How does packaging influence the consumer's purchasing decision?

Impact of packaging

The impact of packaging is measured by its ability to counterbalance parasitic stimuli and to impose itself in a saturated environment. As we have seen, the consumer makes up his mind in a very short time.

However, his purchasing decision must make its way through a multitude of stimuli that have nothing to do with the product he is looking for and which disturb his reasoning skills.

The musical background, the crowd of customers, the permanent announcements, visual and sound, the variations in the presentation of the products, many factors combine to disorientate him.

Successful packaging knows how to attract the attention of consumers in the hubbub that surrounds them and respond, quickly and easily, to the questions they ask themselves. In any case, better than the packaging of competing products that, in this context, it will abandon, for lack of having seen them.

How packaging influences, the consumer’s purchasing act

When it comes to a shelf, the consumer is grappling with several emotional states. It is to these states that packaging is aimed to attract the attention of stressed consumers. Custom E-cigarette Packaging Boxes.

He wants to quickly find the product he feels the need is urgent. He is ready to act compulsively if the product suddenly appears to him to be necessary and within reach.

Effect of packaging on consumer and customer behavior

To attract the attention of consumers, retain them and make them take control of the product, the packaging uses several techniques, including color, images, typography, brand, design, and finishes, as well:

The color black is associated with luxury products, white with household products, green with organic or natural products, and the sky blue, almost transparent, with water bottles. It may be interesting to break these codes to surprise the consumer.

Sparkling, crisp white teeth on the box of a toothpaste tube immediately speak to the consumer. It is also the most frequently used technique for products intended for children.

This is the reason why brands invest so much in mascots that young audiences can spontaneously associate with a product.

The typography also plays a vital role. For example, elegant typography helps to visually enhance the luxurious character of the product it describes.

Typography that takes on the appearance of handwriting gives it a rather authentic appearance. The labels of some jam jars are based on this relationship.

The brand and its logo are signs that are immediately recognized by consumers when they have been the subject of intensive publicity. This is the reason why they can only feature prominently on the packaging. They speak to consumers as much as pictures.

The design, in other words, the shape of the product, offered to consumers is fundamental in the perception they may have of it, particularly about its practicality or its playfulness.

The finishes add to the impression given by the product. A varnished, shiny packaging is interpreted as going hand in hand with a quality product.

The use of apparently inexpensive packaging must therefore be clearly explained to the consumer if the product it contains is exceptional.

The functions of product packaging

The packaging provides information by itself, in a way subliminal, but it is also the medium for very real information. These fall into two categories: mandatory information and information highlighting the product’s advantages over its competitors.

The mandatory information concerns the place of manufacture of the product, its ingredients or its composition, its nutritional value in the case of a food product, and its conditions of use. The space reserved for this information is, most of the time, reduced, and the typography used, hardly legible.

However, more and more consumers are taking the time to read it, once they have the product in their hands. However, although this phase usually corresponds to a purchasing decision, it may not materialize if the content of this information arouses customer suspicion.

Despite this, marketing information that extols the merits of the product takes up most of the available space. However, they are not the best perceived by consumers who are increasingly reluctant to believe such messages.

This is why the opinions and comments of users are becoming more and more decisive in the act of purchase.

Therefore, the best marketing information is that which is based on the mandatory information to highlight the positive elements and make it easier to read. For a cosmetic product, for example, the manufacturer will indicate that the product is paraben and alcohol-free.

For a food product, it will indicate that it is gluten-free, palm oil-free, or fat-free.

The power of packaging

The power of packaging is therefore immense. Several techniques can also increase the impact of the information they convey.

The power of collections

It can be the support for small collectibles. The principle was implemented for the first time by Poulain chocolates in 1898.

The success was enormous. This is, for example, the Kinder Surprise.

Guaranteed positive effect, even if the product is not intended for a young audience. The most famous example in this field is that of the Bonux detergent, created in the 60s, which has now disappeared, the success of which was due to the small objects that children could collect in their mothers’ laundry packages.

The interest of clusters

This last example illustrates, moreover, the role of essential prescribers that children play with their parents. Well-developed packaging must be able to meet everyone’s expectations, which are not the same.

This is why well-advised brands convey their messages in two stages. The message addressed to parents is on the packaging which forms a cluster of several identical products, a pack of yogurts, for example.

While the message addressed to children is printed on each of the products forming the cluster, in this case, on each of the yogurts.

The effect of a graphic charter

Without going into the details of a graphic charter, it should be remembered that it can only indisputably reinforce the impact of any packaging. Custom E-Liquid Boxes.

Packaging or the art of using the packaging of a product to attract consumers and help them in their purchasing decision is a key element of any marketing strategy. In this area, the printer and the knowledge he has of the latest innovations in paper and printing can provide decisive help in the creation of packaging adapted to this strategy.