One of the main reasons for custom packaging is for the product to stand out on the shelf in comparison to the competitor.  This helps the brand identity and increases the perceived value of the product.

Another great reason for custom packaging is to make your products distinctive, so the customer can easily tell the difference between products.  Help remedies offers six different products of medicines/bandages that they can package in very similar, yet distinctive cases.  Instead of using complicated names of medicine that customers may not understand, Help Remedies keeps it simple by naming each product by how you feel.  Their product line includes: “Help.  I have a headache.”, “Help. I have an aching body.”,”Help. I can’t sleep.”  Each product also has their own assigned color that is used in the packaging, so that customers can get used to grabbing a certain color off of the shelf.

Viktoriya Gadomska designed these custom boxes of vitamins A, B, C, D, E, and F.  With the boxes in the shape of the letter of their respective vitamin supplement, it makes it easy for customers to grab what they want off of the shelf in a hurry.

Last month, we talked about companies using social media networks for cause marketing.  Now we are focusing on a company that actually redesigned their packaging for a cause.

Recently, Tide changed their packaging to go along with their Loads of Hope campaign.  That is a pretty big deal for a brand that has not significantly changed their packaging in their sixty years of history.  The Loads of Hope campaign raises funds for disaster relief support.  The new design features photos of disaster victims that Tide has provided aid for, such as Hurricane Katrina victims.  The newly designed bottle also says, “You can help” on the yellow cap to help draw attention to the charity and the company’s social responsibility efforts.

This change in Tide’s packaging design shows that they take social responsibility seriously.  It is a program that they are continuing to support, and it enhances their brand image.  Consumers are more likely to buy products from a socially responsible company, rather than the competition if the products are similar.  So not only are they giving back to the community by helping disaster victims, but they are also boosting their brand image, which could increase sales and the traffic flow to their web site.  The design and custom packaging that they are using helps inform and remind consumers what they are doing to help others.  And most importantly, they are doing their part to give back to the community and those in need.

Graphic design is one way that can really make packaging for your products stand out from the competition. It makes your packaging eye-appealing, thought provoking, creates brand identity, and can allow the consumer to focus on the product for a longer period of time. Effective packaging draws the consumer in while displaying the information about the product. This can be done with the tools of illustration, color, typography, the types of packaging materials used, as well as the form of packaging.

Especially when the market is doing poorly, it is important to be a step ahead of the competition and differentiate yourself by having creative packaging. You want to be the first to catch the consumer’s attention and have your product stand out on the shelf. If this is done effectively, you could increase your customer base and boost your sales. DzineBlog displayed many creative packaging designs to help give you inspiration:

Customized and creative packaging can help your product stand out from the competition. If you would like help creating your own custom packaging, contact one of our Design Experts.