Traditional packaging has always had a brand logo or catchphrase. It’s nothing new, and consumers are growing tired of it. In response to popular consumer trends, brands are re-imagining packaging designs to ensure they add value to the products inside. In fact, value-added packaging is one of the most significant trends in the industry. Here are a few examples of how it’s been used.

There are few retail segments with as much potential to win loyal, trusting customers as beauty and cosmetics. Beauty products are an integral part of bathroom cabinets the world over. This market segment has the potential to make lots of money, but it’s also highly competitive.  To win customers over, brands have taken innovative steps to set themselves apart from their competition. The packaging is the first thing beauty enthusiasts will see as they look through hundreds of items in a supermarket aisle. If it captures your customers' attention and promises to deliver what they're looking for, they're likely going to take it home and try it out.

Modern packaging trends like intricate lines and custom fonts give cosmetics products a contemporary feel that is also timeless and universally attractive; such aesthetics improve their perceived value and the chances of consumers purchasing the product. 

When it comes to consumer electronics like smartphones, the type of packaging used directly affects customers' perception of the quality of the product. An exciting package design helps the product make a good first impression. On the other hand, something poorly done will scares customers away even before they try the product.

Take Apple, for instance. Though its iPhone packaging is very simple, it portrays an unusual elegance that conveys the product's quality. Apple's packaging adds value to its smartphones by providing a unique unboxing experience. If you doubt this is true, consider this: the iPhone X unboxing video scored over 10 million views. This speaks volumes about the quality of its products and their packaging.

Historically, the most critical function of a package was to contain food. Not so long ago, the most common food packages were barrels, burlap bags, or apothecary jars. Consumers were served the amounts they wanted in a secondary container, usually a paper bag or sack. Things have changed, though Customers automatically assume a package is going to store and preserve food. Consequently, the modern food package must do more.

Added value through brand identification
Consumers often take about 30 seconds to pick a product from a supermarket aisle. They are less loyal and more impulsive than they were years ago. That said, a good producer is reliable. Once customers realize a product has good quality, they will come back to it consistently.  Food packaging establishes identity in many ways.

Obviously, it'll have the manufacturer's name printed on it. But consumer packaging has become brighter. There are more products than ever before, so it's unlikely a customer will see a product with just a brand name. It’s easy to tell that a bottle contains Coca-Cola, regardless of the language. Through careful brand development and consistent package design, packaging helps consumers find products in overcrowded supermarkets with little trouble.

Clothes are often packed in resealable packaging. It offers stylish protection for products by extending their shelf life; resealable packages protect items from dirt, dust, and tear. They also give customers the assurance that products are secure. For example, a laminated resealable pouch can keep a garment in perfect condition as its owner packs it for a vacation.

When it comes to sports clothing, resealable packages can easily protect a garment while it’s in a gym bag. Resealable packaging also safeguards clothing for later wear. If you want to safely store a garment purchased as a gift for a loved one, then a resealable package offers several benefits over one that isn’t. Because resealable packaging increases the longevity of the product, it enhances customer satisfaction and improves brand loyalty. 

Resealable packaging is also environmentally friendly. Consumers value recyclable products. Consequently, they love products that come with reusable packaging, particularly when it’s made from biodegradable materials. Zip-lock packaging can be used for various purposes, like storing linens and small items like toiletries.

Besides the benefits to the consumer, resealable packaging has several advantages for retailers; it helps display products and handle returns. For instance, if a customer buys a pair of pants and then he/she discovers later on that they don’t fit, it’s easy to process the return and put the item back on display. Since the product is resealable, there's no need to re-wrap it or place it in a new box.

Syrups and pill bottles typically have seal bands. They're a type of tamper-proof packaging solution that's perforated for consumer-friendly use.  Seal bands are a small but vital part of packaging. They not only improve the safety of the product but also encourage appropriate usage.

They protect consumers from contaminated or damaged products and promote safe use. Seal bands also offer branding opportunities as they can be designed to reflect a particular brand's ideals. They improve product-value by showing consumers that manufacturers value their safety and well-being.

Household-product manufacturers employ a variety of innovative packaging techniques that add value to their products. An interesting example to consider here is cleaning items, which are usually packaged in spray bottles. Spray bottles have an undeniable advantage over jars and other packaging items with regards to hygiene. Since there is no direct contact between the consumer and the packaged product, there is a limited risk of contamination. They are also reusable, more convenient, and faster to use.

Value-added packaging gives products several advantages alternatives that don’t offer similar features. Across the world, consumers have shown a significant preference for products whose packaging enhances perceived value and usefulness. So, if a product's packaging is attractive, sustainable, and functional, consumers will buy it. Value-added packaging is one of the best ways to enhance a product's perceived value and increase brand loyalty.

According to statistics from the Smithers Pira organization, global demand for packaging will reach $1.05 trillion by 2024 - this trend is testament to its significance in the retail space.

