A consumer’s decision to buy a particular product is influenced by many factors including, the price, availability, quality, and packaging. When looking at multiple products on a shelf of a supermarket, consumers often opt for the product whose packaging stands out.
Till now if you have been thinking that packaging is just a piece of paper or cardboard with which you wrap up your products and deliver them to your customers, you are so wrong. Today packaging has come to play a very important role in boosting the sales of a product. It has been seen in many cases that it is the packaging that tips the balance for a particular seller.
Yes, it is true that the primary role of packaging is to ensure that the product is delivered in one piece to the customer. However, it is also a very important communicating, marketing, and advertising tool that helps to boost sales. Let us look in detail as to how packaging boosts sales.
Helps to Establish Your Brand
If you look at successful brands, you will notice that they have packaging with their brand logo on it and they have unique packaging that stands out from the competition. Take the example of Amazon. When Amazon delivers a product, the consumer immediately identifies the brand and establishes a connection with the brand.
A customer should be able to identify your brand by just looking at the packaging. When a consumer establishes a connection with a brand, he or she is more likely to buy that brand in the future also. In other words, an increase in sales. The lesson that is learned here is that you need to have packaging with your brand logo on it and it needs to stand out from the crowd.
Packaging Improves Conversion Rates
Chances are that there are many people selling the same product that you are. The price and quality of the products that your competitors are selling might also be the same in many cases. So how do you convince the consumer to buy your product? The answer is that you can use packaging to help convert a visitor into your customer.
If your packaging is attractive or colorful, the customer is more likely to go for your product. It has also been seen that attractive packaging often leads to impulsive buying. In other words, you want to make sure that your packaging is attractive and stands out in order to drive up the sales.
Packaging Helps You Customize Your Sales Pitch
It is true that we are in an age of mass consumption; however, today sellers are focused on the customization of their products in order to make their products relevant to a particular customer or market. Studies have shown that customers prefer the “just for you” approach of the seller. So sellers are ditching the one size fits all approach and opting for customization approach.
A good example of this customization approach is Coca Cola’s ‘Share a Coke’ campaign. The company came up with a list of 250 most popular names used in a country and then printed those names on the bottle. For example, if Mary goes to the store and she comes across a bottle of Pepsi and Coke, which has her name on it, who do you think she will pick? The answer is obviously Coke. ‘Share a Coke’ campaign makes the whole experience personal and this improves sales and also helps to build brand loyalty.
A very good way to personalize or customize your product is by supporting a local sports team. You can also choose to support a particular cause that is favored by a particular segment of the market or just support a popular cause. Businesses are today tying up their products to some celebration or some seasonal festival in order to make their product relevant to a particular market. Since your customization message will be printed on the packaging, it will be packaging that will boost the sales.
Packaging Helps in Recurring Customers
Customers always remember the packaging of the product they bought online or in a brick and mortar store. If your packaging stands out and gives a personal experience and the customer likes your packaging, it greatly improves the chance of that customer buying more from you in the future. For a successful business, it is not only important to get new customers, but it is also important to retain your existing customers. Packing, especially premium packaging, helps you do just that.
Premium packaging makes the experience special and it also helps the customer remember your brand. Your premium packaging will ensure that your existing customers cherish the relationship they have with you. This, in turn, will motivate them to buy from you in the future.
Going the Extra Length with Package Inserts
Today many businesses, especially small and online businesses, are opting for package inserts to provide something extra to their customers. Package inserts can consist of a discount offer, handwritten note, small present, or accessories that are in sync with the product.
Just imagine receiving a handwritten not along with the beautiful dress that you ordered online. You will feel special and cared for and overall it enhances the buying experience. Package inserts help you get new customers, build brand loyalty, and get you recurring customers. All this, in turn, helps boost up your sales.
Help Your Educate Your Customers
When customers are looking at a particular product in a shop and are confused about which brand to go for, it is often the information provided on the packaging that tilts them toward a particular brand. Customers need the information to make a sound purchasing decision and if your packaging provides that information then it is no rocket science that the customer will opt for your product.
Today in this era of smartphones, you can pack your product in a package which has a link to relevant content. Customers can scan that link and read the relevant content to make an informed decision. Today brands are providing packaging with images and QR codes that can be scanned with smartphones to provide information to their customers. This helps to add value to your product and this will help build brand loyalty and get you recurring customers.
Packaging Helps You to Benefit from the Latest Trends
Every year there are some trends that catch on the imagination of the majority of the people. These trends can be in the form of fashion, sports, food, pop culture, music, or some graphic design. By aligning your business with a particular trend with the help of packaging, you will be able to get new customers.
When you align your product with the latest trend, you are being contemporary. This, in turn, helps to increase consumers’ interest in your product and this obviously increases sales. However, remember to move on once the trend is over.
As you can see that the creative usage of packaging is crucial to increasing sales. And this is true for all businesses today. It is a huge mistake to ignore packaging. After all, the packaging is the only marketing medium that the customer cannot ignore or switch off.
