique packaging is as important as the product itself and serves many different purposes: to stand out from the shelf or website, enhance sales, provide relevant information on the product, and increase interest. Packaging can also tell a whole story about the business behind the product and even its social or economic impacts. It can also add to the perceived value of a product.
Good packaging becomes even more important with Christmas being just around the corner. This is probably the most important and commercially productive period on the shopping calendar, and a major opportunity for retailers to boost sales. Perhaps you have already noticed the difference in the shelves as well: the bright hues of summer products were replaced by rich, vivid color palettes and festive patterns.
When you think about it, consumers have an enormous, even overwhelming amount of choice when they hit the shops this time of the year, whether it’s an online shop or a supermarket. However, as they search for certain products on the shelves, they are also searching for a festive, jolly Christmas experience and usually want to get as much spirit of the season as possible. That’s why businesses and brands need to show their customers that they also celebrate these holidays. And what better way to do that than seasonal packaging?
To put it simply, creative packaging design, which reflects the spirit of a season, can have a significant impact on what consumers buy. A great example is Toblerone: its special edition of the ‘Ho Ho Ho’ packaging saw the chocolate company’s sales increase by 400 percent. By adding a festive element to the packaging with a color change, glitter or ribbons, you’re adding what people are looking for during this period. You can add value to the packaging by giving them a touch of luxury. Hetal Pandit, director of branding and packaging at design agency DCP, agrees: “Christmas is a time of giving so you could create a more premium-looking product through the packaging design and the packaging itself to encourage gift purchases.”
