COP 3 - Ways to make product packaging stand out on the shelf

The perfect packaging metaphor is from the old saying is 'You can lead a horse to water but you can't make it drink' The fundamental truth is that the final purchasing decision is made at the shelf edge in store. No matter how much effort company will put into advertising and sale promotion, if the packaging fails to deliver at the point of sale because the packaging is not attractive then all that investment spent elsewhere is largely wasted. So how to get people and grab their attention to the product? What kind of methods company needs to use to create packaging design to stand out on the shelf?

Target audience 

First of all its important to understand the target audience, putting together interesting design will draw eyeballs isn't hard. There are plenty of very creative designers who can create wonders, but if the packaging design is drawing the wrong eyeballs, what's the point?

Imagery 

Keeping the packaging design simple is essential but it doesn't mean the brand shouldn't use imagery effectively. The picture is worth a thousand of words, and when the company is dealing with only a few seconds that consumers take to look at a shelf, the company definitely need to come up with something that draws them very quickly.

Product and packaging should match 

For example a humorous label on high - end perfume won't cut it, just as stylish, sleek label isn't appropriate for a bag of potato chips. It establishes the wrong expectations which will make consumers be disappointed.

Right colors and shapes  

Choosing the right colours and shapes has a massive impact on people's buying decisions. Colours same as shapes attract different people and attract people differently as well. If the packaging design just looks like everything else on the shelf will lead the product to get unnoticed. For example 'diet' products like bars, yogurts or flakes very often uses 'slim' shape of the packaging same as a shape representing slim body shape. In the term of colours, colours are chosen strategically, so the packaging can help in boosting the sales. For example, the bright colours cannote the pops of the sweet or tangy flavor while subdued colours signify the complex flavors. This is why candies packed in shiny orange, red and yellow coloured wraps will attract more consumer than candies packed in dull colours.

COP 3 - You only have 3 - 5 seconds

During my research about the packaging design and its effect on consumer purchasing choices, I've found an article which explains how packaging design can grab consumers attention in 3 -5 seconds only.  Link: You only have 3-5 seconds

The article talks about consumers which make hundreds of split-second decisions whilst walking through the shopping aisles. When they land on the shelf and packaging design doesn't grab their attention straight away they keep on walking, the product will probably never get another opportunity to convert them into a customer. The problem is then further compounded by the fact that if they didn't buy the product the first time to try it, they won't be back to buy it again and again and again. In this case, a company loses the lifetime values sales of that product. If a customer typically buys a product once a month, they not only have the company lost the initial sale, company have also lost all the additional top-up sales too. All because the packaging design failed to convince them to buy now! 

The 3 - 5 seconds WOW moment isn't enough! 

Whilst the LOUD SCREAMING pack may get the consumer's attention, and bring them to the shelf to look at the product, it won't necessarily close the sale. Packaging design must grab consumer attention - but that's only the first step. 

Example: 

Recently a manufacturer of natural nut bars and muesli bars changed their packaging. Whist their new pack screamed …”Hey look here! Look at me!”, when the consumer got close to the product on shelf and saw how “unnatural” the pack looked, they automatically assumed that the product wasn’t natural” either. It didn’t take long for the company to have to start discounting to move the product off the shelf. It has been nearly 3 months since the new product packaging was launched and the product is still being discounted. The sad thing about this story is that the company would have invested heavily in the new design, translating it across all touch-points, only to find that the design, whist attention grabbing, fails miserably on shelf.

BOLD packaging design 

Packaging design requires Boldness as opposed to loudness. Boldness happens when a packaging is designed in conjunction with authentic insights. An example of an 'Authentic Insight' may be to capitalize on a trend of a particular category. 

Example:

Here is a current trend for “artisan” food. “Bold” amplifies the “artisan” trend to create cut through on shelf. “Bold” is a single-minded proposition focus. Bold states something specific, it demonstrates something about the product & what it contains, or a new trend in the market. Then what being “bold” does is harmonizes this with the expectations and personal dispositions of the targeted consumer the package design is created for. To capture a consumer in 3-5 seconds, your package design needs to Boldly stand out against its competition by exhibiting distinction making it pop in it’s category. Boldness disrupts without alienating the consumer. This is not done by shouting the loudest. Rather, Boldness targets the expectations of the targeted consumer by appealing to that consumer’s core values and amplifying them.

COP 3 / Survey

I asked 50 people in different age group if the outer design of the packaging influences consumer's choice and increases the quality of the product. 34% of people said yes, 32% wasn't sure and 17% of people believe that packaging design doesn't add any value to the product at all.

