Discover the Keys to Effective Packaging

Last week, the Fire Enterprises, Inc. (FEI) tribe learned why fire businesses can differentiate themselves by offering convenience, safety and peace of mind. This week Lucy explains the keys to effective packaging. Remember, fire = print.

By taking a trip down the aisles of “Torches ’R’ Us,” product and packaging guru Lucy hoped to provide her marketer friend Marka with a visual demonstration of effective packaging strategies being used within the fire industry.

“We can’t have packaging be an afterthought in our sales growth plan,” Lucy said. “Poorly packaged products are less likely to get bought at point-of-purchase.”

Lucy picked up a box containing a Flintstone brand torch. The cylindrical box featured red and orange flames licking up the sides and Fred’s ugly mug plastered on each end. It was ugly, but memorable.

“A well-designed package doesn’t have to feature Helen of Troy,” Lucy continued. “What matters is how effective it is. An ideal package perfectly complements the product within, reinforcing at the point-of-purchase all the positive traits we want consumers to associate with the product itself.”

Marka juggled the cylinder and said, “Know what else I like about this package? It’s soft in my hands, like warm hay from an Olympian farm.”

“An effective package design goes beyond visual components and engages additional senses,” Lucy pointed out. “A package’s texture, weight and size should be considered. We want our matchboxes to feel sturdy and dependable, yet light and easy to carry. Think back to the ‘Grape Pod’—that product is defined by how its package feels.

“There’s one problem with all this focus on in-store packaging,” Marka said. “I rarely buy from a physical store anymore! I do most of my shopping O-line, and so do my friends. The growing numbers of Olympians using the O-web to meet their shopping needs makes the idea of an attractive, user-friendly package less relevant.”