Decisions, Decisions: Purchasing and Packaging
The most impactful packaging designs take purchasing decisions into consideration.
Consumers make purchasing decisions based on wants and needs, researching and evaluating choices as they consider their options.
Talking specifically about the retail shelf, we’re sharing four ways packaging design can help the customer choose your product over the competition.
hims’ thick fix shampoo, found in Target, utilizes varied type sizes for hierarchy alongside iconography and badging. The hero ingredient supports the benefit – thicker hair – and all verbiage reinforces the RTB.
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Fulfill a need or desire.
It seems obvious, but make sure that the key benefits and features of your product are clearly communicated on the PDP. (Fun fact: PDPs are both physical and digital spaces! Here we’re talking about the Principal Display Panel, which is the front-facing panel on-shelf.) No matter the size of your PDP, make sure to use a combination of text and illustrated elements to add hierarchy to your messaging, guiding the consumer on what to read first.
For hims, a quippy product name (‘thick fix’) – the second largest item on the PDP – nods to the benefit in the brand’s voice. Based on survey data, we knew that consumers associate quality ingredients with premium products; a short-form statement hits on both ingredients and the reason-to-buy — thicker, fuller-looking hair.
Consumers are increasingly turning to their peers to get trustworthy and transparent information, with 89% of global consumers stating they check online reviews as part of their buying journey. (TrustPilot, 2023) According to a survey of consumers in the United States carried out between December 2022 and January 2023, 49% of respondents reported they would gain trust in a company if they heard good reviews from other people. (Statista, 2023)
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Creatively gain trust.
Consider how to gain trust with new consumers through design choices. Brand stories or founder bios — and, in some instances, photos! — go a long way in adding legitimacy to a product, especially if the founding story ties into the product benefit & value. Reviews, testimonials, and industry-specific awards are all tools in the box to consider.
hanni’s weighted razor won Allure’s Best of Beauty Award in 2021, and the brand invested in the rights to use the seal in marketing materials. As a recognizable and trusted industry award, we placed the badge prominently on the front of the box to add immediate legitimacy to consumers scanning the shelves.
Every Razor Kit from hanni features the Allure Best of Beauty badge, quickly cuing the product’s quality and inspiring confidence for new consumers.
hims’ thick fix system, which utilizes large product photography on a sleeve & drawer style box. The redesign still heroes the product while allowing for a kit name & description to help communicate benefits.
The original design was a clamshell box with a plastic window, which was expensive, laborious to kit, and arrived cracked to the retailers’ shelves.
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Match packaging quality with product quality.
First impressions matter. Make sure the packaging is aligned with your brand and product’s quality.
Here are a few examples when it comes to boxes:
Opt for a sturdy paperboard that won’t easily dent or tear before it gets to (or on) the shelf.
Enhance the tactile experience with specialty papers, or consider unique textures to complement the visual design.
Reinforce quality through the box structure, considering opening experiences and creating moments that surprise and delight.
hims launched their ‘thick fix system’ in a paperboard box with plastic windows, and the team shared concerns – the plastic was flimsy and cracked easily. We recommended removing the window and replacing with XL product photography — since the kits were adjacent to full-size products in-store and easily discoverable on target.com, showing the actual bottles wasn’t necessary. A cropped photo showing the trio is an environmentally-friendly, less expensive solution that allows for additional marketing content.
In 2021, the majority of beauty shoppers across different generations stated they search for sustainable beauty products. Generation Z were found to be the leading cohort that seeks out sustainable products the most with 86% of shoppers. Meanwhile, approximately 80% of millenial respondents and 72% of Generation X respondents were found to search for sustainable beauty products.(Statista, 2021)
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Heroize clean and sustainable choices.
Consumers are increasingly looking for products that align with their values – a trend we’ve seen over the last several years and shows no signs of slowing down. One value that shows up time and time again is sustainability and environmental impact; celebrating the choices that tie to these values on-pack reinforces the brand mission, increases loyalty, and bolsters value.
hanni has gone to great lengths when considering their environmental impact in both product and packaging, and we’ve dedicated an entire packaging panel to share and celebrate those choices. Official certifications from the FSC and Leaping Bunny are joined by custom callouts we created, like the use of soy-bean ink in printing & its recyclability.
hanni’s packaging suite utilizes a mix of official badges, custom callouts, and branded content to champion their mission and commitment to the environment.
While every customer is unique, there are key elements packaging can address to help point of sale purchases. By speaking to the product’s value, imbuing trust, showing quality, and celebrating sustainability, you can create a knockout packaging experience that gives your brand purchasing power.
View the hanni case study here.
Work for hims & hers completed while at The Stable.