Why do companies use logos on the packaging of their products?
Packaging may seem like a small part of the product journey, but the packaging you choose for your products greatly impacts how your brand is perceived and the customer experience. Investing in high quality branded packaging is an effective way to improve customer retention, it is the first thing a customer experiences when they open their package.
What is branded packaging?
Branded packaging brings another level of quality to your goods that customers will appreciate. It shows consideration and improves the customer experience as the packaging quality reflects the quality of the products inside.
Branded packaging isn’t specifically putting your logo on the outside of the box, it can go beyond this and be featured on internal tissue paper, ice/gel packs, documents and printed art. Branding your packaging can be as grand or as subtle as you want, as long as it reflects the business.
What are the benefits of branded packaging?
Marketing – Custom packaging allows businesses to market their brand without having to use another marketing source. With the packaging already reaching the customers, adding a logo, slogan and brand colours instils brand identity. Using branded packaging is an effective marketing tactic, especially if consumers post your uniquely branded packaging to social media themselves.
Repeat Business – Investing in branded packaging enhances the customer experience. A package that features something unique to a brand conveys to the consumer that they are receiving valuable products. Branded packaging can also give customers a good first impression of your business and it can increase the likelihood that they will become a repeat customer.
A standard package, such as an unmarked, brown cardboard box does not give the customers the opportunity to recognise and think about your business in the same way that branded packaging does.
Brand Awareness – Packaging is the first physical touch point that a customer experiences with your brand. It gives you the opportunity to project your branding before the customer opens the products inside. Creating a unique and brand driven unboxing experience is a great way to grow brand awareness and loyalty.
Stand out – One of the biggest advantages of using branded packaging is that it stands out from your competitors. Well-branded packaging elevates the goods inside of the packaging and turns it from a product to an experience.
When presented to the customer, how does your packaging stand out? By using unique logos, specific brand colours and slogans on your packaging, you can ensure that your customers have a distinctive experience, unique to your business.
Protection – Before branding, the primary function of packaging is to ensure the internal goods reach their end destination safely. You can use ice packs, gel packs, protective packaging systems and other customised solutions to safeguard temperature sensitive products. Branding this packaging will leave a polished and unique look, leaving a great impression on your customers.
How your packaging looks says a lot about your company. While sure, you’ll need to invest in packaging that protects the contents and as well is easy to open; it must look good—branding through packaging matters. Packaging is more than just something to transport the product; innovative brands use their packaging as a marketing tool. Prospective buyers care how your packaging looks, how it feels, and if it comes off as something that stands out from the competition.
Packaging design can reflect its luxury status. It can address the target audience or showcase critical messages and fundamental mission ideals like if the brand is dedicated to being sustainable (like we are). All of this can be achieved with materials, imagery, and colors. Packaging and brand identity can create movements and loyalty based on personal aesthetics. One brand in point is Apple, whose sleek, stylish look lured people in with an iPod back in the day, and now those people’s entire lives are synched with their various Apple-related devices like laptops, iPhones, and Apple TV.
Packaging that appeals to your target audience is essential. The seminal punk rock band, The Misfits, played up their spooky Halloween imagery with pumpkins and skeletons on their record sleeves and just about everything else, while their contemporaries, The Ramones, kept everything in their world straight ahead with a simple logo and design, keeping everything no-frills, just like their music. And in both cases, the two distinct looks and typefaces thrive today, fifty years after these bands stormed through New York. The branding worked and still does.
Your packaging must have an appeal, a look that stands out not only on the store shelves but against the noise on social media, too. The package needs to be able to relate the message of uniqueness and that your product can stand against competitors. Can you become a leader in your space?
What are some of the most critical elements of your product design? We’ve outlined a few that you should consider if you’re moving through the journey of figuring out what you’re trying to say with your look and feel and how you appeal to your target market out in the wild.
Considering Colors
Color is crucial when considering reasons for branding a product. Color makes a brand instantly recognizable and demands the target market’s attention. Buyers focus on visual appearance, and color plays a significant role in their purchases. Have you played with different color combinations, have you done any market research by checking out the competition and looking at their color schemes?
Color elicits different emotions. Depending on what you’re selling, you might want to try combos that bring out the core of your product and what it represents.
Case in point: If you’re selling organic baby wipes, black might not be the best packaging color when a soft rose or pink might get the point across better.
Logos Can Last Forever
Logos offer an immediacy that can last. When a logo hits, it sticks around. Remember that thing we said about Apple, about the Ramones? You know those logos. Everyone does. They’re instantly recognizable. Many companies spend a ton of money trying to nail down the perfect look and feel of their logos, while others happen on the back of a bar napkin. Whatever the case, put some thought into what you’re trying to do, but don’t overthink it. A cluttered logo can do more harm than good. Simple is always best.
What Does the Font Say?
Typography can also showcase personality. Think about what you do, what you sell. Old English might not be the best fit if you’re selling dish soap. But, if you’re repping your hood on a black ball cap, Old English looks tough and old school. Different font styles represent different moods. Some brands choose a sleeker and simpler font (think Android or Hulu), while others want something brash and bold (Liquid Death water).
Choose Materials Wisely
If you’re proclaiming to be an earth-first, green company, your packaging should reflect that too. The materials you use in your products and what they come in are essential to consumers.
Suppose you’re going to claim to be environmentally friendly. In that case, there are many sustainable packaging options out there, and there are companies (like us) who have a finger on the pulse of utilizing those materials.
The Packaging Needs to be Functional
Looks do matter, but it’s also essential to ensure your product packaging is still protecting the product. You could have the most stunning packaging on earth, but if the product is stale or broken, people will talk and leave reviews thanks to poor packaging. Do you need a stand-up pouch? Should you use roll stock for maximum efficacy? Talk to a company that knows how the market moves but also knowledgeable on how to best suit the product and its success.
Suppose you’re considering changing your packaging or looking to start anew. ePac Flexibles can help. We’ve got some of the brightest minds in the business hanging around, and they’d love to help your company reach new heights or just become the darling of the farmer’s market. Either way, we’d be happy to help.