How packaging influences purchasing behaviour

First impressions count. An infographic from The Paper Worker shows that this also applies to product packaging. When the shelf is crammed full of many similar products from different brands, packaging can be the deciding factor in a purchase decision. But just how much does packaging really influence the choices we make whilst shopping?

In fact, brands have around seven seconds to make a good impression on a potential buyer. An effective design not only helps consumers make decisions more quickly and easily; an eye-catching design can also grab consumers’ attention. Research shows that at least a third of product decisions are based on packaging, alongside personal preferences. This means that packaging can sometimes be just as important as the product itself.

The simplest way to grab attention is through the right choice of colour. It is the most direct and straightforward way to unify a brand and stand out visually to customers. However, the colour schemes must be appealing to the target audience and strike the right note to convey a product’s message. Yellow, for example, tends to convey joy, whilst black stands for power and control.

But it’s not just about that quick, first impression. Quality is also a key factor. According to the infographic, 52 per cent of online consumers say they would be likely to buy from a company again if they received products in high-quality packaging. And 90 per cent of consumers reuse product packaging and bags after purchase. But the customer can also become another marketing channel: 40 per cent would share a photo of the packaging if they found it interesting. In this way, they recommend the product to friends, who could then become customers themselves.

The third way to stand out on the shelf is to be green: sustainable packaging is very popular with today’s customers. Therefore, recycled or reusable materials are a win-win for businesses and the environment. But that doesn’t mean they have to be boring. For example, you can reinvent old materials such as paper carrier bags.

But with all these factors in mind, there’s one thing to bear in mind: we’re still dealing with packaging, and therefore with something that’s meant to be functional. It must be easy to handle, contain only the necessary text and, above all, protect the product inside. The packaging should also help consumers recognise your brand. Ideally, when a consumer sees the packaging, they should be able to recognise the brand name.

Some brands have actually managed to make their packaging the most important part of their brand identity. What would Coca-Cola be without its iconic bottle, which has even become a retro design feature? But the company is also driving forward innovative and sustainable packaging. For one campaign, for example, a special can was developed in which ice cubes appear when the soft drink reaches the optimum temperature. Another range of bottles was made from plant-based materials. And by printing consumers’ names on the labels, choosing a cola even became a sort of game.

When it comes to energy drinks, packaging design appears to be the most important weapon of all, as revealed by a recent study by the marketing technology firm Affinnova on consumer perceptions of brands. This category has been dominated for years by Red Bull and Monster. Despite Coca-Cola and Pepsi’s high expenditure on advertising and distribution advantages, their brands have failed to gain market share. Affinnova found that the packaging design of Nos and Amp is the main reason for this, as it fails to attract consumers’ attention. In particular, Nos and Amp scored poorly in terms of packaging design personality, meaning that consumers do not associate their packaging with strong brand characteristics.