Boost the advertising impact of flexible packaging – genuine touchpoints at the POS
Packaging not only protects its contents against damage, contamination, and spoilage, it also ranks among the most important communication channels in marketing. When attractively designed packaging projects the quality of the product that it safeguards, it also improves the brand image. The advertising impact of flexible packaging is particularly high because latest-generation technologies enable the integration of effective attention-getting elements.
Systematic communication via the packaging can secure competitive advantages
Growing rivalry and waning brand loyalty in many customer segments impose ever greater challenges on retailers. At the same time, the enormous diversity and, frequently, interchangeability of products cause uncertainties and make it more and more difficult for consumers to associate a product with a specific manufacturer or vendor. The use of upscale packaging as an advertising medium gives you the opportunity to clearly set yourself apart from competitors and effectively strengthen the brand heritage of your products.
The touchpoint of packaging is not limited to its visual design but also includes the haptics of its surface that the customer can vividly feel when handling it. For this reason, when you pick a suitable packaging solution, you should make sure the material and the design appeals to your customers both visually and to the sense of touch to create a pleasant, sales-promoting overall impression.
Basically, the effect of packaging does not depend on the age or shopping habits of potential buyers. Whether young or old, all consumers touch packaging to inform themselves about the properties of the product inside. Although the contrary is often assumed, younger people who are familiar with digital technologies have a stronger affinity with packaging characteristics than older consumers, despite the fact that the former are undisputedly the more avid online shoppers.
For the so-called digital natives, brand awareness is important and packaging offers significant pointers regarding the quality of a product. Frequently, it is the decisive factor that determines whether or not a product is recommended. The same applies to impulse buyers: you can attract their attention to your product with a new and captivating packaging design. Conversely, rational buyers place emphasis on the information presented on the packaging; for them, it is the source of arguments for or against a purchase.
First impressions count – flexible packaging as a magnet for customers
The value of a product is defined in the customer’s mind. The objective of a marketing manager is to design customer touchpoints such that consumers perceive the respective product as a valuable commodity. If the perceived value is higher than the price of the product, there’s a good chance that the prospect will become a buyer.
As a rule, from the first contact with a product to the purchase decision, a consumer will encounter several touchpoints. In this respect, packaging plays an important role directly at the Point of Sale (POS). But the impact is even greater at the customer’s home because there, brand rivalry is eliminated. That reinforces the impulse to buy again. Flexible packages provide perceptible advantages because, given the diversity of design options, they deliver information and purchase impulses particularly well.
Digital printing – perfect optics and haptics results
Growing consumer expectations, globalisation, and innovative technologies are causing paradigm changes in the packaging industry, spurred on by the increasing desire for personalisation and an accentuated demand for sustainability. At the same time, as the last interface between the product and the consumer, packaging is playing an ever greater role as part of the value chain. This is also reflected by the latest marketing trends in the domain of flexible packaging. In this context, diversity is just as important as sales promotion that addresses potential customers, personalised products, or active communication with the respective target group, for instance with QR codes.
When the issue is to implement current advertising trends and strategies, digital printing offers ideal solutions for designing flexible packaging. One possibility is to deploy colours and design elements that visually appeal to consumers. Another one is the printability of various materials that provide the customer with a positive haptic experience. Appealing to the sense of touch is a strong purchase driver. This is because messages that not only reach customers but also “touch” them trigger emotions and remain memorable.
Properly packaged is half the sale
While the advertising impact of flexible packaging is undisputed, this form of customer communication is often neglected even though it is statistically proven that high-impact packaging helps achieve a high return on investment (ROI).
Thanks to its presence at the POS, packaging ranks among the strongest media in the marketing mix. But to optimize its effect as a touchpoint, it needs ever new and interesting designs and convenience features. With our digital printing capabilities, you have many choices to create compelling and attractive packaging, to add refined features, and to attract the attention of your customers. Today, customers place great emphasis on the user-friendliness of packaging. Wipf AG's lineup of laminates and pouches addresses this need. We offer a multitude of pouches and high-quality laminates. Depending on the customer's application, they can be enhanced with various convenience features, product declaration elements, or refined printing finishes. This guarantees success at the POS.
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Yours, Wipf AG
T +41 44 947 22 11 | info@wipf.ch