Business is a tough game. There’s payroll, rent to pay, vendors to pay, bankers to appease, projects to finish, projects to start, and the constant worry if sales are going to pace above expenses. When you’re going 100pmh in 10 different directions all day long it can become impossible to find the forest through the trees. But of all these worries, it’s the fear of not meeting sales forecasts that has the potential to bring the house of cards down around you.
Fortunately, in growing sales there is an endless number of resources to make it all happen for you, like: books, gurus, podcasts, influencers, white papers, and LinkedIn cold-call requests to connect. Admittedly, it’s all a bit overwhelming. There’s the tried-and-true approaches, the new-disruptive approaches, as well as the close-your-eyes-and-hope approaches. But the secret no one remembers to tell you is that leveraging your packaging game can reap untold rewards. Fantastapack is here to let you in one some of the secrets.
Let’s address the typical sales funnel and break down the areas of Awareness, Preference, Conversion, and Loyalty, to see how packaging matters in your business strategy.
Awareness– This is the stage where budding prospects first hear of your product, some not even knowing they need your product. If you’re on a retail shelf, then you know your packaging is your first and last billboard in front of prospects. What is it that sets your product apart from the brands to the right and left in the milliseconds it takes for consumers to scan the shelf and make educated decisions? It’s the print, and the colors, and the fonts, and the images… the promise of a careful decision fulfilled to the highest level of satisfaction. With packaging you can achieve all of these with your choices in materials, palatable contrasts, persuasive wording, and mere suggestive nuances that fulfill your Unique Value Proposition in your category.
Preference– Now that you have a prospect’s attention for another second, it’s time to narrow the focus. Remember, you don’t get to write a novel about why your product is better than the rest. You get milliseconds, and these are races you can only win with visual appeal. And packaging is that thoroughbred you seek. If packaging is the last advertising billboard before a buying decision, you better make it count. You can’t win them all, and you won’t convert every prospect, so use your packaging to focus on the target demographic you are aiming for. Whether it’s Eco-Conscious Goat-Milk Shepherds or Hipster Bearded Vikings Who Skydive, your packaging better convey that “feeling” with the first viewing. At the point of preference, your “About Us” website page is not going to sell your product… your packaging is. So, focus on your target segments and give their eyes something to feast on while their brains are trying to decide how to spend their money wisely.
Conversion– Okay, they’ve picked up your product. They are amenable to your color palette. Your images have conveyed your Trust and Authority, or maybe your cheeky tagline has made them chuckle. Your packaging is now ready to turn this lead into a lifetime customer. Check that your ingredients are legible. Make sure your images aren’t misleading. Your soon-to-be user is talking themselves into choosing your product right now as the box sits in their hands. This is the moment of truth. Did you skip out on quality DPI images or use cut-rate printing suppliers. Will your packaging convey the value and quality you’ve poured your soul into, or does it look like a dollar store knockoff? That agonizing anticipation of,,, a SALE!!
Loyalty– The hardest part is over. Or is it? The initial order has cemented your product into their consciousness. Your initial Cost of Acquisition (CAC) is in the rearview mirror. The game shifts from 2-D to 3-D now, and the complexities have increased tenfold. How do you keep this customer finding your product again and again? How do you keep this user engaged with your brand? How do you promote your social agendas, effortless reverse logistics, or even subscription-timed purchasing plans? Hint: your packaging! Packaging is the gateway drug to cementing your relationship with your customer. You’ll need to escort them discreetly to your landing pages, self-service portals, apps, and communication paths. Your packaging is that conduit. It’s the place they first lean in to interact with your brand. Did you include a QR code to your sustainability pledge, or post-purchase support network? Are your 3-point instructions cutely displayed for ease-of-use? Did your packaging collateral convince them to leave a prompt 5-star review? Did you lead them through your Loyalty & Rewards funnel? And the holy grail for brands – do they continue to keep your packaging long after the product has been removed? If so, give your Marketing Director a raise. They’ve earned it ten times over.
Packaging is so versatile in taking your potential users all the way from quick decision-making through to high-Lifetime Value (LTV) super-consumers. Packaging is an advertising medium that is a tactile resonance of everything you aspired to build. Packaging can be the first interaction with your brand, and the last chance to connect with them post-purchase. Great packaging can set your flywheel in motion, and bad packaging can pour sugar into your gas tank.
If you’re ready to take your packaging to new heights, let Fantastapack show you how.
