CHICAGO — It’s easy for bakers to fall into the mindset that packaging’s purpose is to protect the product and keep it fresh. But can packaging actually influence the consumer? If designed properly — and intentionally — it certainly can.
During Pack Expo 2024, which took place Nov. 3-6 in Chicago, Vicki Strull, principal at Vicki Strull Design, outlined research-based ways packaging can do more than just meet the consumer’s eye.
There’s a reason why people save their boxes and why consumers tune into YouTube to watch “unboxing” videos. People have developed a relationship with packaging, and it often comes down to psychology.
The first purpose of packaging, according to Strull, is to captivate.
Bakers know that people eat with their eyes, but they also need to remember that people shop with all their senses. In fact, Strull said, the sense of touch is critical in the shopping experience.
“Touch is pivotal for captivating a consumer,” she said, noting that more than half of the human brain is devoted to processing sensory experiences, including touch. “When we shop, our interest is piqued by packaging — by things like colors and graphics — and then when we reach out and touch the packaging, we actually have a stronger connection because it becomes real.”
Touch often triggers psychological ownership, which can then lead to a phenomenon called the endowment effect, which suggests that people place a higher value on things they feel ownership over.
“This is why touch is so integral to the buying experience,” Strull said. “It’s also why packaging material is so important, as well as special effects and embellishments.”
Die-cut additions in bright colors are among the ways to capture attention and captivate shoppers through the sensory experience.
“These are ways that packaging on the shelf just begs and screams to be touched,” she said.
The next purpose of packaging is to protect.
And while every baker knows that packaging protects the product, it’s important to remember packaging should also protect the brand and, in some cases, protect the environment as well.
“You need to have packaging that protects your product all the way through the supply chain,” Strull said. “And that requires materials that have lasting durability.”
At the end of the day, if the product is not safe inside the package — either structurally or in terms of food safety — the brand itself is at risk.
“It’s the [material] quality that protects the product,” Strull said. “But it’s the surface quality that protects the brand.”
It’s not only about the look and vibrancy of the packaging, but it’s also about the consistency. That means packaging colors must be consistent with signage and other advertising, and the product must live up to the imagery on the package.
In fact, how the product lives up to what’s communicated on the package could be the deciding factor in a repeat purchase.
Additionally, how packaging protects the environment can also play a role in a consumer’s choice, and many companies are choosing more eco-friendly materials.
“Often, the easiest way to make packaging more sustainable is to replace plastic with another recyclable material,” Strull suggested. “For instance, paper is recyclable, and it’s reusable.”
Finally, packaging must create an experience.
“Think about how much a consumer’s perception of a product’s quality is related to the package,” Strull said. “It’s such an inherent part of it, that some people declare the quality from the packaging.”
She suggested considering how varied a consumer experience would — or should — be based on a product that touts natural ingredients or is proudly a traditional or hand-crafted baked good. Should the packaging be elegant or simple? Should it have transparency or imagery?
“Keep in mind that just one special effect could have a very meaningful impact,” Strull advised. “When people love the packaging of a product they love, they tell other people about it. Or they post it on social media or create an unboxing video.”
When a brand intentionally focuses on these purposes, the investment in packaging can bring the ROI.
