Category: Package Design

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Audience Consumer Insights Creative & Production Direct-To-Consumer Insights Package Design Photography Video Production
PDP Blog
PDP Blog

According to a recent BigCommerce analysis, product description pages stand out as the most critical parts of an eCommerce website. They emphasized the fact that designers need to consider their product pages from multiple perspectives: 

  • Potential customers visit product pages to make buying decisions. Most importantly, the page’s content and design should offer visitors the information they need to click the “Buy” button. 
  • Many visitors might arrive at these pages directly from search engines, advertisements, and social posts. These prospects might not have ever seen the site’s homepage. In that case, the page needs to function as a landing page and an introduction to the seller. 
  • The page must also communicate its purpose to the search engine, ad platform, and social media algorithms to increase traffic. SEO represents a critical element of the product page. 

Thus, crafting a good eCommerce, Amazon, or Shopify product page design takes some skill. To get started or improve conversions on existing product pages, consider some eCommerce marketing agency do’s and don’ts for product page design. 

eCommerce Marketing Agency Tips for Product Page Design

Craft product pages well to increase website traffic and sales. Develop these important pages poorly, and conversions and even search engine traffic will suffer. 

The Do’s of Product Description Pages for DTC Marketing 

These tips should provide rapid improvement in traffic and conversions: 

1.Include customization options with descriptions 

Don’t force customers to navigate away from the page to find the color or size product they want to buy. Fewer clicks almost always translate into higher conversions. Use selection boxes or checkboxes to save space. Ideally, design the so choosing different options will also display images to match the selection. 

2. Display customer reviews 

Online customers almost automatically check for reviews before they risk their money with a new brand. Shoppers want to know how other customers felt about their purchase. Make reviews easy to find.

For one example, FigLeaves sells women’s clothing. According to Neil Patel, adding reviews to product pages increased conversions by 35 percent. 

3. Showcase competitive differentiators 

Searching online makes it easy for customers to find competing brands. Emphasize features for the product or site that make it a better choice than competitors. 

As an example, Neil Patel highlighted a product called a SuperSnorkel. This new type of snorkel retails for considerably more than typical snorkels. The product description lets customers know that the improved product allows breathing through their nose or mouth. Also, the lens doesn’t fog up and offers a 180-degree view. Shoppers can easily see the benefits of buying this product over cheaper alternatives.

Some products might not offer marketers the luxury of providing so many benefits over competitors. As an example, one set of cotton pillowcases might closely resemble another. In that case, high-quality images, various color and size options, and the store’s return and shipping policies may need to work harder to stand out. This also offers marketers a chance to highlight better or more eco-friendly packaging as an advantage.

4. Spell out and update return and shipping policies 

Shopify published a study by the Baymard Institute that found extra fees at checkout, including shipping costs, account for over half of abandoned shopping carts. Besides shipping costs, spell out shipping and return policies on the page to reduce customer support issues. 

Remember that customer-friendly shipping and return policies can help improve conversions, but surprising customers later with unfavorable policies won’t help. A European eCommerce site for watches called Harloges improved conversions by 41 percent and average sales by six percent when they added their return guarantee to a banner above each product description. 

5. Add Multiple Product Images For Various Angles and Options 

For example, customers will want to see what a futon or sleeper sofa looks like when it’s folded up or folded out. Some may want to see the back of the sofa as well as the front. If the clothes, furniture, or decor come in different colors, provide high-quality photos of those too. Include other objects or people in the image to help improve visitors’ perspective of size, fit, and what the product might look like when they use it. 

The Don’ts of Product Pages for Effective D2C Marketing 

Just as an Amazon or Shopify marketing agency should ensure they include all the right things, they will also strive to avoid common mistakes. 

1.Focus on too many CTAs

Product pages should help build trust, provide an introduction to a company, and help with search engine optimization. Still, the product page must center around its primary job of selling the product. 

Just as product pages stand out as the most crucial part of an eCommerce site, nobody should underestimate the importance of the “Buy” or “Add to Cart” button on the product page. 

For instance, Nature Air increased conversions by almost 600 percent after they made the CTA stand out more and added it right next to relevant content. 

While page designers should emphasize the product’s CTA, they should resist adding additional calls to action on the page. Keep the customer focused on the sale and worry about enticing them to join a subscription list or anything else after committing to the sale. 

2. Don’t compose wordy or hard-to-read descriptions 

Crafting product descriptions takes some skill. The text descriptions should include information to satisfy shoppers but not appear wordy or as an unreadable wall of text.

The Shopify blog even mentioned that their customers frequently struggle to find the perfect balance between wordiness and completeness on description pages. An eCommerce strategy professional provided these suggestions for a Shopify product page design: 

  • Include essential details but otherwise, keep descriptions as short as possible. 
  • Use headings, bullet points, and paragraph breaks to keep the text readable. 
  • Supply photos, videos, or other media that can provide more information and appeal to more people. 

3. Never forget to optimize product pages for search engines 

Perform keyword research and brainstorming to gather the sorts of queries that customers might use to find products. Include the most important and popular keywords and phrases in titles, headings, text, and image captions. 

Gather Data and Test for the Best Results 

Great product pages start with a good understanding of customers. An eCommerce marketing agency might use surveys, marketing research, and A/B tests to determine how to tweak product pages for the best results. As demonstrated by the examples, some seemingly minor changes can yield significant increases in traffic and conversions.

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Audience Consumer Insights Creative & Production Direct-To-Consumer Insights Package Design Photography Video Production
Gen Z Shopping scaled
Gen Z Shopping scaled

Pew Research classified people born between 1997 and 2012 as members of Generation Z. Some definitions of this generation vary by a year or two, but this one appears common. Mostly, marketers have only begun to consider the distinct values and buying habits of these young people, and some still lump them in with Millennials.

Of course, it also seems like marketers only clarified the retail marketing differences needed to satisfy Millennial, Gen X, and Baby Boomer shopping habits fairly recently. Perhaps that’s not surprising because just five years ago, Millennials surpassed Boomers as the largest population in the workforce.

Still, many members of Gen Z already have jobs, credit cards, influence, and their own strong preferences as consumers. In order for a DTC marketing agency to attract the attention, good will, and business of these 67 million young Americans, they need to study what these teens and young adults care about and how they like to shop.

