What Type Of Packaging Stands Out to Customers?

Just how important is packaging and label design?

A great product sells itself, right? Not so fast.

A great product is much more likely to RE-sell itself. But a great product alone won't get an initial sale. Great custom labels, packaging, and branding is what sells a product the first time. In fact, 75% of purchasing decisions are made in the store, according to Forbes.com. So it's awesome that you have such an amazing product, but if your packaging falls flat, your product will too.

Of the 75% of in-store purchasing decisions, 1/3 are made solely on packaging. But what exactly is it that makes consumers buy one product over another? That's a great question.

What design works best?

The amazing silver-bullet answer is, drum-roll please, it depends.

Yeah, yeah we know that's not what you wanted to hear, but it's true. The packaging that will work best for you is really dependent on your product, brand and target audience.

For example, would you expect the same design elements for kid's cereal packaging to work with selling luxury watches? That's why what works varies so greatly.

The good news is, whatever your product and audience are, there are some crucial elements that can make sure you design the right packaging.

 1. Personality Is Fundamental

Decide on what you want customers to feel when they interact with your brand and product. Specifically, choose one or two emotions you want to invoke. When you get to design, ask yourself if the things you add create those feelings or not.

 2. Tell Your Story Clearly, but Concisely

We love stories. We just don't have much time for them. It's essential to introduce your potential customer to your amazing story and how your amazing product will help make their lives more amazing. But you need to do it in about 7 words or less. That's the average number a customer will read if you attract their interest in the first place.

 3. Choose the Right Colors

Going back to our kid's cereal vs. luxury watches, you'll want to use lots of primary, fun colors for cereal. For luxury items? Think more cool and classic tones, with little pops of color to accentuate certain features. Sometimes, choosing the right colors means not choosing any colors at all and utilizing white space. If all of your competition is shouting, sometimes the best thing to do to stand out is to whisper.

4. Be Consistent
Once you settle on your standards and designs, continue to use them across your product offering. This will help return customers easily find your brand. It will also help to familiarize potential customers to your products. It's essential to remain consistent.

So, unfortunately, there's no true silver bullet for designing a product packaging that will fly off the shelves. However, these are some great guidelines to follow and help you get started.