Packaging is more than just a cardboard box or a plastic bottle. It’s your brand, in hand – a tangible expression of your values and a powerful touchpoint.
Yet, packaging is often underestimated.
Marketers, trapped by the tyranny of the first moment of truth, obsess over shelf impact and measure success through STOP, HOLD and CLOSE, often making these the only KPIs for packaging design. But what if the real power of packaging extended far beyond those initial 20 seconds in the aisle?
Consider the sheer scale.
Giants like P&G, Coca-Cola, and Nestlé churn out millions, even billions, of packs each year. Every one of them is a missed opportunity if treated solely as a vessel. Each pack is a chance to forge a genuine connection, build lasting memories, and create true brand strength and growth. Packaging might just be the most important touchpoint a brand has.
Think of Cadbury’s recent special edition, designed to celebrate small gestures of generosity – perfectly embodying its brand promise. Or Coca-Cola’s personalized bottles, sparking joy and encouraging sharing. These aren’t just clever marketing stunts; they showcase the power of packaging to translate abstract brand values into tangible, shareable experiences. By leveraging visual assets in ways that create emotional connections, packaging fosters mental availability among consumers.
Beyond limited editions, every pack is a permanent, powerful expression of your brand; for 20 seconds on shelves, or for a year at home, packs are a constant reminder of who you are and why consumers should care. Take Kellogg’s, for example. Its packaging reminds its consumers about the optimism and goodness the brand brings to every breakfast.
And speaking of homes, these spaces are increasingly curated lifestyle zones. Your packaging needs to be shelf-worthy, not just in the supermarket but also at home. It needs to seamlessly integrate into consumers’ lives, reflecting their aesthetic and ethic sensibilities. And when it does, it’s there as a constant reminder of your brand and a true part of people’s lives.
Connected packaging also transforms a static product into a dynamic portal. QR codes are no longer gimmicks; they’re doorways to richer brand experiences, offering everything from product information and how-to videos to exclusive content and augmented reality interactions. They can enhance transparency, improve accessibility and sustainability, and create entirely new dimensions of consumer engagement. In this context, your packaging isn’t just a container – it’s a free media channel, an interactive touchpoint, and an entryway into the experience ecosystems that marketers must build to make their brands thrive in today’s new marketing world.
Finally, consider the social media landscape. How often does your logo organically appear in an Instagram story or a TikTok feed? Rarely. Never. But packaging? It’s constantly being cradled, showcased, and shared, lovingly held in the frame as consumers document their lives. It’s the unsung hero of social commerce, a powerful driver of organic brand visibility in the very channels that fuel today’s consumer journey.
So, are you truly maximizing the potential of your packaging? Are you building branded memories, not just shelf impact? Are you thinking beyond the shelf and into the home, beyond the transaction and into the relationship? Because in the age of experience-driven commerce, the brands that win aren’t just seen, they’re felt, held, and shared. And that starts with the pack.
This article was written by Anna Kohl from The Drum and was legally licensed through the DiveMarketplace by Industry Dive. Please direct all licensing questions to legal@industrydive.com.