Retail marketing must communicate shared values with Gen Z

Experiences formed common attitudes that members of the younger generation share. For instance:

  • Gen Z was born and raised in the shadow of 9/11, The Great Recession, the exponential increase in billionaire wealth vs. worker pay, climate change, the student loan crisis, and most recently, the coronavirus pandemic.
  • They’re digital natives, ethnically diverse, and understandably somewhat mistrustful of big business and authority.

Perhaps because of these experiences and outlooks, they try to use their pocketbooks and influence to support companies they approve of.

Nicholas Kristof, a New York Times columnist, observed his own Baby Boomer generation could satisfy their social responsibility commitments by making a few charitable donations each year. He added that Gen Z wants to do business with companies that incorporate social responsibility into every aspect of their business. Younger people want to buy from companies that take good care of their communities, customers, suppliers, and employees, besides contribute to the greater good. 

Gen Z appreciates pre-worn fashion

Just as Gen Z prefers companies that build social responsibility into their business model, they envision entire economies operating the same way. As an example, the idea of a circular economy inspires young people.

This means focusing upon reusing and recycling products to reduce waste and reduce costs. They care about sustainability to help the environment but also hope to maximize value.

Some examples of online apps that help people participate in this kind of circular economy include Poshmark and Depop. The apps allow users to buy and sell pre-owned items. This gives participants a chance to save or earn money, plus prioritize reuse over discarding products.

Gen Z members enjoy in-store shopping experiences

Sure, most people grew up as digital natives. At the same time, they’re not immune to great in-store shopping experiences. According to survey results published by Marketing Dive:

  • About 80 percent enjoy shopping at stores when they have time.
  • At the same time, 75 percent admit to mostly shopping online for convenience.

Like members of older generations, they may research important shopping choices online. They will still visit a store for an in-person examination of products and a chance to connect with people behind the brand before making a final purchase.

Very often, marketers mention Lush as a brand that works hard to create an engaging onsite experience while integrating digital experiences with physical stores.

Customers get a chance to try out products and speak with helpful salespeople inside the store. As another example, customers can use Lush Lens to take photos of products in order to retrieve a list of ingredients.

This suggests that sellers with physical items for sale should work to make the experience worth the extra time to attract more foot traffic from Gen Z. Retailers should also strive to integrate in-store and online shopping as much as possible. Sellers without physical locations may need to work harder to maintain trust with actions like great customer service and a generous return policy.

Retail packaging for Gen Z

According to research from the National Retail Foundation, brands that demonstrate authenticity, sustainability, and a bit of fun attract members of Gen Z. While these values matter a lot to younger shoppers, they also say that their brand perceptions begin with packaging.

An obvious example includes sustainable retail packaging that’s also distinctive enough to stand out on store shelves or social media posts. Go People highlighted compostable paper bottles for personal care products.

They stand up to showers with a thin lining made up of recycled plastic. Even so, they use 95-percent less plastic than typical bottles. Even better, the containers collapse as they empty, so it’s easy for people to get the last drop of product out of them. At first glance, they look like traditional bottles for high-quality boutique personal care products.

eco-friendly paper bottles

The Importance of Social Media for Connecting With Gen Z

Any retail marketing agency should emphasise the importance of using social media to connect with Gen Z. As one example, the National Retail Foundation found that almost three out of four Gen Z college students purchased products they first found on social media.

Even more than typical ads and posts, social media will help leverage input from brand devotees and influencers, who will share posts from companies and their own experiences on their feeds. In fact, almost 30 percent of the Gen Z respondents to the NRF survey admitted high enthusiasm over certain brands.

This kind of word-of-mouth advertising from true brand admirers provides an authentic recommendation that attracts other members of their social circle.

Why retail marketing should focus on Gen Z

According to McKinsey Research, Gen Z hasn’t peaked in buying power yet. That might not occur for ten to 15 more years. Smart retailer marketing should not ignore this group, just because they haven’t entirely blossomed yet.

More than making their own direct purchases, adolescents, teens, and young adults influence the buying choices of their Millennial, Gen X, and Baby Boomer elders. Of course, younger members of this generation still rely on their families for most purchases, so they express opinions to satisfy their own preferences. They’re also active on social media and can influence a diverse social circle online.

A focus on Gen Z can help improve current sales and future-proof marketing strategies for the next several decades.

Download Bigeye’s research report Retail Disrupted: What Shoppers Want From Brands Today to discover how consumers make purchase decisions.

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Audience Consumer Insights Creative & Production Direct-To-Consumer Insights Package Design Photography Video Production
DTCDesign Blog
DTCDesign Blog

This article is part of #TheBigeyeLens series exploring the future of consumer behavior, purchasing decisions, and marketing trends. We’ll be talking about DTC Design Trends that are taking over.

Since eCommerce sales exploded in the past several months, online brands have enjoyed a lot more opportunities to prosper. At the same time, increased sales attracted more competition. New and established businesses began competing for attention on retail sites, search engines, and social media.

To stand out from the crowd, successful sellers looked for ways to improve DTC product design to better satisfy consumers, improve their brand image, and get found both online and offline.

In a crowded online or offline market, brands first need to uncover CPG marketing trends to learn what their potential consumers seek, besides just another jar of face cream, bottle of vitamins, or piece of home decor. With that in mind, consider these five design trends that can offer distinct competitive advantages and more effective online marketing for CPG products.

1. Sustainability

Beyond high-quality products, sustainability can also attract today’s eco-conscious consumers, as discussed in this Bigeye article about sustainable DTC packaging design. Almost everybody expresses at least some environmental concerns, and a majority of people say they’re willing to take steps to live more sustainably. When brands demonstrate that they offer the more sustainable choice, they can differentiate themselves from competitors.

Look at a couple of examples of companies that use sustainability to compete with major grocery retailers:

  • Grove Collaborative: Grove Collaborative makes it easy for consumers to conveniently and affordably buy high-quality, sustainable consumer products online. These benefits make this company a hit with growing families and other eco-conscious consumers.
  • Imperfect Foods: Typical grocers look for uniform size and color. Imperfect foods can sell too-long bananas or ugly peaches to reduce food waste and save their customers money.
  • Luma & Leaf: The natural skincare brand uses vegan, sustainably sourced ingredients to ensure that their products are kind to your skin and the environment alike. The Luma & Leaf packaging is meant to be upcycled after use to keep empties out of landfills.

