The Unboxing Experience: Why Packaging Design Is Your Silent Salesperson

Packaging is not just for the protection and transportation of your product, it is also a powerful marketing tool and a passive sales tool.

Indeed, many people call packaging the ‘silent salesperson’ because, done right, it can perform a lot of the leg work required in converting a lead into a sale.

In many cases packaging is a customer’s first contact with your physical product, so first impressions count. And it is important that you convey the right message with your packaging design, which means it is consistent with your overall branding and it aligns with your customer’s behaviour and expectations. For this reason, of course it is essential that you know and understand your target customer.

There is plenty of research which shows how influential packaging can be in a buying decision, and to show that good products can fail because their packaging is poor, i.e. it has no visual appeal, it is not targeted to the right market, it is not practical or user-friendly or it doesn’t represent your brand identity well. In this article we will explain how packaging influences sales and what you can do to ensure your packaging hits the spot.

Packaging to suit your market

Good packaging matches the market it is selling to. A high-end perfume, for example, should have good quality packaging with thick card, maybe ribbons and silk lining to the box and strong visual elements. For this kind of product, you want the customer to open it in layers, to build some anticipation and excitement. It needs to be an unboxing experience. This will create a positive association.

The same doesn’t apply to a new hammer bought in a DIY shop. For this type of packaging it doesn’t matter if the customer rips it open and discards it in a matter of seconds, but you don’t want someone buying expensive perfume to struggle with the packaging and have to destroy it in the act of opening it, this ruins the experience. Likewise, eco products should have eco packaging, and budget products should have simple and functional packaging. This ensures you meet your customer’s expectations with the packaging and immediately form a positive connection which improves the chances of a sale.

Shelf appeal

Capturing attention on the shelf is an essential feature of product packaging, and again, you need to make sure it is a visual experience that matches the expectations of your market. Packaging with shelf appeal is doing a lot of sales work for you, making your product eye-catching and unique, while also matching your branding.

Brand communication

Packaging is the most direct way to communicate your brand identity, i.e. on the product itself rather than via an advert or a website. Your product packaging helps to establish brand recognition and helps you tell your story and convey your brand personality. When considering your brand, a packaging design agency can help you connect with your customer base and positively influence sales decisions through your packaging.

Competition

Using different shapes, colours and materials in your packaging is a great way to make your product unique and to stand out from the competition. It differentiates your product at the critical stage when a potential customer is making a purchasing decision. However, you need to make sure that packaging remains practical and fulfils its basic purpose. If packaging is hard to handle or falls to bits, this won’t create a positive experience.

Information

Packaging is the ideal way to inform a customer with essential instructions and with features and benefits of the product, which can influence the purchase decision. A food packaging design agency can work with you to ensure packaging for a food item has information such as ingredients, health and nutrition, storage and cooking instructions. Similarly, packaging for a tube of quick-drying filler in a DIY store can explain what it is for and how you need to use it. This can heavily influence whether it is the right product for a specific purchaser.

Memorable

This follows on from the first point about creating an unboxing experience and tailoring packaging to the right market. A good unboxing experience creates a memorable, positive association with your product and brand, and people are then more likely to pass this experience on to others and drive traffic towards your brand. It will also lead to brand loyalty and repeat purchases. A customer who really struggles to open your product or who receives it damaged will similarly remember this experience, but for the wrong reasons.

Professional packaging design from the Rebus Design & Branding Agency 

Packaging design is hugely influential in purchase decisions and creates a lasting impression that can build trust from the very first contact with your product. In turn, this can drive sales and build the success of your brand.

If you need help and advice with your packaging design you can talk to the Rebus Design & Branding Agency. This is a packaging design agency with experience of partnering with many different brands in diverse industry sectors, but always successfully achieving the core goals of meeting your market expectations and growing sales.

Get in touch today and make the silent salesperson work for you.