Packaging is always vital for any business to create a brand value and further helps in shaping up the sales revenue. In this article it discusses more about, “How packaging is important to create a brand?”
Is Packaging Important for my Brand?
“Your brand is what people say about you when you’re not in the room”- Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon. This brilliant statement is entirely true and something companies must remember with every step they take. Branding is the promise to your customer; it lets them know who you are and what you can do for them. A broken promise is a hard thing for anyone to recover from.
If a company breaks their brand promise their customers won’t return. Branding your company in 2016 is more than just a logo and merchandise. Today customers need to see your brand running seamlessly through all aspects of your company, even down to the packaging.
You may think this isn’t a major factor for your business, your customer has bought the product, and the sale is complete. Why put any extra effort in? You need to put the effort in because your most valuable customer is a returning customer; the customers who shop with you more than once go on to tell their friends and family about you. If you impress your customers across every touch point, including the delivery of goods, and you are bound to have them want to shop with you again.
A report by Forbes show that 95% of new products fail, with the busy lives we live today customers made snap decisions about your product without taking the time to consider the real pros and cons. Businesses have to be savvy and eye-catching to ensure the customer’s decision is with your product every time.
An amazing example of packaging is Festina, who packaged their watches in distilled water – this is a brave move but Festina knew they could keep their promised mantra of “engineered for water”. The bold and eye-catching design made sure customers knew their brand promise of waterproof watches was kept. It was right in front of their eyes.
Though not all companies have the resources available as Festina did, for smaller business there are steps you can take to ensure your brand promise is met through packaging regardless of budget.
1. Make low-cost packaging look expensive
Your business may not have a budget to spend on packaging, but with growing trends of minimalist design, it’s a great time to utilise low budget materials that made a big impact. Brown kraft paper creates a rustic feel. Tying your packaging with twine will give your product a personalised touch making your customer feel special.
2. Go eco-friendly
In today’s society, we consume more energy than ever before, but there has been a shift in behaviour in recent years and society are beginning to covet eco-friendly substitutes to traditional packaging methods. Brands big and small market their products as being packaged sustainably. 52% of people are likely to make a purchase based on the environmental impact of the brand. Innocent Smoothies are just one company who pioneered the use of recycled plastic for their packaging back in 2003. Smaller companies can utilise this trend by making customers aware they use 100% biodegradable fill chips in their packaging or cardboard made from recycled material.
3. Appeal to your market
In 2012, Diet Coke tapped into their demographic and excited them with limited edition Taylor Swift packaging. Of course, smaller business don’t have this budget but knowing your demographic will mean you won’t have to waste time and money on elaborate packaging methods that could fail. Get to know your customer and what they’re looking for from your brand, your brand promise and packaging must work in sync with one another. If your target market will respond, you can use humour, simplicity or ruggedness to create a personal connection with your customer.
The sky really is the limit when it comes to packaging, and creating a unique experience is a brilliant way makes your brand memorable. Following these low cost, small cost steps encourage customers to return to your business, eventually becoming brand advocates. The choice is yours; do you fall below your customers’ expectations, or exceed them?
Blogger Bio:
Suzanne Vallance is a content writer from Glasgow, UK. She has written for clients over multiple industries and enjoys branding and marketing articles especially. This article looks at the importance of packaging in branding and includes tips that small businesses with lower packaging budgets can utilise in order to create greater impact.
