Packaging is one of the fundamental elements when we talk about a product. But it doesn’t stop there. Packaging can be a key element of your marketing strategy, and today we explain why.
Packaging as a starting point
Good packaging is, after all, the calling card for a brand’s products: the first thing customers see and often the reason they choose one product over another.
That’s why good design is essential to your marketing strategy, especially at key moments such as a launch or a promotion.
There are 5 fundamental keys to consider when thinking about your product’s packaging, and they will be what sets you apart from your competitors.
Want to know what they are?
- Creative Design
As we mentioned earlier, the design of good packaging is the real star of your product. Not only because it is what will catch the eye at the point of sale, but also because design is part of the brand identity.
Reflecting the brand’s values, the product specifications and engaging communication on a pack is no easy task. That’s why the creative side deserves real attention.
It’s about developing our imagination, not just putting effort into finding the best colours or images. The aim is to make an impact through design via shape, details or functionality. Here are some examples of our favourite packaging:
- Practicality
If it’s awkward, it doesn’t work. The main purpose of packaging is to contain our product. The design may be very creative, but it misses the point if it isn’t functional.
If consumers find that the easy-open isn’t so easy, that the portable pack won’t fit anywhere, or that it could even cause injury, then however attractive it is, it isn’t valid packaging
That’s why usability and creative design have to go hand in hand.
- Reusability
It’s almost a widely accepted rule that packaging should serve another purpose. Its useful life has to last longer than the moment you get to your product. Much like the tin of butter biscuits that moved from your kitchen cupboard to your sewing drawer.
Packaging comes full circle when it can later be used for a completely different purpose from the one it was originally designed for.
- Sustainability.
Today, sustainability is an implicit practice in all your campaigns, and packaging is no exception. As a calling card, unsustainable packaging signals little responsibility towards the environment and can even generate controversy and discontent among consumers.
It would make little sense for our brand to promote sustainability while its packaging had a large carbon footprint.
You could even argue that sustainability and reusability go hand in hand, since packaging that can be reused is a form of recycling that helps protect the environment.
Using sustainable materials is the other route to creating eco-friendly packaging, such as Maikai Pets’ packaging, made from 100% recycled and 100% recyclable materials. If you’d like to know more about this type of material, remember that you can access our sustainable materials guide
- New Technologies.
New technologies are everywhere, and integrating them into our brand’s packaging is yet another way of bringing our product into everyday life.
Whether through a link, scanning a QR code or other digital innovations, consumers can interact fully with your brand, and not just with the product but with the packaging too.
This also creates a great brand experience.
What is certain is that packaging has to be a plus for products, an added value for your brand; leaving it until the end of the strategy can be a mistake.
If you need a push to create packaging that meets the needs of the launch you have in mind, don’t hesitate to call us! Our light bulbs are switched on.