Is Packaging Design Consistency Important?

Is Packaging Design Consistency Important?

Packaging is a protector of goods and a provider of information, yet it is also a means of promoting your brand. The colour font, imagery and graphics used in your packaging design can help products to stand out on the shelf. With a consistent approach this branding builds trust. However, some brands try to emulate the competition, rather than be original; why is this?

Packaging Design & Branding

A strong brand identity is vital for business success and it encompasses every aspect of your business. When it comes to promoting and selling goods, packaging design is an integral part of your brand.

For a start, it can improve the customer experience. The right packaging will protect goods in storage and transit, so they consistently arrive in good condition. Packaging also aids the presentation of your goods. From gift boxes to inserts, it is possible to heighten the unboxing experience packaging design.

Printed packaging provides valuable information for the customer. This includes essential information, care instructions, quality standards, recycling symbols and more! Some brands chose minimal simplicity and others engage with storytelling. However, the aim is always to attract and convince the buyer to decide your brand best fits their requirements.

Packaging design also helps your brand stand apart. As shoppers, we have so many choices and it takes packaging with impact to grab our attention. As a result, we see plenty of eye-catching designs, with bold colours, intricate graphics or a strong fonts, on the shelves.

Once you’ve created that brand look, consistency is key. You want consumers to easily recognise your brand and for your packaging to be familiar. Then, they can buy time and again without much thought.

Why do Some Brands Emulate Others?

If packaging design helps to stand your products apart, why do we see some brands copying others? Colin the Caterpillar is a high profile case, but many products on the shelves have a very similar look to leading brands.

Seeing branded packaging provides an instant trigger. If we know the brand, we have associations based on our past experiences. When the product has met or exceeded our expectations, we think positively about the brand and trust it. We look out for that same packaging design the next time we want that product.

This is why brand consistency is important. Using the same colour, font and design makes it easy for customers to recognise that our brand is what they want. They can skim past the competition and grab what they are looking for with minimal thought or consideration.

Now, Some brands want to exploit this. If they replicate the look of an established and trusted brand, the consumer might just pick up their product by mistake. Equally, they might recognise it as a cheaper version, yet still experience some of the positive associations. When budgets are tight, this can seem like you are almost getting the same thing, but at a lower price.

Although there are trademark laws to protect brand identities, we’ve all seen products that are packaged with a clear intent to copy. It’s a risky strategy, that could leave customers disappointed and can lead to a costly court case, so this approach is not advised.

How to Protect Your Brand

If you are launching a new business, think original, be true to your brand and undertake research to ensure that you are not encroaching on another brand’s identity.

Once you’ve established your company name, logo, wording, imagery, font and packaging design shapes, consider whether it is worth registering this intellectual property. There is a cost attached, however, it gives you scope to challenge anyone else who tries to replicate your style.

Ensure that your brand identity carries across every aspect of your business. From your online presence and packaging design and every other customer interaction. Remember, consistency is how to make your brand familiar, trusted and the ‘go-to’ option for customers.

Consistent Packaging Design

Many of our customers have several packaging requirements. Therefore, part of our role as a packaging manufacturer is to ensure the print design, colour and finish are consistent across different sized boxes.

If we spot a potential issue when scaling a design up or down, such as illegible font, we advise on alternative options. It is also our policy to send sample printed boxes to customers. This allows them to colour match. This is especially important when printing onto kraft boxes, as the light brown background can alter the tone.

We are happy to work with your graphic designer to ensure that the brand concept they develop is suitable for printing on boxes. We also encourage them to consider all surfaces, inside and out, so every opportunity to promote your brand is thought through.

If you have any questions about packaging design and print, give our team a call on 01296 436888 or email enquiries@abcbox.co.uk. Our insight could help you build a strong and consistent brand identity.