Got something to sell? Make sure your product packaging is as good as the product you are marketing. The old cliché “you can’t judge a book by its cover” does not apply in the retail world. Packaging is the number one “eye catcher” to get your product sold and into the hands of the consumer.
This is a visual world that we live into today. Everything is about look, style and color. Consumers are visual shoppers. Products that look good sell! Consumers are continually enticed by brilliant splashy color, attractive pictures and recognizable trademark logos.
Imagine walking through a grocery or department store, holding the hand of a five-year-old child. Listen to the chatter from the child. What products catch the child’s eye? Without directing the child to any product, ask him to pick up five items from any shelf and put them in your basket. You will probably be amazed that most of the items in the basket will be full of color, bear a recognized label from the television, or take a unique shape. Repeat the walk and with your adult eye consider where your eye wanders. Most likely, to the packaging that is most stylish, colorful and sleek in presentation.
Sleek packaging is in; it has a cleaner, sharper image. Reduced bulk in product packaging is taking the lead in marketing and product sales. Newer streamlined packaging trends make larger quantities easier for the consumer to manage. The shift in packaging to “less is better” through the technique of shrink-wrapping is proving to be a huge success. Less packaging to carry around also means less waste to dispose of after the product is purchased. From a safety perspective, shrink-wrapped sleeves protect the product from being tampered with. A secured safety seal known as a “tamper evident band” is a sure indicator that the product quality has not been compromised.
Marketing today demands packaging that promotes increased product sales and keeps your company on the competitive edge. Consumers gravitate to products that are packaged with high visual appeal. Perhaps we oughtn’t “judge a book by its cover” – but we do. Make sure your product’s cover doesn’t limit your opportunities to be judged.
By: Rob Parker