Michael Deshayes

Who doesn't want things to look nice? Well, certainly not me, but there's a fine line between something being aesthetically pleasing and practical that is often blurred... and in some cases outright ignored. I'm going to walk you through my thoughts on how these assumably small details can impact your day-to-day life... and of course the business' perspective too! ;)

Let's take a look at some really simple examples we're (hopefully) all familiar with.

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The iconic Shampoo and Conditioner containers‍

It's common to see an extremely broad range of looks, shapes, and sizes within this product category... each brand and price-point is ever-changing to fight for your attention in the shopping aisle and respond to your own personal aesthetic preferences... and let's not forget about your perception of value as well.‍‍

Here's where things can go wrong purely from a functional perspective. Regardless of aesthetic preferences, 'good' packaging for this product category should clearly inform you of the variety or use-case, be it shampoo or conditioner. Any additional instructions required for usage should also be easy to identify and undertake. You can see in this example these two containers are almost identical, with only a small single difference. In the shopping aisle, this makes it tricky to make sure you've put the right ones into your cart. Additionally, it's near impossible to tell the difference once pre-occupied during a bath or shower... especially if you've already applied the shampoo and you're squinting to really examine if you used the right one. I think you get the point by now, but this small oversight has left users of the product in a scenario that genuinely makes it tricky to utilize. This is a common problem among many products with variety and still plagues customers across a variety of price points, especially those aiming for a 'minimal' luxurious aesthetic.

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The toothpaste tube and accompanying box

There are many perspectives to take on this, so let's focus on the aspect of value and the health benefits. Depending on where you live, there are the usual suspects (brands) that are available in addition to alternatives taking a different approach (at least at surface level).

Let's first start with the buying experience. There's an immediate visual overload due to the extreme density of graphic elements, text, color choices, and paper finishes when comparing options. Surprisingly, even within each brand, there is often a lack of consistency, making the comparison experience even more troublesome. Ideally, customers should be able to compare two products from a brand easily to distinguish their preference. When you start looking at the various price points, things start to follow a similar pattern. The aesthetics become more simplistic and utilize more negative space which looks 'fancy'! The problem is this might not be enough to truly communicate the value to the customer due to lack of context or a unique selling point. Complex descriptions, unexplained ingredients, and branded terminology can leave a customer in a situation where they truly cannot tell the difference between options. This pushes the buyer to make a decision based on either visual preference or price-point and away from thinking 'what is going to be better for my health?'. This problem surprisingly also applies to some health-oriented brands who have become stuck in following the standard packaging patterns of the competing brands.
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So, how can you ensure that your packaging is 'good'?

‍Firstly, you can't ignore that the majority of packaging is about accurately representing the brand as well as the vision of the product itself. Once that is sorted, it's a matter of ensuring your product packaging stands out amongst the competition, but not just in pure visuals. Make sure your product varieties are scannable because most people are never going to read your packaging like a book. Clearly describe features or attributes and how they're beneficial. On the topic of containers and packaging for common grocery store items, it's important to consider where these items will be placed in use and what the experience is like using them.
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Why should we care about 'good' packaging?

Brand trust is one of the first things that comes to mind when I'm asked this question. When customers choose and eventually purchase a product, a lot of weight rests upon the brand. So ensuring that you clearly communicate with your customers about what your product is and how it works lowers the risks of a misunderstanding and them absolutely hating your brand from that point onwards. Making your product easy to use, providing simple instructions, especially if it's designed for use in specific environments like kitchens or bathrooms, is also equally beneficial to your business to aid repeat sales (based on positive experiences) and prevention of liabilities. Lastly, 'good' packaging can elevate your product. Think of your packaging as an 'elevator pitch'; you get one chance to make an impact on a customer, and this really does impact sales at the end of the day. This is why you continually see brands of all sizes continually trying to adapt their packaging to determine what is working best for sales conversion.

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At the end of the day, packaging is important, but it's one part of the overall product and brand experience. Getting it right, ideally the first time, will make a big impact in the long run. If you want to make your mark and get your first impressions on point, feel free to reach out to me!