Marketing

Struggling with Sales? Change Your Packaging to Sell More Products

Is your company struggling with sales? Are you looking for creative ways to build some momentum for your business? You’re probably already employing several key strategies like revamping your ad copy, tidying up your sales pages, and contacting better prospects. If you’re a retail business, you’ve probably tried remerchandising and might be selling your product in different stores. Those are all great ways to boost sales. However, if you work on perfecting your product packaging, you could increase sales by massive numbers – without changing anything else. Below we present important product packaging tips that will impact your top and bottom lines.

The two main ways revamped packaging can boost your sales

You can accomplish two important things by changing your product packaging:

  • You can make your packaging eco-friendly. Today’s consumers want their favorite brands to use eco-friendly, recyclable, or compostable packaging. For instance, the butter alternative brand Parkay hired Burd & Fletcher to create a thinner carton that would meet the company’s sustainability goals.Other famous brands have hired the same company to create recyclable ice cream cartons and more. That’s a big deal considering standard ice cream cartons aren’t recyclable. Ice cream cartons and frozen food packages usually contain a thin layer of waterproof plastic polyethylene, which prevents the container from being pulped.Consumers admit packaging design influences their decision to buy when the packaging is eco-friendly. A national study conducted by the Paper and Packaging Board found that 71% of consumers are more likely to buy products packaged in paper or cardboard, while 63% buy products packaged in paper or cardboard specifically to reuse the material.

    Many eco-conscious consumers will even switch brands when they find a company that goes out of their way to be a little more sustainable than the rest.

  • You can make your packaging more appealing. Appealing packaging is going to generate more sales, hands down. Everything about your packaging matters from the texture and sound it makes when handled to the visual design and the way it opens.

Packaging and presentation are everything

One of the most significant product packaging tips is to focus on your design. Your packaging design is the first communication you have with a customer when they notice your product. Research has shown that colors are the first thing people notice about packaging and color contributes to 90% of a consumer’s assessment of the product.

Colors have massive influence. Bold colors like red and purple capture attention and cultures tend to associate emotions with each color. For instance, in the U.S., yellow makes people feel happy and green is associated with environmentally-friendly products.

In addition to color, consumers are influenced by your label design, typography, and quality of the packaging material. Packaging is a visual representation of your brand and if your presentation isn’t appealing, you won’t get many sales.

Poor packaging can influence consumers to buy from your competitors

When it comes to presentation, looks are everything. If your product doesn’t grab attention on the shelf, consumers will buy from your competitors.

Stores tend to stock items with similar items, which means your products will be right next to your competitors’ products. If your packaging is poor and unappealing, you can expect your customers to buy from your competitors with better-looking wrappers and containers.

If you’re selling products exclusively online, you have a little more room to play since consumers won’t be looking at your competitors’ products at the same time. However, they could still be comparing your product with others.

Packaging design is a multi-billion-dollar industry

Major corporations spend billions of dollars each year perfecting their marketing designs, labels, wrappers, logos, and typography.

Big corporations know the value of visuals and packaging and it doesn’t end with graphics. For instance, some protein bar companies have developed wrappers with a matte texture rather than glossy and those wrappers always stand out in a sea of gloss. Matte wrappers also feel and sound different compared to thick, glossy wrappers.

Upgrading your packaging is a worthwhile investment

If you want to increase your sales, start researching how to improve your package design in terms of materials and graphics. Can you switch to an eco-friendly version of your current packaging without compromising the quality of your product? Can you reduce the amount of packaging? Can you upgrade your visual design, labels, or logo?

Regardless of your budget, flow some money toward upgrading your packaging and you’ll see an increase in sales. Granted, you’ll still want to focus on the way your product is placed in stores (or hiring a great product photographer). However, when you upgrade your packaging, you’ll be pleasantly surprised to see the positive impact these product packaging tips have on sales.

Jenna Cyprus

Jenna is a freelance writer and business consultant who covers business, technology, and entrepreneurship. She's lectured for several universities, and worked with over 100 businesses over the course of the last 15 years. She's a mother of two kids, and loves to go camping, hiking, and skiing with her family.