Product packaging can sit on shelves or come through the mail. Regardless of the route, customers notice the attention to detail in quality packaging. The customer experience immediately skyrockets if the presentation and unboxing experience have visual intrigue and unique elements. Though this may be true, is it worth investing time and money into improved packaging when it's destined for the recycling bin at the end of the day?
The appeal of an unboxing
Everyone has seen unboxing and haul videos on YouTube and TikTok achieve millions of views and likes because there is something satisfying about the product reveal process. The numbers signify how much packaging influences customer experience - if it's aesthetically pleasing, it's worth being on camera. Normal customers may even enjoy the unboxing process of a well-packaged product more than usual simply because it mimics the videos they love watching online.
Packaging must encapsulate brand colours and priorities, all without saying a word. It should capture the essence of your brand in a fraction of a second. In a way, it's advertising with confirmed customer buy-in. The impression your packaging creates will remain on shoppers' minds for the rest of your business relationship with them. This is especially true if the packaging evolves into more exciting, eco-conscious or sturdy forms. Repeat customers arguably benefit more from thoughtful packaging because of their emotional investment.
People love shopping because of the rush they get from seeing and unwrapping the package's contents. It's an easy emotion to attach to and empathise with. It immediately affirms the quality of the item inside without having to touch it, giving the company a chance to influence how a customer feels about the product before it speaks for itself.
The intent behind thoughtful packaging
Companies will have varying reasons behind jazzing up packaging. It could be to offer better protection to the products or to make savings, but each will impact the customer experience.
For example, young customers are notably attracted to businesses with environmental commitments and awareness. Moving to sustainable, biodegradable or recyclable packaging that can still make branding look professional and vibrant will deepen customer respect for a brand. Customers are likely to share good feelings about a company by word-of-mouth, sharing positive comments on social media that the company is trying to improve the planet. You can achieve all of this simply because your business tied its packaging to its values and succeeded in gaining better customer experiences and some free advertising.
Another intention companies might have to improve customer satisfaction by its choice of packaging material. Products like tech and decor are fragile. Flimsy packaging and inadequate safety measures when products are in transit will cause customers to doubt the company's care for the product or the quality of it in the first place. For example, shoppers respond differently to bioplastic packing peanuts to brown paper and bubble wrap. Is your packaging generic, or is there something glamorous about them, such as the colour or how customers can repurpose them?
The brand and packaging connection
Businesses can incorporate their brand values into their packaging. They should design a user experience powered by customer understanding. By following social media trends, they can improve the customer experience by making it more visually appealing and exhilarating to customers.
Every meeting to decide colour palettes, fonts and tone adds to the packaging. The visuals, especially logos, must translate crisply and seamlessly to all materials. It may look good on the cardboard, but what if a sunglasses seller packages their products in velvet bags - how do their colours and logo translate to that medium? Additionally, if the box, bag and product don't have a cohesive look after unboxing, customers will end up with a vague understanding of the brand's image.
Consistent packaging demonstrates professionalism. Luxury consumers don't want their products to come in plastic bags intended for sandwiches. Though it's more cost-effective, customers will spot these glitches in the customer experience. This can prevent them from returning. The alignment of customer expectations with product packaging helps strengthen the customer relationship. Anything that doesn't add value to the experience could deter a customer so they switch to a competitor.
The psychology of branded product packaging
Everything from colour to the language used can transform the experience gained from your packaging along the customer journey. For example, some companies experiment with limited edition packaging, manipulating customers' minds into feeling FOMO (fear of missing out) if they do not purchase that product during that narrow window.
Despite customers being aware of how the "scarcity mentality" is a clear ploy to convert them, they still don't want to miss out on the limited edition packaging. They seem as more than simple packaging to cover the product they want - companies have used clever marketing to convince buyers their packaging is an artistic commodity in and of itself.
Another extension of this idea is collaborative marketing through packaging. The format "Company x Celebrity" is very popular, driving customers who are fans of the celebrity's work to a brand they might not otherwise engage with. It's all about the packaging, shamelessly displaying the celebrity's face or other glitzy imagery. The customer's opinion improves because they connote a public figure they admire with the company and that association never goes away completely.
Thinking inside and outside the box
Companies must think more deeply about how they ship and present their products to connect with customers and express their brand mission. Opening a box is only a brief moment in the product's life cycle, but it's one of the most influential.
If businesses invest in product packaging as a marketing strategy, they will see a gradual return on investment and an elevation of their perceived identity.
Copyright 2023. Featured post made possible by Eleanor Hecks, founder and managing editor of Designerly Magazine. She's also a web design consultant with a focus on customer experience and user interface.