Do you want to attract customers and create a truly success-oriented product? Explore our packaging design strategies to increase brand awareness and customer engagement, as well as sales.
Food and drink is the biggest manufacturing sector in the UK that contributes over PS29 billion to the economy annually. In this overcrowded, competitive market, it’s not an easy job to make your product stand out, particularly when established, well-known brands are the most popular on the shelves.
Whether you’re planning on conquering only a small part of the market or taking on the biggest players in the business packaging for your products is an essential part of your overall strategy for marketing. No matter how delicious your food may be, you need effective packaging to showcase your delicious products. What is the reason why food packaging design important and how can you create an effective design?
What is the reason why food Packaging Design Important?
Food packaging is used for a variety of reasons to protect your delicate food items to promoting your delicious, pre-packaged food to people in general. If your packaging is not up to scratch on one of the many points, your consumers are immediately turned off and likely opt for an alternative product from a competitor. This makes designing effective food packaging a bit of a maze, which is why it’s advisable to get expert packaging guidance when introducing a new product to market.
Inquiring deeper into the art of food packaging, studies indicate that attractive packaging stimulates the brain that is associated with reward. Contrarily, poorly-designed packaging could trigger negative feelings which is not what you need if you desire your customers to prefer you over your competitors. What is the process behind creating an attractive packaging design?
Guidelines for designing food packaging for In-Store Prosperity
The design of food packaging has significant impact on consumer decisions, which is why you must take every step to ensure that your packaging is in line with your brand and appealing to consumers. To make it easier for you, we’ve collected seven top strategies for effective designing food packages:
1. Use the Label Design for Your Food Products to promote Your Brand
The golden rule of packaging is to make sure that the design stays to be consistent with your brand. Take into consideration how you would like people to see your brand and what is the purpose behind your business. Are you relaxed? Natural? Outgoing? Edgy? What’s your brand’s image be sure to reflect that on your packaging. This will help you connect with your clients.
Apple’s packaging is all about elegant design and simplicity which is evident in the design of its products. Every product’s packaging is sleek minimalist and easy to read. There aren’t any overly detailed images or graphics on the Apple packaging, since it would be detrimental to the brand’s message. The premium level of packaging is also an exact image of the company’s products.
2. Select the Right Packaging Material for your Food Items
The look of your packaging is essential however, so is the materials that it is made of. There are a variety of packaging materials used for food products. These include glass, plastic, aluminium and cardboard, giving you plenty of choices. However, the problem is finding the ideal materials for your products.
Look for materials that will maintain maximum freshness, provide protection and also have environmental benefits including bioplastic, bagasse and the kraft board. Given the increased concern over the plastic used in packaging, environmentally friendly alternatives to food containers are becoming more widely used. A biodegradable package design could make all the difference when it comes to making a sale.
3. Make sure you stick to your product
To be able to earn repeat business it is essential to be trustworthy and authentic. Your customers must trust you. If you include pictures of your food items on the packaging, be sure that they accurately portray your product. The wrongly presented products can make customers feel unhappy and confused, therefore do not intentionally deceive your customers. Don’t also alter the design of your packaging to make your product appear bigger or worth more as it really is. You might win an initial purchase, but the customer won’t return to you for a second purchase.
There are some extremely fraudulent packaging designs on the market. If you don’t wish for your product to go viral for all the wrong motives, do the right thing and be honest with your clients to earn their trust and establish brand loyalty.
4. Clean, Clear and Straight-Forward Design of the Package
Straight, simple communication cuts through the noise. Food packaging should be no different. Consumers make quick, impulsive decision about whether to purchase a product. Therefore, make sure that your design contains all of the essential information about the product, what it includes the way to prepare it and what happens to the packaging once it’s used. This will help your customers make an informed decision when purchasing your item.
5. Conforms to Food Packaging Regulations
Of course, you must ensure your packaging is compliant with food regulations. In October 2021, Natasha’s Law states that all packaged for direct sale (PPDS) food products must clearly indicate the following details in the package:
The name of the food.
A complete list of ingredients, with allergenic ingredients emphasised (for example, bold, italics or different colour).
Updates to the regulations on packaging, such as they are intended to protect people with allergies or intolerances. They’ve proven effective over the past two decades, but although the number of deaths caused by allergic reactions are decreasing however, hospital admissions for food-induced anaphylaxis have increased during the same period. This makes it more essential that the packaging describes exactly what your food products have in them.
6. Consider Shelf Impact
“Shelf Impact” is the term that’s used to describe how your product will appear on the shelves in a store. Your product is likely to be competing with a variety of other products and tempting alternatives, and so it is important to think through the factors that influence a buyer would pick your product over an alternative.
When designing the packaging for your product Shelf impact must be a priority. You need to clearly communicate the compelling reason why your product is suitable for your customers. Whether it’s a splash of color or a refreshingly simple and traditional design, take the time to look into what makes that packaging the best appealing option to passing customers.
7. Give customers the opportunity to get a Sneak Peek
Humans are a tactile species. We love to taste at and smell the foods we consume. We also enjoy getting an up-close view prior to purchasing it if possible. You may want to consider transparent boxes that give your customers a clear view of the product to let them know what they’re purchasing- and they can get excited about the item.
8. Keep in mind Form and Function
The easy thing is to be wrapped up in the details of the food packaging design. While appealing packaging can score points with customers however, you should make sure your packaging is functional. Your product needs to be protected in the packaging and remain in good shape while being transported. Different materials must be used in accordance with the product. Moreover, different shapes will ensure that your product remains in good shape.
For example the cylindrical containers of Pringles are specifically designed to keep the stackable chips and ensure freshness. However this packaging has been subject to scrutiny over its recycling because it has not just only one, but not two but three packaging materials to accomplish the purpose.
You require a custom food packaging Design for Your Products?
Food packaging design can be an extremely challenging business. With so many things to think about, a custom packaging solution is usually the best route for you to go about bringing a new product to the market or reviving an existing product. Making custom, customized packaging lets you tackle the most important aspects of design with the help of experts.