Brand Packaging: Why It Matters and How to Get It Right

We no longer live in a world where simply having a great product is enough to succeed. Yes, it's important, but the effect that powerful branding has on a company is the key to a brand's success.

Visual appeal matters. Putting as much effort into your brand's image as it is into perfecting your product is important. If you want your products to stand out in a highly competitive market, you'll want to create product packaging that's unique and eye-catching in its own right.

Whether you choose something bold and creative or sleek and minimal, it has to be enough to leave an impression on your potential customer base. Also, having a powerful marketing strategy to go alongside your branding will lead you and your business on the road to success.

In this article, we'll do a deep dive into packaging design and why it's so important, how you can ace your branding, and some examples of our favorite packaging designs.

The impact of strong packaging designs

Effective packaging design doesn’t just capture attention. It creates an emotional connection that fosters loyalty and keeps your branding memorable.

Stand out in the crowd

The effect of having a good packaging design goes beyond just aesthetics. It's not just about setting yourself apart in the market; having a powerful packaging design can positively affect sales.

For example, when RXBAR revamped its packaging to feature bold colors, clean typography, and transparent ingredient lists, the company saw a 7900% increase in sales within a year. The straightforward design resonated with health-conscious consumers, boosting recognition and loyalty.

When you have a well-designed product and packaging that leaves a lasting impression on buyers, they're more likely to remember your brand and give you repeat business.

Communicate brand values

When you invest in branded packaging, you’re doing more than just wrapping up a product; you’re telling your brand's story. You should use this as an opportunity to showcase your brand’s mission, values, and unique personality.

For instance, Oatly uses playful, quirky packaging with bold typography, usually pastel colors, and witty copy to communicate its brand's dedication to promoting sustainable, plant-based living. This distinctive approach shows their brand values and resonates with environmentally conscious consumers, fostering a strong emotional connection.

Boost your marketing

Unboxing videos have become hugely popular in recent years, so why not play into the trends? When your packaging design is creative and exciting, it encourages your buyers to share their unboxing experiences online, boosting the company's visibility. Going the extra mile and including personal touches or free samples will be great for marketing, too.

First impressions are everything. When people have a great unboxing experience, it will boost the overall appeal of your product or brand. Use high-quality packaging materials to make your product look and feel more luxurious.

Key principles of effective packaging design

Effective packaging design should be aesthetically pleasing and attention-grabbing. The design should also be functional and easy to use. Sustainable packaging is becoming increasingly important, with many consumers prioritizing eco-friendly options.

Packaging is a visual representation of your brand. Make sure your logos, colors, fonts, and design elements stay consistent to help create a cohesive brand image and reinforce brand recognition.

Product packaging communicates the perceived value of a product. Using high-quality materials can suggest that the product inside is premium, while eco-friendly packaging design may appeal to environmentally conscious consumers.

Packaging can play a significant role in influencing purchase decisions. It can highlight key features, benefits, and unique selling points (USPs) of the product. It also conveys important information such as ingredients, usage instructions, and certifications, helping consumers make informed decisions.

Steps to ace your brand's packaging design

When it comes to creating your packaging, it's important to know how to get it right! We've made a step-by-step guide on how to nail your brand's product packaging design so that you can define your unique place in the market. Ready to dive into the world of creative packaging design? Let's go!

1. Know your audience

First things first. You have to know exactly who your audience is if you plan on convincing them to buy your products! Before you begin identifying the best product packaging to use, establish who you're targeting. It could be a good idea to create something called user personas in this case, particularly if you're exploring low competition niches, where understanding niche-specific needs can give you a competitive edge

Create profiles for your target market, including details such as age, gender, location, hobbies, needs, wants, and pain points. Once you have gathered this information, you can begin to think of how to make your product more appealing to these types of buyers.

Tailor your packaging design to resonate with them. For example, if your audience is environmentally conscious, prioritize sustainable and recyclable packaging materials.

2. Establish your brand identity

You should already know exactly what your brand's values are, but if you don't, it's time to get your thinking cap on!

Define your brand's identity by establishing what your core values and beliefs are as a company. If you have a strong stance on animal testing, make sure you communicate this to your shoppers by making it clearly visible on your packaging. You can feature branding elements like certificate logos that support your stance.

If you want to appeal to those who are worried about the environmental impact, use either recycled materials or materials that are compostable. For example, instead of plastic packaging, opt for a box.

Your packaging should feel like an extension of your brand and enhance the overall customer experience. Including personal touches like bonus samples can make the unboxing experience even more memorable for your shoppers.

3. Consider functionality and legibility

Packaging can make or break your brand. If you have an amazing product but it falls short on functionality and usability, then it's likely you'll lose a lot of customers.

Have you ever had a product you loved, but every time you use it, the packaging makes you want to reinvent it? Maybe you can't get the last of the product out due to the shape of the bottle, or maybe the applicator gets super messy, and as a result, you get the products all over yourself. Super off-putting, right?

