The Importance of Packaging Design

Chances are, you’re familiar with the old adage, “Don’t judge a book by it’s cover.” While this is a nice sentiment, the truth is, first impressions actually do mean a lot to people. And when it comes to product packaging, the case is no different. Nowadays, you would be hard-strapped to find a product without at least a few possible substitutes. This means that package design may very well be the deciding factor in which product ends up being purchased. Ergo, though another brand may be better in quality itself, it is superior packaging that makes a difference in the eye of the consumer. Beautiful, print packaging is more important today than ever before, for more reasons than simply wrapping, containing or protecting a product.

Positive First Impressions

We’ve already covered the importance of first impressions, which holds especially true when a product needs to stand out in a sea of possible substitute products. This is where attention-grabbing, print packaging comes into play. Whether it be on the shelves of a supermarket, or on the pages of an eCommerce website... packaging design can mean the difference between being glossed over or being purchased. This is your first opportunity to win consumers over and become aware of your brand. Having lackluster packing could completely squander your chances of making a good first impression, and increase the chance that a potential customer will simply move on to the next.

Emphasize Brand Identity

Behind every brand lies it’s own unique story; an identity that oftentimes takes countless time and effort to develop. Your first chance of conveying this distinctive identity to potential customers is through printed packaging. After all, it is what consumers see first. By printing packaging that embodies your company’s image, you give people the chance to really get a feel for what your brand is all about. Packaging is a great medium to showcase your company logo, as well as branding and trademarks. This way, consumers will have a greater sense of brand recognition, and will be able to more easily identify your products amongst others.

Communicate Necessary Information

Even though it is important to have visually appealing, brand-aligned packaging, it’s imperative not to forget that it must also be informative. Packaging must communicate any need-to-know information about the product with potential customers. Consumers should be able to tell who the product is created for, what it’s purpose is, and how it can improve their life. Packaging should also convey other important details, depending on the type of product. This includes information about the manufacturer, expiration dates, disposal instructions, nutrition facts, directions, and warnings.

In many cases, packaging design can truly prove to be just as important as the product it contains. Product packaging design plays a very important role in catching the attention of customers, no matter what type of product, or what environment it’s being sold in. When competing with a bunch of other brands, having superior packaging could prove more important in influencing one’s buying decision than the quality of the product itself. In a world where bad first impressions are near impossible to come back from, don’t let poor packaging design be your downfall!

Written by Omega High Impact Print Solutions' Digital Marketing Associate, Emily Steel