Packaging as a Brand Ambassador

The Importance of Your Brand's Packaging

Have you ever watched a cooking show that instantly made your stomach growl?  Even though you’ve already eaten, those jalapeno poppers they just whipped up are calling your name. They say, “you eat with your eyes,” but that idiom has importance and meaning beyond food. Your brand’s packaging can be a big difference-maker for consumers in today’s market.

In the modern visual landscape of Instagram, the purpose of your packaging reaches far beyond simply acting as a receptacle for your product. Packaging is a great opportunity for a brand to provide customers a memorable experience associated with brand and its product; by choosing to avail customers to a creative and original unboxing experience. By doing so, brands build credibility, spark interest, evoke emotion, and most importantly separate themselves from the competition.

Packaging Psychology

More than 1 billion people watch “unboxing” videos on YouTube, and $90 million search ‘unboxing” on Google every month, proof that a memorable box experience should be a priority for any company that wants to stay relevant in the age of visual media. With a recognizable box that feels more like a gift, your company will be able to tell its own story and make the consumer feel special. When a consumer receives a specialized box, it gives them that same euphoric feeling that they most likely associate with Christmas morning or birthdays as a child. Now they associate that euphoric feeling when they recognize your brand, meaning they’re more likely to reorder and spread the word via conversation or a post on social media.

By using a cardboard box, you’re able to present your brand and do your part in helping the environment in eco-friendly packaging. It’s the perfect marriage of form and function; your product is sure to stay safe and, with a variety of corrugated materials and print options offered, you will be able to wow your customer. Customers will also most likely thank you for your sustainability efforts.

In a 2013 study conducted by Wiley Online Library, functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was applied to measure neural responses to the perception of product packages in participants with impulsive buying tendencies. The results confirmed what so many satisfied customers had already discovered for themselves. According to the study, the appeal of product packaging has the potential to trigger impulsive buying even for consumers with no intention to make a purchase. So, when an uncommitted consumer watches an unboxing video of your product, they’re more likely to buy it.  The study also discovered that attractive packages activated regions associated with reward, whereas unattractive packages activated regions associated with negative emotions.

Help your brand tell its story. The interior is just as important as the exterior of your box. Wow your customer, add value to your product, and give your customer an experience that brings joy. If you design the right box, your product could be the next viral hit. Remember, you never get a second chance to make a first impression.