You only have a few seconds to catch the shopper’s attention, so what are you going to do with your packaging to not only catch their attention, but to get them to want to buy your product?

Jim George from Shelf Impact came up with 5 labeling ideas to solve marketing challenges:

1. Highlighting innovative shape. Kids like products that feature fun colors and design in their packaging. Clear Beverage Corp. did just this with their “Kid Fuel” naturally flavored water. They also designed the shape of the bottle to resemble a sports bottle with curves for a child’s small hands to easily grip. They also made the packaging educational. Each bottle has a quiz question and Professor Smart’s answer is revealed after the beverage is consumed and the bottle is refilled with water.
2. Sizzling as bacon’s main ‘touchpoint’. It is important for the packaging of a premium product to reflect the quality of the product. Tyson changed the packaging of their bacon by adding a label that featured a gold-outlined shield area with red, white, and gold on a blue background, while still leaving room to view the meat. The new design improved how easy it was to find and recognize the brand.
3. Encouraging participation. Campbell’s made 7.5 million special-edition labels to show the quality ingredients that they use. Along with the new label, they started a program where you enter a code online from your can to receive a free pack of tomato seeds for yourself, as well as 100 seeds for urban communities and schools.
4. Pulling double duty. Sometimes marketers have to create a package that both attracts attention, as well as protects against theft and counterfeits. Nutrex Research did this by creating a shrink-sleeve label that is both eye-appealing and protects the product from tampering.
5. Signaling cause marketing. People like companies that help people and allow the customer to help by purchasing the product. Tide showed this with their packaging for the Loads of Hope campaign. They have special yellow caps that read, “You can help”, and it features pictures of Hurricane Katrina victims on the front.

When customers are running through a store, they don’t have time to search through the shelves to find what they want. They want packaging to be distinctive and descriptive. Successful packaging will not only be eye-appealing and attract the customer’s attention, but it will also convey the message you are trying to send and show them what they are getting.

Here are some great descriptive packaging examples that we found:

You only have a few seconds to catch the customer’s attention. What are you going to do with your packaging to stand out on the shelf above your competition?

We cannot stress enough how important it is to differentiate your product from the competition.  If there are comparable products, one of the main ways to differentiate your product is with packaging and design.  A creative and unique package will help your product stand out and “pop” on the shelf.

Coca-Cola did just that with their special edition bottles and cans of soda.  With custom packaging, they can create their own distinctive design that the competition can not compare to.  And since there is a limited amount of these designs produced, they could become collectors’ items.  Since they are eye-appealing with creative design, along with the fact that they are rare, these bottles are likely to be snatched up from the shelves.  Here are some of our favorite special edition Coca-Cola bottles and cans that we found online:

You can package your product in a simple white paper sleeve or paperboard mailer and we can help you with that. There are lots of projects that this type of packaging is perfect for.

However when you are talking about products for the retail market, either on-line or at a bricks and mortar store, movie and music enthusiasts choose the physical product over a download for one reason… The Packaging.

The following is a short list of movie and music reviewers and their thoughts on the packaging and the value it adds:

Rev/Views DVD & Television blog

Review of the first season of the TV series “Chuck“:
“Now I am a bit of a packaging enthusiast, mostly because I feel I’ve invested money in purchasing DVDs and as such I want them to look nice on the shelf and work well.”

Creative Review blog

Review of “Glastonbury The Movie“:
“At a time when you can get online and simply download music and films, really it’s down to the packaging of albums and DVDs to make the tangible music or film product a viable option to the consumer.”

Pulse Wrestling blog

Review of the WWE “Randy Savage Ultimate Collection“:
“As someone who collects a lot of disc based stuff (hardcore video game collector here), I like it when the stuff occupying my shelf looks good.”

MamaPop blog

Review of “Wilco (the album)”:
“certain bands, you need to buy the physical recording, because there’s packaging that speaks to what the album is and isn’t.”

NSRMTB blog

Review of “Tipping Point“:
“To all those out there that would rather download a DH DVD than buy one you are going to miss out on some cool packaging and shame on you.”

Bring on Mixed Reviews blog

Review of “The Dear Hunter“:
“The album’s packaging is also something to behold. The time and effort put into the old timey photos that double as track lyrics/notes, is simply amazing. If you have The Prize Fighter Inferno‘s album “My Brother’s Blood Machine” then you know what I am referring to, it returns my faith in the CD medium, where so many have abandoned it for hollow digital downloads.”

These are just some of many comments that prove that the packaging adds value to an album or movie.  You could decrease piracy and downloads by investing in custom packaging that is creative and eye-catching.  By doing this, you are making the physical product of your album or movie a must-have for every fan.

