Do you remember the recent controversy caused when a well-known coffee chain changed its holiday cup, which in past years had been adorned with Christmas-related elements, to a plain red, unadorned design? Although many people thought it was "much ado about nothing," others were very offended by the removal of the Christmas symbols, calling the cups an attack on Christianity. The scandal subsided, and it's likely little harm was done to the company's brand, but it does show that packaging does matter. It's important for a company to understand its customers' needs, wants and lifestyle preferences, and design it's packaging accordingly.

Size Matters

A product's packaging needs to meet the needs of the consumer. If your target market is primarily families, you should ship your product in economical family-sized packaging. If your target is single-person households, provide the product in single-serve or single-use containers.  Want to introduce a new product to potential customers? Offer a trial size for individuals to sample, and they'll hopefully return to buy the regular sized product.

Safety in Structure

Do you need heavy-duty cardboard packaging to fully protect your large product during shipping and storage? Do you need formed plastic to protect electronics from breakage or theft? Do you need vacuum-sealed plastic to help maintain food freshness and quality? Determine your product's needs, and find a solution that provides adequate protection without wasteful or expensive over packaging.

Color Is Key

Color is usually what catches a consumer's eye first and sets your product apart from others on the shelf. Color should also reflect your company's brand. If you want to capture the attention of the high-end market, black, gold, silver and royal blue depict luxury. To attract the children's market segment (and their parents), use fun primary colors on your packaging. Understated greens, browns and other earth tones speak to the environmentally conscious consumer and are often used with eco-friendly products. Reds and yellows are for food products because they appeal to the consumers' taste buds.

Transparency Inspires Trust

Transparent packages such as clear pouches for cheese, plastic cartons for leafy greens or see-through lids that show a yummy dessert allow consumers to see what they're buying. They can see the quantity and quality of the product and use that information to make a purchasing decision. Because the manufacturer or producer is not hiding anything, clear packaging can help build trust and brand loyalty for the consumer. However, clear packaging is not always the best solution. It can show broken potato chips in the bottom a bag or a food product that has been damaged. Plastic can also damage easily and let in light, which can shorten shelf life.

Less Is More

Consumers don't like wasted space or complicated packaging. It speaks of waste, which is not what you want to convey to today's frugal, environmentally conscious consumer.  They also don't want a cluttered look with strange fonts and too much information. Today's consumers want a simple package with a clear, easy-to-read message about the benefits of the product.

Packaging does matter. It should provide the proper protective structure as well as a relevant marketing message. It should reflect your ideals as a company and inspire trust and brand loyalty in the consumer. With so many options and types of packaging available, it's imperative to research your target consumers and provide the package design that best fits their needs and preferences, so keep this in mind as you select packing supplies and packaging options.