2. Vintage-inspired product designs

Harvard Business Review discussed the benefits of nostalgia as a coping tactic to help deal with stress. This sentimental feeling can make people happier, reinforce social bonds, serve as a source of inspiration, and even provide a more balanced perspective on current issues.

While some people prefer reminders of past times they actually lived through, others feel connected to decades that occurred before they were born. Overall, society may offer better current solutions today, and most people know this. Still, with nostalgia, it’s possible to take the best and leave the rest in the past.

As an example, Today ran a segment on the way fashion tends to recycle themselves about every 30 years. They noted that the early 1990s to 2000s brought back an updated version of mod hats and flared pants from the late 1960s to early 1970s.

Right now, Gen Z has reawakened this trend. As an example, look at this vintage smiley face hat from Urban Outfitters that Miley Cyrus popularized on Instagram. Levi’s also released high-waisted, flared jeans that would fit right into 1970 almost as well as 2021.

3. Accessibility

As Unilever pointed out on a product page, people who cope with various disabilities make up the world’s biggest “minority group.” Their research found that just about 25 percent of Americans live with disabilities, and that most personal care and beauty products overlook them.

For instance, people who must deal with a limited range of motion or visual problems have trouble using typical deodorant sprays or twist applicators. In response, Unilever worked with disabled communities and product designers to develop Degree Inclusive.

The package design allows for one-handed use, even with a limited ability to grasp the container. Not only can Unilever help make a positive change in the market, they can also attract a large and underserved market.

4. Personalization

Limited space on retailers’ shelves tends to emphasize one-kind-fits-all products. Products don’t need to take up physical space for online retailers, so consumers have the opportunity to find the perfect product to suit their budget, personality, and unique requirements.

A consumer insights agency doesn’t need to uncover products that most people will find good enough to satisfy their needs. Instead, they can work to develop many smaller subniches and markets that large competitors may overlook or choose not to focus on.

A couple of examples of companies that have succeeded with a personalization strategy include:

  • Care/of Vitamins: This brand offers a diverse selection of high-quality nutritional supplements and holistic remedies to suit each customer’s needs. Customers also say that Care/of stands out by offering personalized customer service to ensure satisfaction and the best solutions.
  • Function Beauty: Function Beauty starts by developing cruelty-free, vegan products that exclude harmful chemicals. They also offer online quizzes on their site to help tailor hair and skin products to the exact needs of each customer.

5. Photogenic products made for social sales

Neil Patel, a top influencer and founder of his own consumer marketing agency, talked about the important and difficult job of standing out on social media these days. According to Neil Patel, visual content stands as a critical pillar of successful social media campaigns.

He mentioned scientific reasons to support this outlook. For instance, visual information represents 90 percent of what’s transmitted to human brains. People also process visual information exponentially faster than they do text. After all, most kids need to go to school to learn to read but not to see.

With the idea of standing out in crowded Instagram and Facebook feeds, plus enjoying the benefits of influencers attracting a wider audience, look at some good examples:

  • Ruggable: Ruggable sells two-piece sets that consist of washable rugs and non-slip pads. They make the rugs resistant to spills and nontoxic, and the brand appeals largely to pet owners and parents who don’t want to worry about spending a lot of money on high-quality furnishings only to have them ruined by a spill or accident. The company grew their business quite a bit by using platforms to find social media influencers with the right audience. They also produce outstanding images of their rugs arranged in realistic settings.
  • Away Luggage: In 2015, Jen Rubio leveraged her own malfunctioning suitcase experience in a foreign airport as the inspiration to develop durable suitcases with handy, built-in chargers. By blanketing social media with the product, they made $12 million in sales during 2016 and achieved profitability in 2017. Though the company eventually opened a few physical stores, they do most of their business online. The pandemic hampered momentum somewhat, but Away Luggage brought in $150 million in 2019.

Plenty of online and offline stores offer beauty products, rugs, luggage, and a variety of other consumer products. Attention to consumer preferences and trends helps products stand out, so they can compete in crowded marketplaces.

These days, look for ways to design products and packaging to appeal to customers through personalization, sustainable options, accessibility, sentimentality, and visual appeal. The right competitive edge means that brands might not need to compete so much on price and can also enjoy better returns from marketing investments.

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Insights Package Design
sustainable packagin design
sustainable packagin design

Once very rare and now more common, DTC companies can still deepen their connection to customers with sustainable packaging design.

Warc, a marketing insights platform company, says that direct-to-consumer businesses have generated plenty of market disruption in the past few years. These DTC brands rapidly evolved from startups and gained significant market shares from established competitors.

Mostly, DTC companies accomplished this quick ascent by aligning their businesses to the needs and behaviors of today’s customers. Typical strategies included eCommerce marketing, heavy reliance on data, and a strong design- and customer-oriented focus. They attracted customers by offering what their marketed wanted in a convenient, reliable, and authentic way.

Market growth history and predictions should encourage DTC brands. At the same time, they need to keep up with current trends in order to avoid losing out to future market disruptions. These may come from new companies or even rapidly evolving traditional competitors.

Coca-Cola is even making strides toward sustainable packaging. Announced in February 2021, they are launching a new bottle size for the first time in a decade that is made of 100% recycled plastic material. This is part of their several-year initiative to reduce its plastic waste.


The rise and rapid saturation of DTC brands

Recent studies have reported that 33 percent of American consumers intend to spend at least 40 percent of their shopping dollars buying directly from companies within five years. Still, as market share for DTC businesses increases, so does competition.

Well-known companies directly sell everything from mattresses, furniture, and electronics warranties to pants, shoes, and shavers. At the same time, consumers now know that they have more DTC brands to choose from. For instance, established, older companies have adapted at least parts of the DTC business model.

For some examples:

  • Amazon now has its own private labels, like Amazon Basics, that compete with other sellers on the largest retail platform.
  • Business that first gained prominence with brick-and-mortar retail stores, like Walmart, have increasingly moved online. They also sell their own store brands.

