15. February 2021
How to develop packaging for beauty products that improve the customer experience? We know that one of the simplest — but also most effective — ways to promote your products is through product packaging.
But packaging can't just get consumers to buy your products - your packaging can actually improve their experience of your goods and your brand. In this post, we take a closer look at what consumers are really looking for when shopping for beauty products - and how you can create packaging that enhances the customer experience.
There are countless brands in cosmetics and personal care, which means that there is fierce competition in the industry. In fact, the beauty industry creates every year 120 billion packaging units! So it takes a bit of work if your packaging is to stand out from the crowd.
However, it is worth the effort, because the product packaging influences the consumer's perception of the product - and probably also the consumer's purchase decision. We have made a list of some items that consumers especially look for in beauty product packaging.
Consumers are greatly influenced by how beauty products look, and there are several reasons for this. First, the beauty industry is a very visual industry. Second, packaging is the first physical interaction customers have with your product. Packaging therefore has great value in a visual industry, and we have therefore listed some elements of the packaging design that consumers are attracted to.
Packaging can be divided into three types: primary, secondary and tertiary. The primary packaging is the container into which your product contents are filled. This type of packaging is in direct contact with the product.
The primary packaging is important and necessary for cosmetic packaging. The container should be user-friendly and functional, so that it is easy to handle. This can have a negative impact on customers' perception of the product if, for example, the packaging is difficult to open/close. We understand that it is essential to have a visually appealing packaging design, but it is first and foremost important to develop a primary packaging that actually works optimally for the purpose.
In the development of the primary packaging, you have the opportunity to experiment with different shapes. A special shape allows you to stand out from the crowd. We are drawn to elements that stick out.
An example of a brand that manages to stand out by its unique containers is Kevin Murphy. The brand sells hair products that come in a special packaging that becomes very unique and the hallmark of Kevin Murphy's products. Thus, the brand manages to differentiate itself from its competitors by means of their primary packaging.
When developing packaging for beauty products, it is also worth considering which materials are used for the primary packaging. Should your container be ready or food? Smooth or nubbled? Of glass or plastic? There are a lot of options. In this context, you should consider which elements correspond to your brand and the quality you offer.
You can use primary packaging to optimize the customer experience by creating different packaging in high-quality materials. When consumers shop nice-to-have, they often want the products to feel like a treat. Luxurious and exclusive primary packaging can therefore enhance their experience with your product and brand.
Explore our product catalog and find, for example:
At Packwise, we develop and produce not only primary packaging. We are also specialists in developing secondary packagingEspecially for beauty products. The secondary packaging is the outermost packaging - typically this type of packaging is a box that can be made in many different shapes, materials and sizes. The wrapping can serve several purposes. It can protect the primary packaging and thus the product, and it can collect multiple products in one box. Most customers will probably find it delicious with an exclusive box in which some beauty products are collected. After all, it is an extra service and luxury that customers presumably do not expect.
If your secondary packaging is both aesthetic and functional, it is possible that your customers will keep it and use it for storage, decoration or other aftercare. So customers get an extra unexpected thing in the purchase, which can improve their experience with your brand.
You don't have to look at the dog by the hair - but we probably do that every once in a while. At least when we shop for beauty products, where aesthetics play a key role in the industry. In principle, it is the product content that should be the most important thing when consumers are in search of a new beauty product. The reality is that packaging also has a big impact on consumer choice. Packaging can be hugely appealing to us.
A visually appealing packaging can enhance the customer experience as it leaves a good impression of the brand and product. We buy with our eyes and our experience of a product is enhanced if it both looks exclusive and is of high quality.
In a purchase situation, you have about three seconds to capture the interest of consumers. In this initial stage, colors play a key role. Colors can have a big impact on people's behavior and decision-making. We are drawn to colors, and you can turn that to your advantage. With the right colors, you can capture the interest of consumers and at the same time optimize their experience with exciting packaging. Colors are a powerful visual communication tool that can trigger consumers' thoughts and feelings about your product.
Colors, in fact, can directly affect the purchase decision, so it is worth considering the color choice carefully.
For your customers, a packaging in a beautiful or unique color may get a place on the bathroom shelf. In this way, packaging becomes part of the decor and an easy way to implement colors in one's home.
We are intuitively drawn to colours, and a colourful and exciting packaging will therefore appeal to many consumers. In addition, colors will seem stimulating to us, which is likely to improve the experience with the product.
