Importance of packaging design for new products
There is a great amount of value in the packaging design of new products. If you are beginning the development of your new product, you may be thinking to yourself – “My product is great by itself, isn’t that enough?” When a shopper is analysing a new product to buy, the packaging has a major influence on deciding between two or more competing products. The shopper usually cannot have hands-on time with the product before purchasing it. Selling the product is the job of the packaging, and it’s done from the outside-in.
Iconic packaging has a special effect on the consumer that is equally important, as the product itself. Take an iPhone for an example; the refined finish and smooth matte box mimics the design sensibilities of the product within. The iPhone and all its accessories are efficiently nested into perfectly engineered cavities, making the unpacking experience simple, deliberate, and riveting. The experience happens from the outside-in. Your packaging must recreate this promise of an exquisite product at the point-of-purchase. The shopper is counting on the packaging to deliver a promise of the product experience as soon as it is opened and used.
Quite frequently packaging costs as much, or more than the product itself. Allotting time and effort on the packaging design of your product allows you to price your product higher than if it was sold inside a plain brown box. A consumer is going to appreciate the value of a product if it is displayed with equally remarkable packaging. Think of it like an interview – would you go to an interview for your dream job wearing pajamas or a sleek business suit? While you may be a better fit for the company based on experience and the value you will deliver, they will most likely not hire you if you show up in what you went to sleep in.
When considering how much money you will put into your packaging design, remember, you never get a second chance to make a first impression. Winning the battle at the shelf with a new consumer the first time is crucial. Once a consumer has found a product they love, loyalty will follow, and they will choose what they love 9 times out of 10. Think about how much you have spent on creating your product. Isn’t that investment worth taking your journey across the finish line with a packaging design that closes the sale and ensures a loyal customer base?
Author: David Deal
