Perhaps you are not a scientist but as the decision-maker for packaging designs of your brands did you know that you can use scientific aspects in your product packaging design to galvanize consumer purchasing decisions?
A customer is more likely to re-purchase your product when they have a positive emotional response to the package. They will mostly attribute this positive response subconsciously to that product as well says, Mr. Jalan.
There was one coined the term ‘sensation transference’ to describe the kind of interaction with a packaged product.
Let us dive into some of the methods as said by Mr. Gaurav Jalan, Founder, and Director of Packman Packaging India’s leading manufacturer for customized corrugated boxes for e-commerce businesses in India where it explains how one can use neuromarketing to influence consumer’s emotions and affect sensation transference with the packaging.
How to Take Advantage of Sensation Transference
Here are some of the ways to take advantage:
Color
Color, with regards to packaging psychology, has one of the biggest influences on a consumer’s perception of a product or brand. Using colors analytically, in your package designs to trigger the proper subconscious emotional responses of your potential buyer.
Search for the meanings of colors and the emotions that different colors trigger and utilize this in your marketing strategy and package design. What mood your product should convey to the passing consumer?
There are colors that can help to evoke that mood.
Some of the examples are:
· Green signifies health
· Yellow indicates energy
· Red shows love and creativity
· Purple represents creativity
· Pink is for feminism
Use the right colors that align your brand and your product messaging with the target segment.
Shape
The shape of the product packaging can impact a consumer’s understanding of your product, too. Something interesting that creators for manufacturers of liquid-based foods or products have done is they have used the shape of their bottles to subtly mimic the human form.
Try to have a look at the shape of various products once that are specifically, targeted to a masculine audience next time you are shopping. You might notice a broadness and masculinity in its shape.
Similarly, look at products targeted towards a feminine audience as well. Look for the curves and feminine features of the product or packaging shape.
Sheer Coincidence?
No, it is packaging psychology. That Sensation Transference.
You can develop sensation transference in other methods with your packaging, including using texture to pull a buyer to feel your product or sound to generate emotion.
Be Simple, Form Trust
Using simple-to-open clamshell or blister packaging with the perforated easy-tear seal (check tamper-evident or tamper-proof packaging) can give feelings of security in knowing the product contained in it would be fresh. It is also a satisfying feeling to open a new package having the easy-tear feature; specifically, when it is actually simple to tear.
Test your packaging materials for the comfort of use with your own hands. Nothing compares to a true physical test to visualize how a customer may feel when handling your product.
It is Perfectly Fine to be Basic
When you are attempting to evoke emotions in a buyer using packaging design, it’s essential to keep some simplicity in mind for the message you wish to convey. If you are packaging a certain type of food product, use a high-quality image of the food on the package. A consumer will check for visual cues while they are in a process of making a decision to buy, so being clear on what is has inside the package is absolutely important.
Never forget to keep your competition in mind when choosing imagery that aligns with your product. You have to stand out from the crowd while maintaining the basics, so look for an image that is unique from the rest.
Sometimes using a simple design will have a big impact.
Give the Buyer a Peek Inside
In certain scenarios, using an image is not going to be an ideal way to shine on the shelf or online. A buyer wants to know that what they are purchasing is what they expect to buy depending on what they can see. There is no good way to provide a solid visual other than displaying the contents of the package.
In situations like this, giving the potential buyer a look at the real product through your packaging could be the most unique method to stand out. Using a viewing window on a box is not new or original, but displaying the actual product inside the package is a top way to evoke emotional trigger of trust and security that they know what they are buying
If you are looking to truly make an impression, design the viewing window of your product to be die-cut into the shape of the product within.
Tell a Story
Your package conveys a story with or without words that can attract a buyer in, so capitalize on your brand or the product’s story with the space you have available. If you simply have enough room for a few words, use a quote that showcases your product or your brand purpose, and provide more to the story by adding your business’s website address.
If you have some space, use it to talk about the history or the reason that your product is in the customer’s hand. Be short, but to the point. One can say your product has potatoes in it, or you can say your product has the finest, potatoes. You can evoke the senses in the manner you describe the product on your packaging.
Be sure to stay honest, though. If those tomatoes aren’t from Italy, don’t use that line in your marketing material.