When you walk into a store, what is it that makes you want to buy a product?  Is it the actual product itself or the presentation of the product with custom packaging that grabs your attention?  It is usually a combination of both.  Consumers typically have at least somewhat of a need or want for the actual product itself if they are going to buy it, but the creative packaging is really what makes it stand out on the shelf over the competition.

So what is it about creative packaging that draws us in?  The bright colors, the different shapes and sizes, the unique design.  It’s not something we see everyday, it’s new and exciting, our curiosity wants to see more.  The packaging is such a huge part of marketing, because products are so similar and the packaging could be the slight differentiation from the competition.  Meterdown displayed some creative packaging designs that they found:

Box designed to custom-fit the shoes.

Coca-Cola holiday bottles look like ornaments.

See your dream sports field as you open your new athletic shoes.

Workout with your sports drink.

Eco-friendly paper water bottles.

Unique shoe box.

Innovative milk carton.

Banana case to protect from bruising.

Make sure no one eats your sandwich.

Creative juice boxes that look like the texture of fruit.

Custom packaging can truly turn your product into a creative masterpiece that gets consumers to stop and stare.  It adds value to your product with an exceptional look that is fit to meet your needs.  Consider getting an eye-appealing customized package for your product or your next project and you could see the results that a quality product presentation gives.

Ever have problems being the person making the coffee run and trying to remember how each person likes their coffee?  I came across this creative packaging idea that I have not seen anything like before.

Josh Harris came up with the “Coffee Top Caddy”, which was created to help the people going on those large coffee runs for their co-workers.  Many people are very specific on how they like their coffee, so with this invention, you do not have to worry about getting each person’s order right.  These lids are designed to hold creamer and sugar packets right on top.  Each person can then customize their own drink by adding however much cream or sugar that they would like.

Not only does this form of custom packaging make the product more helpful, but it also makes the product much more distinctive.  Customers will recognize and remember that your store has the creative lids that make the office coffee runs so much easier.  Custom packaging lets you bring your own creativity and flair to your product’s packaging by matching the personality of your product or company.  It also allows your product to stand out on the shelf above the competition.

Creativity and innovation can be a part of both the product and the packaging with a connected theme. By doing this, consumers are interested in and drawn to your product more than they would be with plain packaging. With custom packaging, you can create a design that matches the personality of your product.

WDARU designed a line of creative tea bags for Maum that feature a variety of different little people that hook onto the side of your cup. They come packaged in boxes that match the theme of the characters inside. These cute little bags make drinking tea fun and different each time, which is a great way to get kids to drink tea.

With these fun designs, people are sure to grab Maum tea off the shelf. With some thought and creativity, you can really transform your product into an attention-drawing piece of art. By creating a series of custom packaging, you can differentiate your product from the competition and keep your customers coming back for more.

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.

Having green packaging allows you to help the environment, but is it worth it financially for your company? We have been hearing a lot more about being green and environmentally-friendly the past few years from numerous companies and industries. Is it just a bunch of talk, or do people really care about the environment? How significant is sustainable packaging to consumers?

One more thing that Young discovered was that only 11% of shoppers thought that they knew what “sustainable packaging” was, and only about half of those actually knew what it meant. It is important for companies to educate consumers about what being environmentally-friendly means and use terms that they will understand.

A.T Kearney also performed a study and came to the conclusion that environmentally-friendly companies performed much better than their competition over a three-month and six-month period and did not have “value erosion”. Even in our struggling economy, green companies are performing above-average in the financial markets.

The eco-friendly trend does not seem to be disappearing anytime soon. Environmentally-friendly packaging does play a vital role in purchasing decisions and is helping companies beat out their competition.

Set your product apart from others. Gain recognition for your creativity in packaging. This is what custom packaging is all about. Recently, I stumbled upon some truly unique packaging that Turner Duckworth – based out of San Francisco and London – created for Motorola.

Turner Duckworth was challenged to create a totally unique, eye-catching and product-tailored packaging design for their phones.

Here is what they came up with:

This design was created to compliment the MOTOROKR, a phone that doubles as an MP3 player. The stereo design shows off the functionality of the product in a custom way.

For the MOTORIZR, a package was created that illustrates the sliding motion of the phone. The box design includes “tatoos” with varnished surface textures.

The packaging for the MOTORZR was created to exude a glamorous image. The highly reflective, jewel-like finish shows-off the reflective gleam of the actual phone.

This example illustrates the impact of custom packaging. Not only does is it more attractive and eye-catching than standard packaging options, but it fully reflect the product it contains.

To find out more about custom packaging or to find out how you can create a custom package of your own, contact Sunrise Packaging at (763) 785-2505 or toll-free at (800) 634-8160.