In order to keep growing in a rapidly saturated market, DTC businesses need to demonstrate not just their competitive advantage over legacy businesses but also each other.

Some attractive aspects of DTC marketing may include better pricing because of cutting out the middleman, the convenience of online ordering, and the trust instilled by great customer service. Honestly, some companies don’t have that much room to improve with current services and tech. As an example, when it comes to service, technology, and even shipping, it’s hard to beat Amazon.

The best DTC product packaging companies have an edge

Because it’s often the first physical contact that customers may have with the company, a good packaging design agency would argue that clients should find out how they they might establish a competitive advantage with appealing and sustainable packaging design. 

Sustainable DTC packaging

As reported by Forbes, Southern Cross University managed a study of ecological concerns and the actions people would take to preserve the environment. This broad study included adults of all ages.

Consider these highlights of the study results:

  • Interest in the environment: Not only did an overwhelming majority of respondents, 93 percent, report at least a general concern about the environment, 77 percent reported an interest in learning about more ways to live sustainably.
  • Already taking eco-friendly steps: Even more, most of the study participants supported their answers by already taking at least some measures, like recycling, using reusable bags for shopping, and avoiding single-use plastics.

Since customers often opt for DTC brands because of convenience, why not make it convenient for customers to support their sustainable lifestyle?

Some companies center their entire business model around sustainability and back that up with their packaging. As an example, Shopify highlighted the way that Misfits ships “ugly” produce directly to customers. In this case, ugly means produce that’s perfectly edible and tasty but doesn’t conform to the uniform sizes and shapes generally seen in grocery stores. Just by marketing this produce, the company says it helps reduce food waste and greenhouse gas emissions.

To take this mission one step further, Misfits also ships their produce in 100-percent recyclable cartons. They’re also testing paper-based insulation and use compostable, plant-based bags instead of plastic. Mission not only promotes sustainable products but also sustainable packaging.

How to use package design services to create sustainable packaging

Creating sustainable packaging begins with finding product packaging companies and designers in alignment with a brand and their customers. For that effort, Environment Energy Leader has some suggestions from packaging pros.

  • Make certain the product packaging design services definition of sustainable aligns with the brand. For instance, sustainable packaging definitions may include everything from material sourcing to where the package and packing materials will end up after they’re discarded.
  • Work on right-sizing packaging. Late-night comedians joke about ordering small products, only to get them in a large box with lots of wasteful padding. To avoid that sort of attention and save on shipping, become a shipping minimalist.
  • Look for eco-friendly alternatives to common shipping products. As an example, consider replacing loose filling with cardboard inserts. If companies can ship their product in an envelope, perhaps they should not use a box.

Mostly, do some homework, ask questions, and try to keep an open mind. Obviously, brands won’t want to sacrifice shipping quality for sustainability. However, some great solutions can protect products, save money both on packing materials and shipping, and appeal better to eco-conscious consumers.

Consider multi-use DTC packaging

Some products might rely upon less-sustainable containers. A few brands and packaging designers have demonstrated their resourcefulness by making the containers reusable, so consumers won’t even want to discard them. In other words, once customers have used up or unpacked the product, they still have a handy container.

This idea isn’t really new for anybody old enough to remember when parents bought Welch’s jelly, so their kids could reuse the Flintstones jars as drinking glasses. And who hasn’t seen an old cookie tin filled with buttons, loose coins, or other knick-knacks? During the Great Depression, flour mills printed their cloth sacks with nice designs, so resourceful seamstresses could use the fabric to make clothes.

For some modern and creative examples:

  • A company called Herbal Water sends its products in packs of four inside wooden cartons. After consuming the original product, customers can reuse the packaging to store other cans and bottles.
  • Maude Paquette-Boulva packages its honey in a beeswax container that transforms into a candle once the honey’s gone.
  • Varvara Komarova uses plastic packaging for its snacks. However, each snack comes in a geometric shape that interlocks with other packages, so kids can collect building blocks.
  • One product packaging design agency, Karin Hilgenkamp, created packaging for DSLR cameras that doubles as instruction books. Once the customers remove the camera and accessories, they can fold the package into a handy manual to help them use their camera. 

Really, good DTC packaging designers can come up with endless possibilities for running with the old jelly-glass idea. And as with the jelly glasses, sometimes the packaging can create an even more memorable experience than the products do. Go ahead and ask a Baby Boomer. They probably don’t remember the jelly that much, but they do remember the Flintstones glasses.

If a brand has very specific needs and cannot come up with a creative idea for reusable or sustainable packaging, they still can find another appealing solution. As an example, the RePack System encourages customers to send their packaging back to the company.

The plastic envelopes come with a reshipping label, plus customers get rewarded with a voucher for their next purchase. This encourages both sustainable practices and customer loyalty.

Learn more about the impact of DTC packaging on consumers and brands 

DTC brands have increased their market share by embracing their customers. They reacted to changing behaviors and requirements. Appealing and sustainable packaging design will only contribute to this effort and create a competitive advantage that may not require a huge investment.

Indeed, smarter packaging often saves brands money by cutting shipping costs. In any case, brands can use their packaging to market an additional benefit. In turn, they will attract new customers and retain their loyal ones. Mostly, appeal doesn’t just mean that packages look good. It also means that packages will appeal to customer’s values and sensibilities.

The president of Pacific Packaging Components, Brandon Frank, further discussed the impact of DTC product packaging with BigEye, a DTC marketing agency. He mentioned that in this era of social media unboxing videos, packaging has evolved into an essential part of the customer experience.

Learn more about the potential impact of innovative packaging and hear about more great examples that Mr. Frank’s company has already developed in this free podcast, “Creating Sustainable DTC Packaging.”

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Creative & Production Marketing/Business Package Design
cpg marketing agency
cpg marketing agency

Three ways the best CPG marketing agency can design packaging to reduce waste, improve brand reputation, and drive attention and sales. 

Of course, a CPG marketing agency frequently has to help promote products that people might think of as fairly interchangeable. Choosing between some jars of mayo, bottles of ketchup, or boxes of laundry detergent might not seem like a big decision for most consumers. Thus, people may tend to choose the brand they’ve always bought or maybe, what’s on sale. Find out how a good CPG advertising agency can make products stand out on the shelves, so customers will consider them anything but ordinary.

