How Packaging Affects Your Brand

We often hear that we should not judge a book by its cover. The reason why we have to be reminded of this is that most people do judge a book by its cover. This is really not surprising because usually appearances are all we have to base our judgments on, especially for consumer goods where the amount is not enough to justify a more careful examination. This is why packaging is so important.

Product packaging is all about how you portray your business to the public. In a grocery store where innumerable amount of items are on display, you can easily observe how every product is carefully designed and packaged to give them a unique feel that can be used to distinguish them from their competitors. Unless you are providing a free sample of every product you offer (which is almost impossible unless you want to incur tremendous cost), customers will base their buying decision on your packaging.

Here are some of the things that product packaging can do for your brand:

Quality. A strong and well-made product container exudes good quality. When we are deciding on whether or not to buy a product for the first time, we often base our decisions on how the product looks like. We predict quality based on what we see. Champagnes, for example, are packed in decorative boxes to show off their qualities. Some of the aged liquor bottles are even sold in wooden boxes meant to convey supreme quality.

Pricing. Ever feel like sometimes you’re not buying the product, but the container? That the bulk of the price is in the packaging rather than the object? Or how some things, though cheap, look pricey enough to be a gift for your boss? Some companies can justifiably increase their prices because of good packaging. Take a look at some of our favorite chips that are packaged in hollow cylinders. Often, they have smaller counterparts that are simply wrapped with foil packs and are cheaper than their larger and well-packaged version. How about those cookies in metal containers? Surely they cost more than those in plastics, and that is justifiable because the companies have incurred additional costs to provide for their consumers a well-packaged product.

Creativity. Several visual elements in your packaging design can affect consumer behavior. Different colors and the presence of cartoon characters in a cereal box would catch the interest of kids. Brown represents chocolate, while rainbow colors make consumers think about fruity flavors. Flat green and brown colors usually connote a healthy product, attracting those looking for healthy food. Black with gold streaks gives a product a premium feel, while those with photos of people somehow reassure consumers that the product is made with care. You must know who your market really is, what kind of reaction you would like to elicit from these consumers, and how you plan to do that through your packaging and design.

Building a timeless brand. The sum of all these is that packaging can build for you a lasting brand. A lot of prominent products have their own unique packaging, which has helped them make a mark in the market. These are unique bottle shapes, appealing characters in boxes, fancy containers, and collectible packs. Packaging is presentation, and a good presentation is one that can affect customers positively. In a grocery store where there are literally hundreds of items on display, and where competitors’ products are set alongside yours, how well your product attracts buyers’ attention is the name of the game. An excellent package bespeaks an excellent brand.

*Originally published by the Manila Bulletin. C-6, Sunday, October 12, 2014. Written by Ruben Anlacan, Jr. (President, BusinessCoach, Inc.) All rights reserved. May not be reproduced or copied without express written permission of the copyright holders.