How Packaging of Food can Affect the Perception of Customer

For any business to run successfully it require more than just capital.It requires a good force of strategy, marketing, research, promotions, quality and packaging. Today’s consumer is a lot more aware and conscious about what they are buying. They believe in verifying the authenticity of the brand, safety of the products, its values and its vision.

Packaging represents the brand; first contact of a brand to its consumer is through the packaging. It is considered as an opportunity for any brand to communicate their message visually and plays a pivotal role across industries. In retail sales, the packaging attracts the customer’s eye and affects the buying decision. If a product has unique packing it instantly gathers the customer’s attention.Packaging is considered as a differentiation tool, which aids consumers to recognise one product from the other and helps them in making a choice among a wide range of similar products.Packaging excites the customers and people often tend to rebuy products from the brand that use attractive packaging.

Packaging depends on various factors such as colour, logo, design, fonts, and material used. Colours help in differentiating one product from competitor’s product. Colours used in packaging, not only helps to draw consumer attention but can also be used in context of marketing goals. Similar type of products often adopt similar packaging styles in terms of colour and design,for e.g. black, silver and gold are often used for luxury products. Brands that aim to present an edgy look will often pair bright colours with black, which alsoshowcases energy and sophistication. Similarly, each colour has its own relevance and importance.

Different products have different designs in packaging, for example- Tech products come in sleek and innovative packaging, beverages in different types of bottles and food in such packages that it is convenient for the customers to consume.Design helps in recognising the category of the product.The packaging designed to be easily carried, used and stored will perform better in the marketplace as compared to others. Even the shape of packaging speaks for the product like angular shapes are associated with masculinity and femininity can be visualised in curved shapes. Innovative packaging attracts consumer and helps in adding value to the product.

Labelling on products provides information on the category of the product, its ingredients, and instructions for using, consuming them. This works as a guide for consumers, to know what actually their products contain, like nutritional fact, and when the product was manufactured, by which government authority the products are certified and whether it suits their need or not. The language used on packaging also influences consumer behaviour, if the text is clearly readable it is appreciated more.

The material used in packaging has a strong impact on buying behaviour. Good quality material not only safeguards the product during transportation but one of its main objectives is to protect the product from any damage or loss in its nutritional value. It saves the product from UV rays, and other elements that can harm the product. Nowadays consumers are becoming environment sensitiveand they prefer eco-friendly packaging which can be recycled easily.

There are many factors that affect buying decision of consumers in one or the other way. These are quality, price, brand value and ethics, brand history and reputation, packaging and availability of products. A brand needs to equally focus on all of these to build a trust amongst its target audience.Loyalty of the consumer is build basis the product quality and its worth vis a vis the price points. A loyal customer is hard to gain but once earned, their word of mouth helps the brand grow and influence the purchasing decision of the prospective customers.