Three Ways a CPG marketing agency can differentiate products

First, it might help to work with a consumer package goods design agency. Besides having experience with developing outstanding packaging, these professionals can provide a different perspective to help come up with novel solutions that are sometimes easy to overlook by people who manage these products every day. Consider three tested suggestions that packaging professionals might offer.

1. Make packaging more useful

Making packaging more useful can provide a great way to differentiate a product from competitors. As just one example, Heinz simply flipped their bottle upside down in 2002, so it could rest on the lid instead of the base. Of course, most people find thick, rich ketchup challenging to get out of a typical bottle, especially when the container’s almost empty.

After 170 years of producing ketchup, the company — or their packaging design agency — came up with the genius idea of flipping the bottle to let gravity lend some assistance. Apparently, this change caught the eye of consumers. According to CNN Money, sales increased by six percent in a year when overall ketchup sales only rose by two percent.

2. Ensure customers know how to use the product to its best advantage

Is there something different about using a product that customers should know? Obviously, if consumers know how to make the best use of their purchase, they’re likely to return for more. As an example, Trader Joe’s sells a spice blend called, “Everything But the Elote.” Elote means corn in English, and the word suggests boiled, roasted, or steamed corn prepared in a particular way. Some people have figured out on their own that this blend can also spice up popcorn, all sorts of green vegetables, dips, French fries, and lots of other kinds of food.

If Trader Joe’s would include these tips on their packaging, they might sell even more of this popular product. Besides promoting the versatility of a product, marketers might also consider including directions to get the best results for its primary use. Not only will these suggestions help entice customers, they’ll also ensure customer satisfaction and repeat sales.

3. Consider seasonal packaging

Consumers tend to spend a bit more during certain times of the year, and a seasonally themed package can help get them to add certain kinds of products to their shopping cart.

According to Brand Experience: Packaging, shoppers tend to loosen up their pocketbooks at these times, ranked in order of how much spending increases:

  • Back-to-school, especially back-to-college
  • Winter holidays
  • Mother’s Day
  • Easter
  • Valentine’s Day
  • Father’s Day

As an example, let’s say Mom loves coffee. Loved ones may be more likely to add a bag or jar of coffee to a gift basket if it has attractive, themed packaging. Even better, add in a nice “World’s Greatest Mom” mug to provide extra value that can justify a higher price.

Touches like this can also encourage retailers to include the products in a special display that will give them more visibility. For online sales, it gives distributors a chance to tag the product with seasonal keywords.

Think about product and package size

Sometimes, companies think that offering a jumbo package for a cheaper price will encourage sales. With perishable products, this can backfire. For example, pet owners may not care to buy 30 pounds of dog food for their seven-pound Maltese. They would rather pay somewhat more for a smaller package to avoid the waste of having to dispose of stale products.

Also, some companies tend to package relatively large things in oversized packaging. Too much packaging wastes materials, generates excessive shipping charges, and may even annoy purchasers. These days, consumers have grown more concerned about the environment and frugality.  To promote the best brand image, a why a CPG advertising agency may advise their clients to right-size packages in order to save money and appeal to buyers.

Choose colors to create a quick, emotional impression

The University of California at Irvine published a fascinating paper on the ability of colors to effect human emotional responses. Nature may have coded some of this response in people’s genes, as humanity evolved to associate certain colors with their natural environment. Beyond that, people have their own specific responses to various color schemes, based upon culture or even personality.

As an example, many Americans might associate red and green with holidays. People don’t tend to react just to one color either. Instead, contrasting colors, image clarity, and even shades can make a big difference. Also, sometimes colors can even go out of style for a time. For instance, the 70s favored more earthy shades; however, brighter colors took over in the 80s.

The importance of packaging for product differentiation

Businesses invest a lot in developing their products. The right packaging can reduce costs, promote a positive brand image, and of course, increase sales. In contrast, poor packaging can waste money, hurts reputations, and turn off buyers.

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Creative & Production Package Design
retail packaging design scaled 1
retail packaging design scaled 1

Retail packaging design sets expectations and even evokes emotions. Learn how to create a good first impression and making the unboxing experience special. 

Marketers know that consumers often will judge books by their covers. Of course, it’s not just books but the retail packaging design for almost any kind of product. Colors, shapes, and other design elements do more than make a first impression. They might even impact the customer’s psychological state. Even beyond any words on the box, you can utilize your packaging to tell shoppers a lot about your brand. That’s why many businesses go so far as to hire an experienced packaging design agency to design custom product packaging that will help them stand out among their competition.

What to consider for custom product packaging design

Direct Packaging Solutions, one packaging design agency, touched upon two ways that package design can affect the customer experience:

  • First impressions: Consumer research has found that packaging can change customer expectations for a product. As an example, MacBook has a reputation for having one of the top package designs on Amazon and other online venues. Owners mentioned how much they appreciated the way their Apple packaging displayed and protected their laptops and accessories. They enjoyed the unboxing process and liked the box so much that they didn’t want to discard it. 
  • Emotions: Several aspects of the packaging can actually evoke specific emotions. For instance, many food brands use red because it can stimulate appetite, and yellow tends to communicate happiness and competence. Even shape might matter. As an example, one beer company developed a bottle with a thicker neck and more angular shape to look more masculine and appeal to men.

Of course, you can also use your consistent style of packaging to reinforce your brand. When people think of Tiffany, they tend to visualize the blue boxes. Likewise, it’s hard to think of Coca-Cola without picturing the iconic red can.

Packaging can also communicate something about your company’s purpose. For instance today’s customers like to see recyclable or reusable packaging. Amazon should know quite a bit about packaging, and they have gone out of their way to promote their program to reduce packaging waste.

Tips for top packaging design on Amazon and other eCommerce sites

For selling online, you need to make certain that your package doesn’t just look good in person. A full-sized and thumbnail photo also has to entice clicks. For that, you need clean, clear, and uncluttered graphics and fonts. Even so, it helps to give your packaging a unique, distinctive look to attract attention.

You might even use your packaging to solve a problem and make your product more functional. For instance, what could be a better example of a common packaged good than ketchup? Heinz got a lot of press for coming up with the genius idea of giving their bottles a wide top, so they could be packaged and stored upside-down.

