Packaging Shapes Offer Subconscious Connection

Continuing from our previous post, we can expand upon the effects of packaging.

food research and development have shown that shoppers make more than two-thirds of their buying decisions at the Food Retailers itself, which means that packaging is likely the determining factor in sales. When the shape of the package distinguishes it from other products and reinforces what the product promises to deliver, there is a better chance of the product moving from the shelf to the shopping cart.

Shape communicates instantly - no reading required - and it helps to create memorable and recognizable branding. Using curves, sharp edges, slopes, tapers, panels, ridges, etc., packages can non-verbally communicate the desired brand imagery.

Anthropomorphism, or package shapes that mimic the appearance of people, connects with the unconscious mind of the customers. A great example is a product that’s no longer available in this packaging, but lives on in the memories of the boomer generation, is the Aunt Jemima Syrup bottle. The package depicted the brand’s namesake, right down to her facial features, in amber glass with a yellow screw top. If you can picture that bottle, you know its effect on you.

Recent examples in this food research include Crosse & Blackwell’s Waistline foods in the U.K., who reinforce their weight-control message with a distinctive hourglass-shaped can; Kellogg’s Smart Start cereal box is not as thick as others, emphasizing the idea that the product helps the customer be slim; and Tab Energy, a Coca-Cola low-calorie energy drink for women, is tall and slender compared with standard soda cans. (And it is actually smaller, holding 10.5 oz. rather than 12 oz.).

Sensory Research helps to ensure that every possible aspect is taken into account to create success for your product.