I asked 50 people if the attractive appearance of food packaging has an impact on consumer's purchase decision. 50% of asked people said yes and over 40% of people had opposite opinion.

COP 3 / POTENTIAL QUOTES

- (36Creative, 2013) says ‘your branding doesn’t stop with your logo’.

- According to Business Insider (Business Insider, 2011), one third of consumer decision making is based on packaging.

- Packaging design is often referred to as the silent salesmen as it enabled an unconscious psychological connection (Burks, 2016).

- “unseen is unsold” (Asher, 2016.)

- Visibility is key (Asher, 2016.).

- Visibility comes in the way of colour, physical structure or shape, symbols and number, typography (Klimchuck, and Krasovec, 2006).

- “Market research and design gives form to the idea. The biggest role of a designer is very much to understand and position themselves between the craft of making something but maintaining the integrity of the research behind the brand. In other words, market research is key.” (Hosea, 2010).

- “help consumers develop a portfolio of relationships that allow them to function as creators of meaning for themselves.”, (Ettinger, 2013).

- “The product should speak for itself without overcomplicating packaging” (Upshaw, 2007).

-“From a purely design perspective (removing marketing variables such as price, location and brand loyalty) there are significant elements that best capture consumer attention and break through the visual clutter of the retail environment. The attraction of design elements is based on: basic principles of design + clear marketing objectives + effective use of top four attention grabbers (colour, physical structure or shape, symbols and number, typography) = well designed consumer packaging design. Packaging design that serves the intended target market should be culturally appropriate, linguistically accurate, visually logical and competitively designed.” (p.33, Klimchuck, and Krasovec, 2012).

- According to business insider, 52% of online consumers say they would likely return to a business for another purchase if they receive products in premium packaging and businesses have reported a 30% increase in consumer interest when those businesses show a strong attention to trustworthy packaging (The Paper Worker, 2016).

COP 3 / ESSAY PLAN

Question: Is the packaging design effecting consumer choice when purchasing a product? 

Introduction: 1000 words  

- Outlining the topic and explain to the reader why this is the important area to study. 

Context/ Themes, Case Studies, Reflective Practice: 3000 words 

- What makes successful food packaging design? 
- Statistics showing the success. 
- Who are the most popular brands?
- Brand theory. 
- Use primary research 
- Discuss the research in the essay and the practical design element of this module and how they relate. 

Conclusion: 1000 words 

- Summarise the findings of each chapter. 
- Evaluate the successes or shortcoming of the research project to come to a conclusion to answer the question. 

Things to question in the dissertation:

-       What makes a product sell?

-       Is packaging design the most important part of the product?

-       Why do people/customers buy that specific product?

“An effective package design is the most effective way for emerging brand to compete and stay relevant” – Blake Mitchell (interactontheshelf.com)

COP 3 / Tutorial 1

During the first Tutorial with Amber, my final question was discussed, and I went into depth about the areas I will be exploring. We changed a bit the question as it was quite too long. Also, we spoke about focusing more on a specific theme like cosmetics or food packaging. I feel I will try to go with the idea of food packaging as I have never designed any food packaging before.

Question:

Is the packaging design effecting consumer choice when purchasing a product? 

It was also useful to talk about the practical element, even if I am currently not at a developed stage with this element of the module. Thinking about what I will produce as a practical piece now means that this can now start to evolve over the next few weeks and during my research. 

For the next tutorial, I will bring the first draft of introduction and a plan of what I will talk about in each section of my dissertation.

COP 03 / Initial thoughts & planning

During the summer holidays I have change my mind regarding the topic of dissertation. My first idea was to write about 'To what extend does Aesthetic 'Style' reflect the context, audience or function of contemporary Graphic Design?'. While during my research I noticed that I am finding it quite hard, confusing and it is not something I would like to focus on. I really enjoyed the topic which I have chosen during my first year regarding branding and packaging design, so I decided to try it again with different question.

Question:

Why is the packaging design the most significant factor effecting consumer choice when purchasing a product? 

Introduction: 

Customers are drawn, more than anything, to products that look good. Something that is well designed and interesting is bound to attract more potential customers than a product that is poorly designed and looks blend. This is the importance of packaging design. It is, after all, the key part in marketing a product and ensuring it sells. 

Initial questions and thoughts: 

Why packaging design is important? What makes successful packaging design? What customers want? Statistics showing success. The most popular brands. Brand theory. 

Texts to look into: 

Giles Calver, What is packaging design?

Bill Stewart, Packaging Design 

Bill Stewart, Packaging Design strategy, Pira packaging guide

Steven Du-Puis and John Sliva, Package design workbook 

Janice Kirkpatric, New packaging design