4 Ways to Set Your Brand Apart Using Product Packaging and Design

The aesthetics of your product packaging play a major role in how many sales you get and how many people leave your product on the shelf.

People are visual by nature and that’s why marketing requires a focus on aesthetics. If you can create the right label, package, or general imagery, you can set your brand apart and increase your sales.

According to Inc.com, people judge a product by its packaging and sometimes packaging matters more than the product. For example, when consumers are in a hurry to choose a product, it’s often the packaging that makes the decision easy.

Products contained in aesthetically-pleasing, professional, high-quality packaging and design will almost always be a consumer’s first choice. Companies that get by with basic packaging won’t see the high volume of sales achieved by companies with intentionally designed packaging.

If you’re looking for ideas to level up your product’s packaging or design in order to increase your sales, here are some excellent ways to start.

1. Use 3D textures

Have you ever picked up a product that just felt good to hold? Sometimes texture is all you need to make your products stand out from the competition. For example, farms that sell fresh milk in large glass bottles often texturize the glass and create a contoured handle for easy pouring. This sets them apart from the competition selling fresh milk in glass bottles most people struggle to pick up.

Texture can be used for a variety of purposes. Texture can be used to create a visual or tactile experience. For instance, a 3D textured metal nameplate affixed to your product can create the perception that your product is high-end. Instead of stamping your brand’s name onto your product with ink or a cheap sticker, a textured metal plate will look classy.

Create a tactile experience with texture

You can use texture to create a tactile experience, even if it doesn’t serve any purpose in terms of how your product functions. For example, you can create bumps, ridges, or hashed indents on certain areas of your product. These kinds of textures will be both visual and tactile.

2. Use different materials

Using specific materials is another great way to introduce texture to your products and packaging. There are plenty of materials available to use. For example:

Linen
Felt
Textured paper
Laid paper
Embossed graphics
Shiny, high gloss finishes
Recycled paper

Some materials are more appropriate for certain products than others. For example, you can’t put a pair of shoes in a box made entirely from felt and expect it to hold up during shipping. However, you can certainly cover a shoebox with a thin layer of felt to create a tactile experience.

3. Be completely bold and unique

Go out on a limb to create a truly unique design. For instance, don’t just copy someone else’s label and insert your own content. Make your label entirely unique from top to bottom. Create a unique shape, use specific colors, and make your label stand out.

If you want to be really bold, use a taboo font, like Comic Sans. You know how everyone says “never” use Comic Sans? There are many reasons to love Comic Sans. For example, dyslexic people love Comic Sans because each letter is so different that it’s easier to interpret words correctly. It’s also the font writers use to write better and faster.

That doesn’t mean Comic Sans is always the right choice. However, if you’re going for something unique, it is an option.

4. Incorporate your product’s packaging into the product itself

This idea is a bit trickier to accomplish, but worth the effort if you can make it work.

Remember the plush Popples from the 1980s? Popples were little balls that became stuffed animals when turned inside-out. If you can do something similar with your product packaging, you’ll definitely stand out.

One product that does this well is this snuffle mat designed to make dogs eat slowly and/or give them some entertainment. The product is also the container/packaging. You can keep your dog’s treats inside and close it up to carry it somewhere.

Packaging and design matter

If you haven’t given much thought to your product’s packaging and design, it’s time. Connect with your marketing department to start brainstorming ideas for upgrading your product packaging.

Your product’s packaging has more of an influence on sales than you might realize. If you want more sales, start using your product packaging and design to influence customers to make a purchase.