Food packaging is everywhere. You see it and interact with it every day and probably don’t give it much thought. But have you ever considered the possibility of food packaging influencing your purchasing decisions? There’s a lot more to a well-designed box, can or wrapper than you may think.
Designers have carefully crafted each component of food packaging in order to evoke a certain feeling from the customer. Effective packaging should be able to sell itself. Your product needs to have a strong brand identity, a clear and concise description of what the product is and a design that entices your target market.
Balance
Effective food packaging strikes an ideal balance between form and function. On the one hand, it needs to have attractive shelf appeal and make the right impression within a fraction of a second. At the same time, it still needs to adequately protect its contents and arrive at the grocery store in the same condition as when it left the factory.
This is important from a cost standpoint, as retailers will deduct money from your invoice if they receive damaged goods. You should also adhere to the guidelines set by the FDA around your nutritional facts and the overall construction of your packaging.
Brand Identity
From advertisements to grocery store aisles, your packaging is usually the first point of contact between your product and consumers. Branding is extremely important when it comes to the design of your packaging, as it determines the most suitable color, shape, size and materials to use.
If your brand focuses on premium foods, your packaging should reflect the price point. For example, expensive chocolate shouldn’t just have plastic wrapping. You can improve it by adding a layer of paper wrapping on top and a material ribbon or some other type of more thoughtful design.
Consider your target audience and what you want them to relate your product to. This will help you determine what type of graphic designs to feature on your packaging. For example, tea products usually have an image of the fruit or plant used in its flavoring, even when that’s not exactly what’s in the box.
Functionality
A great way to improve the appeal of your product is to add a unique type of functionality to it. For example, some canned Monster energy drinks feature a plastic cap that can be turned over the hole to prevent spilling. The possibilities here tend to vary depending on the type of food you need to package, but it’s always worth a try to innovate.
The packaging should also be easy to ship and produce. Finding the right supplier for your packaging equipment will go a long way in ensuring this. Check out the Douglas Machine website for a great range of innovative packaging solutions.
Consider the materials that will offer the best level of freshness and protection. Using sustainable and recyclable materials in the packaging can further up the appeal of your products.
Conclusion
Knowing your audience is key to determining what type of product design will sell. It may take a bit of work to pinpoint the personality of your exact customer, but it’s well worth the effort.