Aesthetics play a central role in the beauty industry. If you produce beauty products, it is therefore essential to develop an exciting and exclusive experience for your customers. An easy and effective way to do this is, of course, via your packaging. In fact, packaging has a much greater meaning than what many attribute to it. A vetting shows that 70% of consumers base their impression of a brand solely on the packaging.
Social media has made consumers even more aware of packaging. The phenomenon of 'unboxing' has become a major online trend, with people filming themselves while displaying their latest purchases, which they unpack from products' secondary packaging.
Packaging has gone from being a practical packaging of products to being a powerful visual means of communication. So strong that in many cases consumers actually base their purchasing decisions on the packaging.
It is therefore important that your packaging has an exclusive look and feel. It has to be 'Instagram-worthy' - that is, the packaging should be good enough that you can take a picture of it and upload it to Instagram.
Today, a lot of marketing is done through influencers on social media. Here, influencers promote beauty products, among other things, that they present to their followers. We know that many people watch unboxing videos. In fact, as many as 35% of American consumers watch unboxing videos, according to a vetting. It is relevant to include when developing its packaging. An Instagram-worthy wrapper has a better chance of appearing on your customers' photos on social media.
One of the brands that has managed to create an Instagram-worthy packaging is Glossier, which you almost recognize from Instagram. Many of the brand's customers post pictures of the beautiful, stylish packaging. Glossier has done something extra out of creating a super nice, appealing design and giving customers a great experience. Everyone who buys Glossier products will receive an iconic pink bubble plastic purse. Many customers keep the wallet afterwards, which is why it also adorns many photos on Instagram. It becomes part of the experience that customers also shop at Glossier to get.
An Instagram-worthy packaging, is a wrapper that pleases the eye. Packaging is therefore more appealing than plain packaging - regardless of the product content is the same. Visually appealing packaging is not just a luxury, it is a big factor in why consumers should choose that particular product over others. It optimizes the entire experience when consumers feel they have something aesthetically pleasing to look at and show off to others. In fact, there is signal value in our purchasing decisions and spending habits.
It can be difficult to give a definitive answer on what sustainable packaging is. Depending on the packaging category in question, there are problems to deal with. For example, it can sometimes be more sustainable to package fruits and vegetables, as it prolongs the life of the food. In this way, a lot of food waste is avoided. At the same time, plastic - which food is often packaged in - is a highly degradable material.
We often talk about food waste and overconsumption when the talk falls on environmental stresses. At Packwise, we believe that there is a lack of focus on product waste.
Excess product in packaging is often a problem when using traditional pump systems and tubes. This results in both consumer annoyance and a waste of resources.
We therefore recommend our airless dispenser, which minimizes product waste by completely emptying the container of product contents. The container is both functional, stylish and sustainable, making it ideal if you want an environmentally friendly and aesthetic packaging for your cosmetic product. With the right packaging, a huge difference can be made to product waste in the cosmetics industry.
At Packwise, we believe that it is sustainable to choose a packaging that eliminates waste of product content. Sustainable packaging can optimize the customer experience by saving consumers from product waste. The waste can be a huge frustration for your customers and is therefore likely to have a negative impact on their perception of your product and brand.
What sustainable materials are available for packaging beauty products? We highlight two materials: glass and PET.
You know glass, and you've seen it used for many different purposes. But why is it good to apply to packaging for beauty products? Glass has several advantages. It comes from nature and is therefore sustainable as it is 100% recyclable. The material can be used again and again without loss of quality.
See our glass products hereto.
PET is a material used in the packaging of food, beverages, personal care and other consumer products. You know PET from soft drinks, shampoos, pharmaceuticals, etc., among others. The material is light in weight, and at the same time it is resistant, which makes it difficult to spoil. PET can be recycled and is therefore a sustainable alternative to other types of plastic.
See our products in PET.
Previously, we had a linear way of using the resources: Take - Make - Dump. Raw materials were extracted and produced from them in order to use the products, to finally throw them out. This economy, of course, resulted in a large consumption and loss of resources.
The new economy is circular, which means that the products and ingredients form part of a continuous cycle. The previous “end-of-life” concept is being replaced by recycling and recycling. A circular economy is good for both the environment and your business.
Packaging in recyclable materials can improve the customer experience with the product. No waste of resources and the preservation of the value of materials are important to the environmentally conscious consumer. With the increasing focus on sustainability, even more people today have an attitude towards the longevity of packaging materials.
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