Packaging is the perfect blend of form and function; it not only protects the contents from damage and tells the customers about the product, but it’s also a powerful tool for advertising your brand. In its essence packaging should inform consumers of the product benefits while making it attractive, especially in today’s competitive environment.
Packaging is the final finishing touch to a product and it must first and foremost protect the contents from damage, but it can be so much more with the right planning and design. Whether it’s just a sticker or hang-tag, or custom made packaging, these little extras convey an attention to detail and should not be overlooked.
Here, we’ll discuss how to make your packaging stand out from the crowd, convey your message through branding and attract customers.
Packaging and Branding
Packaging does its job in its naked, unadorned state, but to attract customers it must convey a meaningful message. This is done by adding brand logos, useful information about the product and key visuals that appeal to your target audience.
Before getting the full value out of your packaging, you need to have your brand identity planned. You should look at colour palettes, font styles, brand logos and your brand message carefully, making sure that all of these components stand on their own and don’t get lost in the bigger picture. Is your logo big enough? Does your message and ethos stand out? And is your imagery clear and concise.
Types of Packaging
Due to today’s technical advances, packaging now comes in a range of sizes and styles. Bigger companies usually have the capital to customise all aspects of their packaging, but for small companies and those starting out it is best to start with a simple design as tooling for custom packaging can become expensive.
Just because you are starting off with a generic shape or size doesn’t mean that your packaging has to look plain, the packaging can still be customised with bespoke logos and branding, custom labels and stickers or tags.
Designing your packaging
Hiring a professional packaging designer can help you plan out the best way to approach your packaging and can give you valuable guidance on layout, sizes and colours to get the most out of it.
You can of course design your own packaging and labels, after all, you designed your products. Start by making some templates of your chosen packaging and make various design layouts. You may also want to print out your designs and make mock ups, making sure that the product fits securely and that the colours match your brand.