3 Types of Packaging Presence Every Product Needs
Have you ever stopped in your tracks to look at a new product in Target?
It happened to me this week. I was on a mission for some toilet paper of all things. But I couldn't help but notice this new iced coffee maker.
Mr. Coffee Iced + Hot at Target
The pink and blue colors are vibrant and out of the ordinary. Most of the other boxes on the shelf were tan, brown, and black. Or some combination. But this coffee maker. It looks fun! Making coffee with this feels like it might be a treat!
My reaction is an excellent example of the power of a distinctive shelf presence. It attracts attention to your product and peaks interest to learn more. But did you know that these three types of packaging presence can help sell your product?
Shelf Presence
A captivating shelf presence will set your product apart in a sea of similar items. Catching your customer's eye is the first hurdle to selling your product. Did you know? 81% of consumers tried something new because the product packaging caught their eye. Yes, 8 out of 10 people are inspired to try a new product based on the package design.
So what makes for a compelling shelf presence? Like a billboard, packaging should be visible from a distance. Not every piece of information needs to be legible from 15 feet away. But the elements our eyes respond to most, like color and images, should be unmistakable. A short and quick message can grab attention, whether a product name or tagline. Be sure to use a combination of photos, graphics, and text to make it easy and fast to understand.
Screen Presence
It doesn't matter if you sell your product on Amazon, Etsy, or your own Shopify site. The way your packaging looks in photos can inspire confidence.
The product search page might be the first place customers encounter your product on many websites. You want to use that main image to stop the scroll and get clicks. But some eCommerce sites like Amazon don't allow added graphics in the product image. When adding callouts isn't possible, showing the packaging can quickly tell the story of your product.
The elements of a compelling screen presence are similar to that of shelf presence. Bright or high-contrast colors and clear images continue to attract attention. Any verbiage should be large enough to be legible when viewed on a small screen. So if your primary sales channel is online, avoid using smaller text that won't be readable on smaller screens. (This is not an excuse to miss adding the regulatory text required by the FDA. If you have a food product, you still need that!)
Porch Presence
With the increase in online sales, we're getting more packages delivered. And those boxes and mailers are sitting on our porches sometimes for up to a full day. The shipping box or poly mailer is an opportunity to build trust, recognition, and advertise your brand.
A branded shipper is a sign of trust, confirming where the package came from. Who here has ordered something and when it arrived, the outside of the box was blank leaving us to guess where it came from? Even worse, the outside of the box has a logo we don't recognize? Don't be that seller.
If nothing else, include your brand color on the outside of the shipper. Again, with the color! It doesn't have to be all over or even printed. A tape in your brand color will create recognition over time. When you see that blue and black tape you know your neighbor just got an Amazon delivery! (Also, that's my house) A boldly placed logo on a kraft box in white or black will also do the trick.