Importance of Packaging & Branding in Marketing
You’ve spent money on creating the perfect product. But to get consumers to pick your product over others, you'll need to get their attention. It doesn’t mean your branding or packaging should be over the top. Some of the most memorable brands and packaging are simple, clean and distinctive. The right packaging and branding in marketing can make your product memorable, easy to find and appealing to new and repeat customers.
Branding is often associated with creating a logo for a product or company. But branding goes beyond just a logo. It is the message your company sends to potential customers. To determine a brand strategy, consider the demographic for which your product is best suited. Your logo and company message should be targeted to that demographic. Creating a tagline to use in marketing is a simple way to establish a brand message. Color scheme is also another way to identify your brand from others, like McDonald's use of red and yellow or BP's yellow and green.
A logo is, of course, an important part of branding. Once you settle on your unique logo, it should be incorporated into all of your company's communications, including the website, social media and packaging. The logo should indicate whether you are a luxury brand, a value brand, environmentally conscious or a combination of these.
Your product’s packaging serves several purposes — the most important is keeping your product secure and undamaged during shipping. Packaging is also an extension of branding, so it should complement the logo and the company’s message. If your product is designed to appeal to seniors, for example, it will have a very different look from a product that is designed to appeal to teenagers.
Many consumers also consider environmental impact when they shop for goods. If possible, incorporate recycled materials into the packaging and mention that fact on the product itself. Unboxing has become a popular phenomenon, with consumers sharing videos of themselves taking new products out of the packaging. This makes your internal packaging just as important as your external packaging.
Branding and packaging are essential to marketing your product and the two are closely related. Your packaging should build your brand, making it easy for a consumer to spot the products that belong to your company. Apple products, for example, tend to have a sleek modern look that is easy to spot, which extends to their packaging. Their products come in easy-to-open boxes that are also clean and modern and they always bear the distinctive Apple logo.
Once you know your company’s message and the target demographic, keep those in mind as you develop the product’s packaging. Bright colors may appeal to younger consumers, while more sedate ones may appeal to a higher-end demographic. Keep your branding and packaging consistent, and consumers will find your product again and again.