The manufacturing industry in the United States is enormous, and a wide variety of goods are produced from cereal to computer parts to kids’ toys to cosmetic products. But it is not enough to merely create these items; proper advertising and marketing are needed to reach out to customers and alert them to new products’ existence, and why those items are so desirable. A lot of time and money is spent every year developing and implementing new advertising and marketing strategies, and this ranges from online ads and TV ads all the way to signs, shelf tags, and custom packaging. The packaging of physical products is a major commercial factor whether a customer is in a store or shopping online, and anything from custom cosmetic packaging to board game design reflects this. Custom shrink wrap labels, shelf tags, photos, bullet point facts, and more can make a product’s package more informative and eye-catching, and this can lead to more sales. Mockups are used to test how effective packaging prototypes may be, and product mockups can do a lot of good. For example, custom cosmetic packaging may be tested with makeup manufacturers, and grocers may experiment with different food packaging for cereal, dairy, and more. Good custom cosmetic packaging and other packages can make all the difference in sales.
Advertising in Person
Advertising for products, brands, and stores starts outside. Many people go outside every day for work, school, and more, and they are exposed to a lot of advertising while they are out there in cities and towns. Stores, brands, and more are competing with consumers’ attention with signs, and these signs are the first step (packaging comes later). A lot of research goes into not only custom cosmetic packaging, for example, but signs, too. Many statistics show how effective good signs can be, and attractive, informative signs can really drive up traffic into a shop. Signs have similar ad power as numerous newspaper advertisements, and signs often reflect the company’s personality and quality in customers’ eyes. Signs are especially useful for one-location shops or other services who don’t have the money or the need for an online ad campaign. Small coffee shops or sandwich shops, for example, may do this.
Packaging and its Power
Once a customer has entered a shop, store, or grocer, the competition for their attention and wallet falls to in-store messaging such as packages and shelf tags. Signs bring customers inside; packages and shelf tags finish the deal. In fact, it has been determined that 85% of customers or so haven’t made up their minds on what they buy when they enter a store, and packaging and shelf tags work hard to help influence these unmade decisions. Packaging that is attractive enough may also entice a consumer to make an impulse buy.
Like signs, good packaging can make a positive impression on a customer and encourage them to buy again from the producer. To make this point clearer, surveys show that over 50% of consumers report wanting to make additional purchases from a brand that uses premium packaging on their products. Packaging made from a strong, appealing material that is easy to open but also tamper or leak-resistant may make a great impression. Packaging that is faded or thin, or unevenly folded or tears easily, may make a bad impression instead, and suggest that the producer doesn’t even care about their items.
Aesthetics matter, too. In fact, many consumers are impressed with attractive packaging and may even show it to other people. Young adult consumers often share images of attractive packaging on social media with friends and followers, and this has the bonus of acting as amateur but cost-free advertising for the brand. Good packaging may involve clear images of the product inside, and food packages often show serving suggestions for the contents. Other packages may show photos of attractive, happy people using the item as intended, both as a demonstration of its use and to send the message that “using this product makes you happy and satisfied.” Good packaging also uses pleasant patterns and colors, and may include bullet point facts or short paragraphs that describe the product’s nature and use. Such text is often found on the back while photos are typically on the front.