You want to avoid these kinds of mishaps by trialing and testing the functionality of your packaging. Consider how the packaging will be opened, stored, and reused. Make sure it protects the product and is easy for the consumer to handle.

Ensuring your product is legible is another major point of potential failure when it comes to packaging designs. The packaging should use a clean design to communicate essential information as clearly as possible. This includes product name, benefits, instructions, ingredients, and any certifications or warnings. The text should be legible and well-organized. Don't make your customers have to work to find out vital information about your product or brand!

4. Conceptualize and experiment

Taking the time to experiment and play around with different types of packaging and designs will mean less chance of needing to make changes down the line when it might be more difficult to make adjustments. The best packaging designs are rarely done on the first go.

Don’t be afraid to be innovative with your packaging. Create with unique shapes, materials, or designs: it can make your product stand out. However, be sure not to compromise on functionality or brand consistency in an attempt to be different.

5. Review and test

Before finalizing your packaging, do market testing. Test your product packaging by allowing your potential customers to use the products and gather feedback on design, functionality, and appeal.

Analyze the feedback you receive and refine the packaging until it meets both consumer expectations and your brand standards. Don't rush this process. Getting it right will take time but it will be the difference between success and failure.

6. Stay updated with trends

Just because you've landed on a product packaging design you love doesn't mean you won't have to consider changes in the future. The best packaging designs usually come after multiple iterations.

If you want to achieve long-term success, it's crucial to stay up to date with market trends and watch what your competitors are doing.

Packaging trends evolve, often influenced by design innovations, consumer behavior, and environmental concerns.

For custom coffee brands, staying updated on trends such as minimalism, smart packaging, or personalization is crucial to keeping your packaging relevant. Minimalist designs can highlight the purity of your coffee, smart packaging can offer interactive features like QR codes for traceability, and personalized packaging helps connect directly with consumers, making your brand stand out.

Examples of effective brand packaging designs

We have compiled a list of the 10 top brands with the best packaging designs. Let's jump right in!

Apple

When you think of Apple products and their packaging design, the first words that come to mind are often sleek, innovative, and minimalistic.

Apple's minimalist design is a great example of how even the most simplistic of designs can be effective in creating a recognizable brand identity. Modern designs are often successful with customers since it's easy for the target audience to distinguish your brand on busy store shelves.

The use of clean lines, simple typography, and subtle branding creates a cohesive and sophisticated brand image. Apple’s packaging design is not only visually appealing but also highly functional and super easy to use, with compartments to neatly organize any accompanying accessories and documentation.

Apple’s packaging enhances the unboxing experience, reinforcing the brand’s commitment to quality and innovation. There's something oddly satisfying about opening Apple packaging. Apple has successfully established a brand design that has timeless appeal, boasting an understated elegance that appeals to the masses.

Coca-Cola

Coca-Cola is famous for its iconic bottle shape and is a great example of how packaging design can be used to create a strong brand identity. The unique contoured lines and distinctive shape of the bottle make it instantly identifiable.

Coca-Cola keeps its packaging design consistent across all of its products, reinforcing the brand’s theme. The signature vibrant red color and cursive font are its most defining features.

The use of bright, contrasting colors is visually striking and easily recognizable from a distance. This color scheme has become synonymous with the brand and has made them arguably one of the most easily recognized in the world. The logo’s design has remained mostly unchanged over the years and, as a result, evokes feelings of nostalgia and authenticity among its consumers.

Glossier

Glossier’s Instagram-worthy packaging design is another great example of how packaging can be used to create a memorable brand image and build brand recognition.

The use of pastel hues, simple typography, and subtle branding creates a cohesive brand image and is one that appeals to a younger audience. The aesthetic modern packaging is a hit among millennials. Who could resist their iconic pastel pink pouch?

Glossier's brand message is "Skin first, makeup second." This reflects the current makeup trends of enhancing natural beauty with a focus on effortless, dewy looks. This message is amplified by their use of soft color palettes and simple, clean lines.

With packaging designed to be photograph-worthy, Glossier taps into the trend of minimalist aesthetics and social media-friendly designs. This approach is also highly effective for custom beauty products, where personalized and visually appealing packaging can drive social sharing. These trends encourage customers to showcase their experiences with the products on social platforms—a very savvy marketing tool indeed.

KitKat

KitKat have truly set themselves apart from other competitors in the confectionery market. How? By simply having fun!

KitKat's playful packaging design is a lesson in how to make your products stand out to your target audience. Not all brand designs have to be simple and bold. Creating a fun and eye-catching brand image doesn't have to be overly complicated.

The most defining characteristic of KitKat’s packaging is its bright red color, paired with white accents and text. The chocolate bar has a unique shape, adding to its ability to stand out on the shelves.

Not to mention, their famous slogan "Have a break, have a KitKat!" is now synonymous with the brand, encouraging consumers to associate KitKat with a moment of relaxation in their day.

Lush

Cosmetics company Lush have established themselves as an ethical brand, regularly communicating to their audience their values of sustainability and transparency.

