Sometimes, the package of a product does much more than simply contain it. At points of sale, it is the first contact between the product and the consumer. Its shape, material, transparency and closure communicate before the buyer reads the label. Understanding how that mechanism works can transform a package from functional to a real sales tool.
What does a package communicate?
Various analyses of consumer behavior point to the fact that the package influences product evaluation before any direct interaction. That perception is built in seconds and is determined by certain design variables:
- Transparency: Communicates openness, honesty and trust. In food, cosmetics or natural products, allowing the color, texture or consistency of the product to be visible reduces uncertainty and accelerates the purchasing decision. The material with the greatest advantage in this regard is PET.
- Shape: The fact that it feels good to the touch is an indicator that care was taken in the design, and therefore, in the quality of the product it contains. Additionally, its structure can provide special and differentiating capabilities.
- Color: The pigment of the package sends signals to the buyer. Sometimes it becomes a category identifier more than an aesthetic argument.
- Size: A container too large for little product generates distrust; one too small can communicate scarcity. The proportion between actual capacity and content directly impacts the perception of product value.
How does format impact?
The package not only convinces the end consumer, but also the wholesaler, distributor and purchasing manager of a retail chain. Each evaluates it with different criteria that can define whether the product enters distribution or not.
- Storage: Those with square or rectangular design make better use of space on pallet and shelf than cylindrical ones. This efficiency translates into lower storage costs and more product per shipment.
- Resistance: If it collapses under the weight of those on top or due to a certain temperature level, it generates multiple losses, not just one. The thickness of the wall, bottom design and body geometry determine compression resistance.
- Compatibility: For companies that fill in their own plant, the package dimensions must be compatible with filling, sealing and labeling equipment. Otherwise, it can stop the production line.
- Labeling ease: Smooth containers are the most compatible with continuous self-adhesive labels at high speed. In contrast, those with embossing require smaller or segmented labels, increasing cost and reducing available space for product information.
Ask yourself this before defining your package design
Before committing to a format, material or supplier, these questions can save you a lot of work and money:
- Where and how will the product be sold? The sales channel defines the hierarchy of design criteria.
- Who is the end user and how do they use it? For daily use you need practicality and resistance; single use, visual impact; industrial use, safety and resistance.
- What regulations apply to the content and package? Food contact, product inviolability, transport resistance… Each category has requirements that can limit or define the available design options.
- Is the current package working for or against you? If your product is not growing at the expected rate and the container has not changed in years, it is worth evaluating whether the format, material or design are clashing with the purchasing decision.
The package is a key piece in the purchasing decision, both for the end consumer and the B2B buyer. It communicates information that the market interprets before reading the label. If you are developing a new product or evaluating your current container, at Plastimex we guide you to choose the right one for your operation. Contact us!
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