How brands can win at product packaging

An image algorithm has analysed over 4,000 packages to determine what fundamental factors used in packaging are more effective in driving purchase intent, regardless of country or category. 

According to a study in the European Society for Opinion and Marketing Research, the qualities that influence product packaging success are: attention capture, emotional engagement, clarity, and design effectiveness. 

Why it matters 

There are many factors that influence whether people buy a particular product or not. A holistic marketing strategy will take into account not just messaging, audiences and platforms but the product itself – and that includes packaging. 

The study found that packaging is a “vehicle for the product and the brand”, which goes beyond protection and transportation. According to previous research, “It is a sensory transmitter, a space where expectations are generated. There is evidence that packaging can outperform other brand assets.” 

Takeaways 

• Attention capture depends on how well the product’s design consistently aligns with what is on the customer’s mind but high performance doesn’t guarantee a purchase because people might not ultimately want or need it, or because it brings up negative associations.
• Emotional engagement generates a strong emotional intensity, which unconsciously influences us to buy, and it’s as much a science as an art. Colour compositions, packaging shape, lid shape, textures, indentations, illustrations, images, typography, visual balance, label shape, anthropomorphic features, wording, lines and geometric shapes can trigger emotions.
  
• Clarity refers to how easy it is to understand the product’s key messages, and the challenge is whether the associations generated in the consumer’s mind are consistent with what is wanted for a specific brand and product.
• Design effectiveness refers to how well a specific element within the packaging (or the package itself) conveys the experience we will have once we begin using and/or consuming the product. 

Key quote 

“Using algorithms to measure performance enables us to compare packages across categories and countries. Market researchers can help guide the development of algorithms across industries, as we are experts in understanding motivations and behaviours across contexts,” argued the study authors. 

About the study

An image analysis algorithm was trained over four years to detect packaging features and divide them into text, images and illustrations, and aesthetic features. There were seven iterations between 2018 and 2022: over 4,000 packages were analysed from 25 countries, which measured over 270 variables.

Read the full study 

Sourced from ESOMAR