For years, customers had complained that they had to struggle to get the last bit of ketchup out of the bottle, and the new design used gravity to solve a 150-year-old problem. According to CNN, they increased sales by six percent in a year when their overall industry only rose by two percent. Businesses can profit by making their customer’s lives easier, and sometimes, packaging can help.

How to start designing outstanding packages

As with any aspect of marketing, you should understand your target market. For instance, CBD packaging might reflect health and nature, but boxes for luxury goods should communicate a sense of indulgence and style. Experienced product packaging companies can make certain your packaging reflects well on your company in both appearance and function.

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Audience Branding Creative & Production Market Intelligence Package Design Strategy & Positioning
Teamwork is Essential in Marketing Communication
Teamwork is Essential in Marketing Communication

Marketing can be defined as all the different activities that are involved in making products available to satisfy the needs of the customers, while at the same time generating profits for the manufacturers and distributors. It is a complex process and it involves the following:

  • Designing a product that meets customer specifications which many need the use of marketing research to determine what the customers needs.
  • Promoting the products so that people may get to know the product through marketing communications and Advertising.
  • Setting the price and making the product available to the population through vending outlets.

Marketing communications can be described as the communication that is used in the promotion phase of the product. It is the communication between the marketing division or the marketing efforts of a company and the market and it is usually geared towards the promotion of the product. Marketing communication can usually be handled in-house or can be sub-contracted to a marketing agency.

The people in the marketing communication sector that are involved with advertising, branding, direct marketing to customers, graphic design of the product and product containers, packaging, sales and sales promotion.

They are generally involved with creating and delivering messages to the public in an attempt to move them to develop an affinity with the company and to buy the products of the company. They are usually known as marketing communicators, and it is more usual than not a team effort, than the work of a single individual.

This can either mean having a team of people to work in these different processes or taking on one marketing agency that does this, or coordinating the efforts of different specialized agencies like graphic design agencies, advertising agencies and market research agencies.

Marketing communication can be said to be divided into 5 stages from the time the message is conceived and delivered to the time the messages are received and then possible action taken by the receiver to change him from the receiver of a marketing message to a consumer.

The stages in the process are:

  • Sender – which represents the marketing team that delivers an idea to the marketing communication team
  • Encoding – represents the part of the process where the communicator takes the message and transforms it into eye-catching or step-changing visual adverts or tunes or a mixture of all as in audio visual ads
  • Transmission – which represents the stage where the messages are transmitted through radio, tv the internet and any other device chosen by the company
  • Decoding – represents the stage when the consumer receives the image and decodes it; usually, it has to do with thinking in the pattern that the marketer wants them to think
  • Receiver – the message is now with received by the target audience and the receiver can then make a decision to respond and buy, take the subscription or develop a way of thinking as desired.

Therefore, from the processes above it can be seen that teamwork is essential in marketing communication as the process will be almost impossible for a single individual to create and deliver successfully alone.

In general, the people who develop the ideas and strategies in marketing research are usually analysts, and those that take the results of these ideas and recommendations to create a new product are usually different from those that will also use these same ideas to create advertising for the product.

“Without a clear idea of what the company goals are, or the kind quality of the product and who they are trying to reach, marketing communicators will not be able to create and transmit a convincing message to the consumers. Therefore teamwork is very much essential to the success of any marketing campaign.”

A marketing campaign team will usually involve people from account planning, account management, creative talent production, media departments and specialist in TV ads, radio ads, billboard advertisers as well as internet and social media advertisers.

All these people need to be managed and they need to work with each other.  Without a collective team spirit, and coordination it will be a chaotic situation and so the marketing communication team has to work with coordinating these heads and assigning tasks to each individual so that the team works flawlessly and delivers the end products as required.

Good coordination of the team will usually lead to convincing messages being sent to the consumer which will ultimately end in making sales and to convert the receiver of the messages to a client.

Looking for a comprehensive partnership with an agency that understands the importance of teamwork in marketing communication? Contact us today to build your synergistic strategy.

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Creative & Production Marketing/Business Package Design
packaging design scaled 1
packaging design scaled 1

As high-tech digital analytics continues to rule the virtual marketing world, don’t forget to collect real-world marketing data including the valuable information gleaned from packaging design testing.

Make no mistake: product packaging is integral to product sales. In fact, a recent study by the leading corrugated packaging company WestRock determined that more than four out of five consumers in the United States have tried a new product because its packaging caught their eye. Furthermore, 63 percent of consumers have purchased a product a second time due to its packaging appearance/aesthetics, and 52 percent of consumers have changed brands as a result of new packaging.

With these figures in mind, businesses are universally committed to optimizing their packaging design. But how can you tell if your packaging is truly connecting with your key consumer demographic?

Packaging design testing basics

Briefly defined, packaging design testing involves presenting several packaging designs to your target audience and asking them to provide honest feedback on each of them. This feedback should ultimately determine which design is the most appealing to consumers and which design its most likely to encourage sales.

By testing their deigns, companies are far more able to wrap their product in external packaging that both sets it apart from the competition and communicates its unique value in a succinct and compelling manner. Companies that incorporate testing into their general packaging design processes have solid data that can readily guide team operations and facilitate coordinated company decision-making.

In addition to helping to bring brand new packaging designs to market, packaging design testing is key when optimizing or otherwise altering your existing packaging. The testing process is also extremely valuable when it comes to reaching out to new or alternative target audiences/consumer demographics.

Types of packaging design testing

Any good consumer marketing agency or packaging design company will tailor packaging design testing processes to meet the specific wants and needs of the client. In order to produce the specific benefits that are most important to their clients, these organizations may employ a wide range of techniques both in controlled study groups and in the marketplace at large.

The venerable packaging products organization Performance Packaging of Nevada suggests A/B testing as an easy and inexpensive way to determine the better of two different packaging designs. This method of testing involves gathering together one or more test groups that are (hopefully!) representative of your larger consumer/audience base. Test group leaders present these groups with two packaging choices and then ask each group member to pick their favorite.

Of course, this relatively restricted form of testing is limited when it comes to assessing multiple design variables (color, size, substance, etc.,). Therefore, depending on its particular goals, a company may choose other approaches to gathering feedback such as filling out comprehensive surveys or participating in thorough interview processes.

