Packaging Matters

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Packaging is everything with shelved or stacked items. From food, electrical goods, medical items to even shoe boxes, as items appear amid others, it is vital that the best colours and text are tweaked to their best effect. For simple example – have a look at the picture below. December, 2022 in a Drogheda, Co Louth shop, we have on display an over the counter, on display PCR test for checking the possible presence of Covid-19 within a persons body.
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As packaging goes, it could be criticised for the way it looks in a number of ways. Can you spot how before reading further on?
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Points of analysis.
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  1. Looking at the package, the overall colours indicate what?
  2. The top right of the item. What does the name indicate?
  3. Does the name ‘jump’ out at you from the packaging?
  4. Bottom left. What does that logo indicate?
  5. What’s openly fudged on the side public displayed?
  6. How readable is the smaller text?
  7. Top left. How distinguishable/affective is the logo?

In marketing terms and practicality terms, I would consider the above product example presented, to be a complete disaster. Here’s why!
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  1. The orange colours do little or nothing to immediately indicate the nature of the product. As we would know by close examination – by actually having to pick up the package and then flip it over, reading the back of the packet, it clearer says what it is. The item is of a medical nature. In retrospect, the colours of the packaging should be more blue? Why? See HERE. Colours don’t have to ‘slap you in the face’ by being too garish – but it’s best to choose colours of some relatable shade that best indicate a category of what’s being actually sold.
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  2. The name displayed “Joinstar” tells us, the public, little or nothing regarding either the seller or the inner contents of the package. If anything, the name – poorly displayed in with a faded grey colour – tells us very little at all. It’s basically a name stamped on the package to help sellers/distributors distinguish it from others made by rivals, that contain a similar nature product. The name, indicating the product nature or not, should be very clear and one of the main points of the package branding.
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  3.  As mentioned, the name is a faded grey, printed with a standard font. It doesn’t exactly draw your eye towards it? No – and in branding terms, this is a failure.
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  4. What looks like one heart shape on top of another (or not?) twisted in the underneath direction, the logo displayed further does not indicate either the possible contents of the package, how important the inner contents might be to the health of a person, and is not is indicating any connection the “Joinstar” name! The odd presented logo, too mixed in with the rest of the orange disaster that is on the bottom left, is ‘just there’ and no more. There just to be able to allow viewers to be able to distinguish between one product and perhaps a rival other in near location? We can’t know for sure – but we can judge it to be confusing and ill thought out. Put easily, what does the logo immediately indicate? It’s simply hard to tell.
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  5. Below the faded “Joinstar” name is even worse text. It’s an utter disaster. Firstly, it’s colour is equally terrible. it’s neither clear or attractive in any way.
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  6. Secondly, the presence of the small text might as well be a waste of time to most passers by. The text is simply far too small to be easily read. Many people would need a strong pair of glasses or a magnifying glass just to read it. So why is the text there? Possibly so that the company can legally claim that they have informed people about their item, no matter how small the text.  They are just better legally covered regarding various health and safety laws – and no more! The text is there to help the makers and sellers – not to greater aid a potential buying public? Even “One test” on the cover is actually hard to read. It can be read but a reader has to go looking for it. It doesn’t immediately jump out. The text on this packaging is an utter disaster from start to finish.
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  7. Looking at the logo of the business “Joinstar” people might be tryin to figure out what the actual logo is, how it might relate to the company name and if it indicates what category of product does the manufacture put themselves into? Is it even a logo? It looks like two thin trees. if so, what’s that got to do with Covid-19? Others might claim that it’s in fact two arrows resting in a base, pointing off-center to the word “Open” above it. In short, the graphic shown on the packaging does nothing for it – well, except possibly confuse people more than not?

The packaging in every respect, could be judged by some as an utter disaster. Little thought, if any, was put into the design of the item packaging. There could be a quality item within the packaging but the packaging itself in no way indicates this? If anything, it indicates it’s a cheap made product, slapped out to the public with little or no greater thought to sales marketing. It’s an item that as soon as you place it back on a rack, after having to pick it up and turn it over to find out what exactly it was, you could forget about seconds later as you – the potential customer – moves on.
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The above packaging item is used as a mere example, a potential masterclass, is what do do and certainly NOT to do, when setting out to sell a product. It’s a disaster best avoided – be it on packaging or on any manufactured item itself! the branding is just about non-existent. The text serves the seller and manufacturer more than any potential customer? In terms of sales, packaging seriously does matter and it should be given some serious time and effort. Not to do so equates to less sales. It all boils down to that.