Branding is all about the identity of a company. It concerns the image and the way people perceive it. This is a critical part of your marketing efforts, as the way your customers view your business has an effect on its future. You need to make sure that you are conveying the right message through the right tone and style. Otherwise, you will alienate your audience, which is something you do not want to happen. You want to draw in people, especially those who are new to your brand. One thing you need to remember is that branding has many dimensions. It has many facets, and you need to cover all of them. One of the most crucial parts of this effort is the packaging design.
You may have an impression that packaging is just the cover or wrapper of your product, but remember that it is a tactile aspect of your marketing. Customers hold them, and they read them. This means that it qualifies as a marketing and branding material. To create a good impression, your packaging design should have a stunning and useful design. If this is something you want to execute, there are things you need to keep in mind:
Consistency is the key
One of the most important facets of packaging design is consistency. This means that your packaging aesthetics are all in line with the current make-up of your branding assets, such as logos, typefaces, and colours. Veering away from these elements makes your packaging design not ownable, which you should not let happen. You want to own the design and make it always recognisable, so it should be consistent. Things will be much easier when you have a brand bible that the art directors and designers can refer to.
Add some interesting elements
Simplicity is one of the qualities that your packaging design should have, but that does not mean that you will just leave it too bland. You can make it much more interesting by adding some interesting elements. For one, if you are creating packaging for a kid’s snacks, you may want to add a game at the back of the packaging — it could be a maze or a riddle. That way, your packaging is engaging. You may even make your customers feel important and loved by using personalised labels. This is something Coca-Cola has executed successfully in the past.
It should be functional
The packaging design should not just all about aesthetics. It should be functional, meaning it should be easy to spot and read. This is something that you can do by using the right combinations of colours and typefaces. The packaging should be easy to see when the products are placed on the shelves.
Packaging design is not just the wrapper or the covering of your product. It is an advertising estate that you can use to further promote your brand and strengthen its identity. There are actually a couple of ways you can make sure that your branding efforts are spot-on. They do not have to be difficult.