Prioritizing eco-friendliness and minimizing waste is a key component of their packaging design. Each product is unique in that it tells customers who it was made by, and on what date it was created. This increases transparency and creates a nice consumer experience with the product.

Lush know just how to get their fun and creative personality across to their audience. With bright, bold visuals and clear labeling, they have nailed eye-catching and intriguing brand packaging to lure customers in.

The unique packaging designs help tell the story of each product, whether it’s a limited-edition holiday item or a classic, package-free bath bomb. This storytelling approach enhances the emotional connection with customers and strengthens the brand story.

Tiffany & Co.

Tiffany & Co. is a brand that exudes luxury and elegance. Most people know what's associated with Tiffany and Co. whether they're a fan of the brand or not. It's the iconic Tiffany blue box.

The box is a specific shade of light blue that has been trademarked by the company, known as "Tiffany Blue," adding to the exclusivity of the brand. The box itself is made of high-quality materials: a sturdy box lined with white satin and tied with a ribbon.

The brand is often associated with celebrating significant life events such as engagements or anniversaries. This emotional connection fosters brand loyalty and long-term customer relationships.

By featuring the blue box in films like Breakfast at Tiffany's, advertisements, and social media campaigns, it serves as an effective marketing tool as well as a powerful method of brand storytelling. The box has become a cultural icon, amplifying Tiffany’s timeless appeal and market leadership.

Absolut Vodka

Absolut Vodka’s packaging is renowned for its distinctive bottle shape, which was inspired by old Swedish medicine packaging, believe it or not. 

What sets Absolut apart even more is their collaborations with renowned artists. They regularly work with artists and designers to release limited edition bottles for different flavors and their packaging. This strategy keeps the brand fresh and relevant and appeals to collectors and packaging art enthusiasts.

From vibrant colors to intricate illustrations, the visual impact of these collaborations creates a sense of exclusivity for the brand. Absolut’s packaging design embodies the brand's commitment to trying something different and their dedication to pushing the boundaries. It's no surprise their product remains a standout in the world of alcoholic beverages.

Pukka Herbs

Pukka Herbs meticulous attention to detail makes them truly unique among other brands. They're not afraid to make use of vibrant colors and patterns across their product range, ensuring they take center stage on any shelf they're on!

Aside from the bright colors in their graphic design, they also feature nature-inspired designs with botanical illustrations of the herbs and plants being used in their products. These intricate patterns are not just visually appealing but also align with the brand’s core message of promoting natural health and well-being.

Not only is the packaging cute, but it also provides useful information, helping customers make informed choices based on the tea's ingredients and benefits. Pukka Herbs have 100% nailed good packaging that is still functional and informative.

For brands selling food online, providing clear and engaging packaging is essential to convey product quality and build trust with remote buyers.

Pukka Herbs uses eco-friendly materials for their product packaging to minimize plastic waste, making them appealing to environmentally conscious customers and reinforcing their image as a responsible and sustainable company. This combination makes Pukka Herbs' packaging stand out in the market, appealing to both health-conscious consumers and tea enthusiasts alike.

Pringles

Pringles’ packaging design is instantly recognizable thanks to the brand’s iconic cylindrical tube shape. Pringles mascot, known as Julius Pringles, is also a distinctive part of the Pringles brand, with his large mustached face gracing every tin.

Pringles' innovative creation of the cylindrical-shaped tin was made to prevent chips from getting crushed when being transported. This packaging design also features a handy resealable plastic lid so that your chips can stay fresh once opened.

The stackable nature of Pringles’ packaging makes it easy to store and share. Their design elements combine functionality with a unique and recognizable aesthetic, making them highly distinguishable in the world of snack foods.

Hershey's Kisses

We all know and love Hershey's Kisses. Their iconic tinfoil wrapping packaging design has become their trademark feature, setting them apart from other chocolate makers in the confectionery industry.

Hershey's Kisses products are individually wrapped, often packaged in clear bags with colorful accents and branding, allowing consumers to see the chocolates inside.

This transparency helps showcase the product's quality and vibrant colors, enhancing shelf appeal. The bags often feature a distinctive "Kisses" font and the brand logo.

Hershey’s Kisses play into the holiday seasons by introducing fun limited-edition packaging design to celebrate. For example, Christmas editions are done in red, green, and silver foils. These seasonal variations increase the product’s appeal and consumer engagement.

Wrapping it up

Product packaging is everything. On a busy store shelf or online website, we can't help but judge a product on the first thing we see: the packaging. Effective packaging is more than just a way to store or display your products; it's a critical component of your brand's strategy.

Don't be afraid to have fun with your packaging design. Use it as a way to tell your brand's story, show your values, and differentiate yourself from other brands. It’s often the first thing customers notice, and it can turn a casual shopper into your most loyal fan.

Do your research on what kind of packaging will work well for you and your brand. With more people caring about the environment, eco-friendly options is a big win. Fun, creative, and thoughtful packaging can make products memorable and keep customers coming back for more.

Simply put, investing in creative packaging is essential for any brand looking to connect with their audience and leave a lasting mark.