Although careful sampling methodology can compile study groups that closely match larger target audiences/consumer demographics, there is no substitute for marketing testing in the field. This method is, of course, far more expensive, than study group testing, but companies can benefit greatly from releasing two or more packaging designs into the marketplace and then collecting data on which design the general public prefers.

Getting the most out of your packaging design testing endeavors

As we have seen, your ideal methods and techniques of packaging design testing will depend entirely upon your unique and specific goals. Do you want to ensure that your product catches the eye of the casual consumer as he/she walks down the supermarket aisle? Or is it more important that your packaging reflects the core attributes and values that consumers associate with your brand?

After determining the aspects of your packaging that are most likely to influence your overall success or failure, you can develop packaging design testing procedures that are right for you. A key metric that you will certainly want to consider is purchase intent, which measures the likelihood that your packaging will motivate people to buy the product that it contains. Secondary metrics will depend on the specific results you hope to achieve and the marketplace in which you operate. These metrics might include appeal (how enticing your packaging is), relevance (how effectively your packaging reflects the wants/needs of your audience), uniqueness (how your packaging differs from that of your competitors), and ease of finding (how well your packaging stands out on the average retail shelf/website).

For more information

To learn more about the importance of packaging design testing, contact a skilled and knowledgeable representative at Bigeye today. In addition to excelling at the art and science of packaging design, Bigeye offers a broad range of comprehensive marketing services with an eye on innovation and customized service.

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Branding Direct-To-Consumer Health & Wellness Marketing/Business Package Design Video Production
skincare company scaled 1
skincare company scaled 1

As the skincare market continues to expand, the time is right for starting your own company. You’ll never reach the level of success you desire, however, without establishing a disruptive brand that stands out from the completion.

A 2019 study by the independent market research company the NPD Group singles out the prestige beauty market as one of the fastest-growing sectors in United States retail sales with an annual growth of 6 percent. And, with an annual growth of 13 percent, the skincare category stands out as a particular achiever, comprising a full 60 percent of the prestige beauty market’s total industry gains.

“If I had to use one word to characterize the state of the U.S. beauty industry today, it would be disruption,” says NPD Group executive director and beauty industry analyst Larissa Jensen. “Whether we look at categories, brands, or retailers, there are sweeping changes taking place in the market landscape.”

Jensen proceeds with a warning to skincare entrepreneurs everywhere, stressing the fact that “brands and retailers must not only be cognizant of these transformations and act upon them, but identify new white space opportunities to captivate consumers and further differentiate themselves from the crowd.”

Leveraging Areas of Disruption in Skincare Industry

Prospective skincare company owners and chief executive officers should pay close attention to the specific growth areas within the skincare industry if they want to capitalize on areas of disruption and establish a distinct, unique, and valuable brand.

The booming popularity of natural beauty products, for example, represents a dramatic sea change in terms of the qualities and characteristics that customers have come to expect. Reflecting this change, the top contributor to the $5.6-billion skincare industry are natural skincare brands. The NPD Group reports that natural skincare products accounted for more than one-quarter of annual skincare sales, up 23 percent from the previous year.

The NPD Group report goes on to identify lip treatments, toners/clarifiers, facial sprays, and alphabet creams as the fastest-growing skincare product classifications. Customers are also increasingly purchasing skincare for the body, protective sunscreens, and self-tanning products.

Before starting a skincare company, it is absolutely imperative that you understand all the licensing and regulatory issues that you will face. In general, the legal requirements that you must meet to operate a handmade cosmetics business are similar to the legal requirements that other small business must meet. However, as part of the cosmetic/beauty industry, you must ensure that your skincare product(s) pass muster with the US Federal Drug Administration (FDA).

Regulated by the FDA under the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, all skincare products must be deemed safe for consumers for indicated conditions of use prior to their release. They also have to be labeled properly.

It isn’t against the law to make cosmetics in your home, but it is your responsibility to ensure that this is accomplished safely. In his article “How to Start Your Own Line of Skin Care,” Houston Chronicle contributor Michael Flanagan suggests accessing the FDA’s Good Manufacturing Practice Guidelines/Inspection Checklist before designing your manufacturing space. This is the best way to prepare this space for its required FDA on-site inspection.

Manufacturing Your Skincare Products

The Houston Chronicle article goes on to offer a number of skincare product manufacturing tips including cutting down on overhead costs by looking for bulk suppliers to secure all necessary raw ingredients. It recommends accessing online distribution networks such as MakingCosmetics and Admix to meet both your supply and equipment needs.

If you choose to start your business with a manufacturing space on your residential property, you can often use your kitchen as your main hub of activity. The equipment that you will need depends entirely on the type(s) of skincare product(s) that you want to make. Skincare companies that plan to make clay facials, for example, can probably begin by using existing household mixing bowls and spoons. Those who want to make soap, however, must first buy soap molds and a few other essential pieces of equipment.

Skincare Company Marketing

No matter how great your skincare products happen to be, you won’t get far in the skincare sector without a comprehensive and outstanding marketing campaign. Here are just a few elements that you’ll want to include in your unified skincare company marketing efforts.

  • An official website – In virtually any industry, a high-quality website is absolutely essential. Your website should reflect your company’s core values and commitment to excellence. Even if you don’t plan to sell your skincare products online, customers will inevitably turn to your website for answers to important questions as well as information about your company and what it does best.
  • A strong social media presence – Reach your target consumer base on the social media platforms that they already frequent. Depending on your target demographic this might mean maintaining compelling, informative, and up-to-date company pages on multiple platforms including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Snapchat. Social media outreach is a great idea for a wide range of reasons, but its ability to engender both consumer-to-company and consumer-to-consumer interactions is simply unparalleled.
  • Email newsletters – As a skincare company, you’ll want to turn each buyer into a repeat customer. Email newsletters are a great way to drive consumer loyalty. Although you don’t want to bombard customers with constant messages of little value, occasional newsletters can be a great way to make customers feel valued. Share content that will command attention, announce the release of new products, and motivate consumer action with various sales and promotions.
  • Non-digital marketing efforts – Don’t forget that the majority of people still buy their skincare products in brick-and-mortar stores. Consider visiting regional beauty salons, spas, and health/beauty stores to offer free samples. If these establishments express an interest in buying your products, you should provide them with attractive wholesale pricing. Other traditional sales techniques that continue to work well include the staging of at-home skincare parties.