With the average supermarket in the U.S offering over 40,000 items, brand owners face a difficult struggle in drawing attention to their products. Intelligent marketers know consumers respond to engaging stories and visual content as much as they do to brand names.  Packaging, therefore, presents a unique, cost effective way for companies to connect to consumers on an individual level.

Here's more reasons why it’s vital for your business.

The main duty of packaging is to protect an item from damage it could sustain during transportation, handling, and storage. Packaging keeps the product safe as it travels through the logistics chain from manufacturer to final user. It prevents damage due to humidity, light exposure, temperature fluctuations, and many other undesirable external conditions. Since this is its most crucial role, it is not uncommon to have more packaging than the actual product, particularly when items are bought online.

The visual appeal of a product's packaging will capture customer's interest and convince them to try it out. Even for highly-rational individuals, there is always an emotional side to purchase decisions. Most people are not consciously aware of the extent to which emotions influence purchases, particularly impulse purchases, but it does. In fact, studies show that attractive packaging increases activity in the reward centers of the brain. It clearly has a significant impact on how customers feel about products, which directly relates to purchasing behavior.

Manufacturers use product packaging to relay important information to consumers. Packaging offers guidelines for use, ingredient details, benefits and features. It can also offer customer service information, so consumers can always contact the supplier and ask questions or provide feedback. When it’s used this way, Packaging creates and open communication loop that helps business owners decide how best to market their products.

In some cases, manufacturers are required by law to provide product information, and packaging is the most effective way to do so. Food products and medicines are often required to provide information on recipes, methods of preparation, serving ideas, nutritional benefits, date of expiry, date of manufacture, cautionary information, and warning notices.

Packaging a play crucial role in mitigating the security risks that come with shipment. Packages may come with enhanced tamper resistance to discourage data manipulation, and they can also have tamper-reveal features to show whether tampering has occurred. Packages may also be designed to minimize the possibility of package pilferage (the theft and resale of products).

Packaging can help identify counterfeit consumer goods, material substitution, unauthorized sales, tampering, and material substitution. As long as it is embedded with anti-counterfeit technologies, it can prevent all these issues. Packages may incorporate anti-theft devices like RFID tags, dye packs, electronic article surveillance chips that can be detected at exit points and require specialized gadgets to activate.

Packages can enhance the convenience of handling, distribution, sale, display, stacking, opening, resealing, using, reusing, and ease of disposal.

Take items like sandwiches and some pastries, for example. Such items require heating before consumption, and packaging makes it possible to do so without unwrapping.  This minimizes the need for pans, pots, dishes, and significantly reduces overall preparation time. When consumers buy a convenience food, it must be easy to prepare. Microwavable packaging protects food items and increases consumer convenience.

Single serving packaging contains a precise quantity of ingredients to control usage. Bulk items like salt can be portioned into packages that are an appropriate price for single households. It also facilitates inventory control. For example, its less wasteful to sell one-liter bottles of milk than it is to let people fill the bottles on their own. Most consumers take note of the number of calories a food item has but pay little attention to serving size, appearance, and weight. As a result, they make inaccurate judgements and often over-indulge.

Small objects are usually grouped together in a single package to simplify storage and improve selling efficiency. A single box of 1000 glass beads require less handling than 1000 single beads. Similarly, powders, liquids, and highly granular materials must have some sort of containment.

Some commodities quickly degrade when exposed to water vapor, oxygen, dust, and other seemingly harmless substances.  Packages often include oxygen and moisture absorbers to improve shelf-life. Others have modified or controlled atmospheres, and this keeps their contents fresh, clean, and sterile. Barriers are also important for scenarios where two materials must be kept separate before use, as is the case with medicines, special paints and glues.

Packaging is a highly effective marketing tool, capable of convincing potential customers to purchase a product. it also enables marketers to go beyond marketing to branding or positioning. Producers can make themselves memorable through colors, symbols and packaging types.  It is an easy way for consumers to recognize a product within any retail setting. This is a critical advantage because there often many alternatives to any particular commodity, whether it sold online or in a conventional brick-and-mortar retail store.

In a study of 60 individuals, the perceived retail value of a product offered in premium packaging was nearly 50% higher than the same item offered in economy packaging. there is undeniable evidence that the unboxing experience affects customer perceptions of product value. When a vendor provides attractive packaging, it enhances the unboxing experience and convinces users that the product is valuable and worth protecting.

Customers choose to purchase an item because they believe it will add value to their lives. Packaging increases this perceived value. In fact, there have been products sold where the packaging is more expensive than the product, but because of the perceived value, the customer is willing to pay more.

Packaging expresses a brand's identity through its content and design. It not only protects the product, but also contributes to the overall performance of the brand. Packaging is a vital and important marketing tool that promotes sales and should be considered a critical medium for brand loyalty.