Consumer Packaging

C O N S U M E R P A C K A G I N G W H A T Y O U N E E D T O K N O W T O G E T I T R I G H T COMPILED BY w w w . a t t i t u d e d r i v e n c o n s u l t i n g . c o m c o n s u l t i n g @ a t t i t u d e d r i v e n c o n s u l t i n g . c o m INTRO TO CONSUMER P A C K A G I N G Packaging is a creative and hands-on representation of your brand. It is also a functional tool that ensures that your product arrives in the hands of your customers in the way that it was promised to arrive. These dual functions will fight for preference in the decisions that are made in regard to what materials you use, how they will be utilized and the overall presentation of the final package. It should always be kept in mind that the consumer is the driving force in all product decisions, and packaging is no different. As time goes on, there are more and more examples of a product's packaging being influenced by the consumers that are using it. According to Waste360.com, Amazon changed from recyclable cardboard boxes for their deliveries, to new plastic bags that are not recyclable. Customer sentiment has been critical of the move and Amazon's offer for Amazon Prime customers to be able to choose a single delivery day during the week to minimize the amount of shipments is in opposition to its same day delivery model. Packaging is a significant cost to any business and while this will impact the packaging decisions that are made, most organizations will not easily weather a storm like Amazon is with an incorrect decision on packaging. C O N S U M E R P A C K A G I N G Page 4 - Packaging as a Marketing Tool Page 7 - Packaging to Provide a Functional Delivery Method Page 9 - Requirements for Packaging Page 11 - Customer Pressure Impacting Packaging Page 13 - Innovative Packaging in Action Page 15 - Packaging as a Competitive Advantage Page 20 - Final Thoughts 04 PACKAGING AS A MARKETING TOOL It protects the product through shipping, shopping and final delivery to the customer. It can be something as simple as a take-away container for food, or it can be as complex as the boxes that our new smartphones arrive in. There are 4 key requirements that packaging must deliver on to be effective. P A C K A G I N G I S A M A R K E T I N G T O O L C R E A T E D A N D D E S I G N E D T O P R O V I D E A N E X P E R I E N C E F O R T H E C O N S U M E R . 05 These 4 key requirements that it must deliver on are: To stand out.Whe. n people are shopping, they read approximately 7 words per trip according to Forbes.com. Will they be the words on your packaging? Assume not and ensure that the colours, shape and size of your product appeals to their emotions to increase sales. To be simple. People don't read or put too much thought or logic into their buying decisions. So, don't make your product "too hard" to buy. Keep to the KISS principle and keep it simple stupid. To pass the 5-year-old test. Can you describe your product to a 5-year-old, let him walk into a store, find the product and bring it back? If not, then it's too complicated and it's time to go back to the drawing board. To trigger emotional connections. If customers are not using logic to make purchasing decisions, then you better know how to engage their emotions. People buy Apple because they want to be cool, hip and artistic. Will it make them those things? No. But buying it gives the impression that they are. That's what people buy - the emotional connection to what they want to be. 06 Remember that the packaging you choose will be the first interaction that your customer will have with your product. Are you positioning your brand as an environmentally conscious organisation such as Patagonia, who is striving to "save our home planet"? Then hopefully you have not chosen to use single use plastic bags. P A C K A G I N G I S H O W Y O U R C O N S U M E R S I N T E R A C T W I T H Y O U . M A K E S U R E I T I S S O M E T H I N G T H A T C A T C H E S T H E I R A T T E N T I O N A N D D O E S N O T R E Q U I R E R E A D I N G . P A C K A G I N G S H O U L D S P E A K F O R I T S E L F . 07 PACKAGING PROVIDING A FUNCTIONAL DELIVERY METHOD The function of packaging is to protect and deliver the product in a cost-effective manner while still providing the desired customer experience. It is meant to engage and wow the customer, giving them a full experience from unwrapping the outer plastic of an iPhone box to finally pulling the plastic off the front screen as you start it the first time. P A C K A G I N G I S N O L O N G E R J U S T A B O U T C R E A T I N G A N E M O T I O N A L A T T A C H M E N T T O A B R A N D O R P R O D U C T . 08 Apple was the first to innovate their packaging on a mass scale. When the first iPhones came out, there were a multitude of videos of people opening their boxes. With the same excitement as unwrapping a Christmas or Birthday gift, these videos were watched with awe as those who did not or could not get one, experienced it. Those days are over, and now packaging is being driven by more than the marketing desired emotional experience. Now, customers are taking to social media to complain about the over-abundance of plastic that is used in all products that they purchase, and organizations are struggling to find suitable alternatives. 09 PACKAGING REQUIREMENTS Before deciding on any packaging decisions, the first thing that they should do is research or be fully aware of what regulations will shape their packaging. For medical products, like the new legally available marijuana in Canada, there are substantial regulations governing what needs to be on the packaging. R E M E M B E R , T H E R E A R E R E G U L A T I O N S W H I C H G O V E R N W H A T M U S T B E I N C L U D E D O N P A C K A G I N G . 10 While companies like NSLC Cannabis are aware that 58% of their customers were concerned about the materials used to package, distribute and sell cannabis, they are restricted by why they can do. Pushing the boundaries as much as they can, they are looking to reduce the size of their packaging by 50%, reduce the weight by 20% and even ensure that 25% of all used materials are from recycled sources. Cannabis and medical products are not the only products that face regulations such as these and each business should carefully research requirements specifically required for their industry. 11 CUSTOMER PRESSURE IMPACTING PACKAGING Pressure within a system can lead to some incredible new product offerings as new industries emerge to support the changing economy. One such change that we are seeing first hand, are the explosion of reusable, recyclable, and long- term packaging available. I N N O V A T I V E S O L U T I O N S A R E R E Q U I R E D T O M I N I M I Z E T H E I M P A C T O F C O N S U M E R P A C K A G I N G W A S T E . 12 Returnity.co is an incredible business that is thriving due to its ability to help suppliers create returnable and reusable shipping materials. With a vision statement of custom- designing durable reusable shipping bags and boxes that pay for themselves as you use, they are helping organizations re-think the options available for supporting the increase in e-commerce channel shopping. As governments fight more and more over the growing waste epidemic, it is only a matter of time until the organizations that are identified as being the largest contributors of waste receive their share of the cost of the problem.

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