When it comes to marketing, there are a few fundamentals to remember. That is why we frequently discuss the four Ps of marketing. One of the most important of these four Ps is Promotion.
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No product can become famous without proper promotion, and no proper advertising can be done without adequately properly branding the product. Hence, comes the importance of packaging. The aspect that initially sells the product to the customer is the packaging. To target specific markets with packaging, any business should consider the following steps.
1. Identify the Product
How a product has been packaged makes it stand out from its competitors and its replacements. So, the packaging for different products needs to be different depending on the category of the product.
Before deciding upon packaging, the product should be identified. The core message of the product, its objective, and its utility mostly get conveyed through packaging. So, to get the packaging right, the product should be adequately defined. This means it should be clear whether the product is tangible or intangible, which category it belongs to, what utilities it offers, and so on.
2. Design the Package
After determining the product, the packaging should be decided. The second and most sensitive step is designing and finalizing the packaging. At this step, the idea of your product should be well established. The packaging must catch the essence and reflect the core message of the product perfectly.
Aside from the design, ensure you have high-quality materials and all the right tools for such as box cutters, heat sealers, industrial scales, dispensers, and custom packing tape. Using custom printed tape may dramatically change the appearance of your packaging and make it more appealing to customers.
3. Choose a Color Palette
The base element of packaging is color. The color of the package must represent the main essence of the product. To represent energetic and cheerful products, versatile and vibrant colors can be used, which would make the products stand out in the eyes of the consumers.
For relaxing and refreshing branding, more sober colors are preferred that would soothe the eyes of the consumers. However, the colors should not be too intense that it seems aggressive, and it should not be too mundane as well that it fails to catch the customers’ attention.
4. Relate to the Consumers
After deciding upon color pallets, the next most important thing is the elements present on the packaging. For example, if the product is related to sustainability or the environment, the present color is always a good choice.
However, the packaging should not always directly scream what the product is. It should also represent the traits or the utilities to some extent. We can consider the packaging of spicy food and how they are always branded red with a hint of chili being present on the packaging. The color of red chili is the critical element that represents the spicy taste in the mind of the consumers.
We can also notice how any water brand packages their bottle with a hint of the color blue and has freshwater sources present on the branding as, to most people; the color blue represents water. So, it is important to keep these in mind and select the packaging according to the product.
5. Consider the Economics Behind the Product
The economic value of the product should also be considered while packaging the product. The product should not convey a message which it is not. For example, an economically designed product should not be packaged in a premium get-up. Many consumers might end up being disappointed, which will eventually earn the product a bad reputation.
Moreover, premium packaging on a budget-friendly product might increase the cost, defeating the eventual purpose. On the other hand, a premium-looking product should offer premium packaging. If the product is expensive and ensures quality and that is not reflected on the packaging, people might generalize the product, and it will lose its original value.
6. Focus on Your Target Market
This brings us to another important point which is the target customers. Keeping the target customers in mind is as important as conveying the core message of the product.
There are a lot of products out there that are meant for everyone to use. Which means everyone is a potential buyer. This implies that the product itself has a universal demand, and people will buy it eventually. However, many other products are targeted to a niche audience.
These products need to be appealing to their targeted audience before anything. The appeal of the product comes initially from the packaging. The packaging and its appeal influences about 80-85 percent of buyers’ buying decisions.
So, the target audiences need to understand that the product is meant for them, and the packaging is the only communication method. A budget-friendly product might have a premium appeal. However, it should not convey the message so that the consumer completely misinterprets its message. It should have that energetic look and a humble gesture that will make the buyers interested initially.
7. Create Customized Packages
The packaging can always have a customization option. If feasible, the packaging can always be customized to the consumer’s needs or demands. For example, people would want a gift to have a certain kind of appeal.
It should not just be a mindless shopping bag or a box. A company can continually adapt to the customer’s needs and offer packaging according to their choices. Of course, it falls under the premium packaging criteria, but if there is a demand for it, it should not go unattended.
Lastly, the quality of the materials should not be overlooked as well. The packaging material should also be strong enough to protect the product inside it.
Final Thoughts
In conclusion, we can see that half of the product’s value depends on how well it has been packaged and what message the packaging conveys. However, it always falls to personal preferences in terms of packaging. There are also other aspects at work that shape a product’s packaging.
A market leader and a small-sized business will always have their differences in terms of packaging. However, it should be kept in mind that when it comes to packaging, the quality of the product depends on the quality of the packaging.
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