Skincare Branding

While all of the techniques outlined above can effectively reach your target demographic of existing and prospective customers, you simply won’t get far with a bunch of disorganized and unconnected advertising efforts. In order to be truly successful, your company must unify all of its marketing activities under the banner of an overarching brand that is both captivating and exceptional.

Your branding efforts must begin with the creation of an effective company name and logo. Don’t take these steps lightly! Both your name and your logo must be carefully designed to resonate with your audience.

Keep your name simple, catchy, and easy to spell, Pay close attention both to how your name looks when read and to how your name sounds when spoken. If possible, choose a name that conveys some sort of strategic meaning.

The uniqueness of your name is also a paramount concern. To see whether or not a favored name is already in use, check online with the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

Your name and logo should lead the way when developing a brand that projects a distinct and desirable set of characteristics and values. These specific characteristics and values will depend entirely on your target demographic.

For example, a “macho” brand is perfect for companies in the fast-growing men’s skincare product sector. Other skincare companies have found success with socially conscious branding messages and company affiliations, offering products that are responsibly sourced and supporting a broad spectrum of charitable causes.

Best Skincare Packaging

A recent report by the leading corrugated packaging company WestRock shows that more than four in five American have tried a new product due to its packaging. And packaging is particularly important in an overcrowded skincare sector that has products desperately competing for attention on store shelves everywhere.

Like all other facets of your marketing operations, your unique product packaging must align with the characteristics and values of your brand as a whole. This is absolutely essential if you want to connect with your chosen consumer demographic.

Although no two skincare companies should wrap their products in similar packaging, there are a few universal guidelines that companies must generally keep in mind. For example, a highly important part of presenting a professional image is ensuring that all your brand-name products follow a constant design style.

Skincare Video Production

In today’s marketplace, a business that fails to use video as part of its comprehensive branding and advertising efforts is bound to fall behind. The 2020 State of Video Marketing Survey by Wyzowl reports that 85 percent of companies use video as a marketing tool and that 92 percent of marketers who use video rely upon it as “an important part of their marketing strategy.”

When you stop to consider the fact that beauty product videos are the most searched-for video type on YouTube, the tremendous potential of video marketing in the skincare sector should be immediately obvious. In addition to producing and releasing traditional video ad spots, your skincare company can benefit from motion graphics infomercial content, instructional how-tos, and recorded customer testimonials.

Get Professional Guidance

Unless you happen to be a seasoned marketing professional, you will want to secure the assistance of a professional skincare marketing agency well before establishing your company and beginning to distribute your products. At Bigeye, we know the supreme importance of founding your skincare company with an extremely powerful, unified organizational image and a highly compelling, targeted marketing message.

Let us help you launch your brand right the first time, so you don’t have to contend with the significant cost, hassle, and wasted time that go hand in hand with subsequent company rebranding efforts.

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Branding Creative & Production Package Design
Why great marketing means thinking outside the sandwich box 1200x600 c default 1
Why great marketing means thinking outside the sandwich box 1200x600 c default 1

Think outside of the box or in this case outside the sandwich and partner with a brand package design agency to creatively connect with your consumers.

There’s no denying that subscription services are hot. You can now have razors, meal kits and even a curated selection of candy from across the globe delivered to your door, weekly or monthly. This shift toward subscription goods is one reason why brand package design has become increasingly important in recent years. A beautiful or visually arresting design can make regular delivery of expected goods feel almost like a gift.
Given the rising popularity of the subscription model, it’s hardly surprising that brick and mortar businesses are attempting to join the party. What may surprise you, however, is the identity of some of these legacy brands.

How Arby’s took “thinking outside the box” to a new level

In early January 2019, the fast-food franchise Arby’s announced it would begin rolling out a new subscription service for sandwich lovers called “Arby’s of the Month.”

If you’re breaking out in “meat sweats” at the thought of a limp, week-old roast beef sandwich arriving at your door, fear not: These boxes contain “sandwich-inspired items” rather than actual buns, beef and horsey sauce.

The first boxes were distributed to members of the “Arby’s of the Month” club and contained the following promotional items: A visually pleasing brand package design with red and white Arby’s ski hat, a scarf designed to look like a giant slice of bacon, temporary Arby’s sandwich tattoos, a branded dining tray and a note from the company’s so-called “Head of Sandwiches” promising five more months of Arby’s themed goodies.

Arby’s priced the six-month subscriptions for a flat $25 fee. While they quickly sold out, the company says it will alert consumers as soon as more subscriptions come available in the coming weeks.

Why Arby’s chose the subscription box marketing route

Marketers can leverage larger societal trends to great effect. Look no further than Gillette’s recent #metoo-inspired “We Believe” ad, which gained massive attention while courting considerable controversy. Another example: Nike’s 2018 campaign featuring former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick, which leveraged the football star’s visibility as a social justice figure.

Now, a “Sandwich of the Month” club doesn’t have the same gravitas. Yet it falls perfectly in line with Arby’s playful, slightly goofy brand identity. Audiences don’t expect a roast beef purveyor to create an idealistic, high-concept ad campaign focusing on human rights. A campaign that builds upon Americans’ recent fascination with subscription delivery boxes — presented in Arby’s signature off-kilter style — is perfectly pitched.

Merely choosing to use the subscription-based model isn’t enough, however. For a truly successful campaign, Arby’s needed two additional things: Delivery items that would delight their customers and an appealing box in which to contain them.

Arby’s succeeded with the former — after all, who wouldn’t be amused by receiving a giant, flowing bacon scarf? For the latter, Arby’s chose to partner with the ad agency Fallon, who came up with a striking example of a strong brand package design to support the campaign.

Overall, Arby’s delivered a clever, on-trend and on-brand campaign idea supported by great design and social media marketing. With those elements in place, it’s little wonder that Arby’s new promotion sold out almost immediately.

What BIGEYE can do for you

If your brand would like to elevate its current marketing approach — or take advantage of truly compelling brand product design — we urge you to contact BIGEYE  today.