4 Tips for Successful Promotional Packaging
Promotional Packaging: Do Consumers Take Notice?
A common dispute in the marketing world has to do with the effectiveness of promotional packaging. Many businesses question whether promotional packaging is worth the added cost. Some people even express worries that promotional packaging might hurt brand awareness by confusing customers about the products they have grown used to.
The truth is that promotional packaging can be a powerful tool for enhancing products and advancing your brand. To yield the desired results, however, you must strategize your packaging design with due care. If you would like to learn more about how to make promotional packaging work for you, keep reading. This article outlines four key tips to be aware of.
1. Know Your Objective
Promotional packaging only works when you have a clear sense of your objective. While packaging may successfully serve different goals, you must identify the most profitable aspect of the strategy. Begin by deciding whether frequency or penetration will yield the most return on investment for your products.
Marketers generally agree that packaging cannot influence both frequency and penetration effectively, so you must know which route you intend to take. For instance, packaging promoting a sweepstakes will directly influence frequency. In other words, customers will have a higher incentive for repeat purchases.
On the other hand, packaging promoting a new money back guarantee won't influence frequency much, if at all. Yet it will increase your penetration by creating an aura of reliability and trust around your company. When correctly implemented, such promotions will work to gain a larger market share for your brand.
2. Don't Stray From Your Brand DNA
One of the biggest mistakes people make with promotional packaging is to change the appearance of their packaging too much. No matter how great your promotion may be, its success depends on the consumer loyalty you have already earned. If customers struggle to identify your promotional items with their regularly purchased products, your promotion likely won't meet sales goals.
Always ensure that, at its core, your promotional packaging remains consistent with your brand's easily identifiable image. Stay true to your brand's marketing DNA. Your goal should be to incorporate a promotional motif that doesn't disrupt recognizability. That said, the promotional aspect of the packaging must still be bold enough to draw a consumer's interest.
3. Keep It Simple
Now that you've successfully attracted a customer to your promotional item, you must ensure that you don't lose their attention. Identify the most relevant product information and strip away any other potentially confusing elements. Visual clutter, complex advertising, and elaborate displays of information may lead to consumer disengagement.
If a customer can't figure out just what your promotion is within the first few seconds, they stand a much greater chance of putting it back down on the shelf. For that reason, always strive for clarity and simplicity of design.
4. Know Your Options
Promotional packaging comes in a wide variety of forms. Bundled product packaging continues to be a popular option. By boxing complimentary products together, you accomplish two goals. First, you increase overall product usage. Second, you make shoppers feel that they have achieved a greater degree of value than they would have by purchasing individual items.
Alternately, you may choose to go the "gift with purchase" route, by including some type of complimentary bonus item. This is a great way to introduce loyal customers to other products offered by your brand, while incentivizing new customers to try your brand. Finally, you might consider incorporating special coupons into your packaging.
Coupons promoting future offers have been shown to generate significant amounts of brand loyalty. In fact, according to one study, a whopping 68 percent of consumers reported that coupons generate loyalty and have a generally beneficial impact on a retailer's brand.
Promotional packaging is a great way to improve your brand's sales — so long as you go about it in the right way. For assistance in planning your companies next promotional strategy, contact the marketing experts at Media Hounds.