It’s no secret that the right branding can make or break a company. The spotlight is often shone upon runaway success stories, such as Rob Janoff’s elegant packaging design for Apple, but the truth is that behind every product that makes it to the shelves is a perfectly articulated piece of design. Here’s everything you need to know!

The Power Of Brands

Brand loyalty is one of the most powerful forces in retail. Acting on deep bonds of trust between producer and consumer, successful branding is the key to both the winning of new markets and increasing repeat sales. Whether the message is one of environmental sensitivity, quirky individualism, or quality and value, businesses use brand messages and images to convey to customers where they place themselves in the market.

Infuse your Design with Your Vision

The art of great branding involves infusing your messages and visuals with authenticity. Getting your packaging design right requires fine attention to detail that goes beyond the basic practicalities of colour, line, and tone. For instance, if your brand has sustainability at its core, your choice of substrate and ink will make a difference. According to designer Marty Neumeier, this is because all successful brands tell a story, and – as with all good stories – the narrative has to be coherent. Or, as researchers Alvarado-Karste and Guzmán put it, brands have to appeal to “both the head and the heart.”  

Think about the Packaging

Even in a digital era, your packaging is often the first direct contact your customers get with your products. Iconic brands invest heavily in packaging because first impressions are important, and frequently use their choices as part of their broader marketing campaigns. For instance, Dove recently made the shift to 100% recycled packaging, which became something of a product launch in its own right.

Don’t Over-Design it

A picture may speak a thousand words, but great advertising usually excels with just a few. Designers refer to the iconic “7 principles” of emphasis, balance and alignment, contrast, repetition, proportion, movement, and white space, but the end result is often disarmingly simple. Think Marmite’s effortless demonstration of bold colour contrasts and no-nonsense messages. Whittling the vision down to a core message will speak volumes about what your brand stands for, and what consumers can expect from your products.

What next? 

For more information about how bespoke packaging can promote your products and build your brand, please get in touch with one of our packaging design specialists today.