Package appeal
For as long as I can recall, my family has always had a problem with me when it comes to grocery shopping. On routine store visits, my mother would assign me a couple of items she wanted with the simple expectation that I would pick up the items from the shelves and dump them in the shopping cart. The task was easy, but I always took longer than expected. My family would be done with half their list and I would still be deliberating on which shampoo to go with. I have been married for five years and my wife still has not fully come to terms with this habit of mine.
In my defence, there is so much to choose from for any one purchase! Such attractive packaging, and so many claims, proprietary formulas and whatnots. I am at once king of the aisle and its sole prisoner. All these products clamour for my attention, compete for my choice, and there is that rush I get when I make (what I think is) the right, informed decision.
The average shopper might not be as anal as I am when it comes to shopping, but point of sale is arguably the most important moment in the brand-customer interaction. At this crucial juncture, one thing that can make or break the deal comes into play – your packaging. The shelf, the aisle, the decision-zone, call it what you may... this is your brand’s moment to shine, and the best tool in your arsenal is the box, wrapper or tube, your brand manifests itself in.
It’s all in the packaging
Pakistanis are as capable of creating conversation-worthy packaging as anyone else. Just look at local eatery brands such as Burger Lab and Ginsoy for example. Who would have thought that a box for a burger could be so interesting that it would make me put it on Instagram? Granted, practicality comes into play. Sometimes it is simply not feasible to box a mundane soap into an artisanal cherry oak container, no matter how much it may be able to lift the brand. At times like these, it is important to integrate a personality into the packaging, whether through words or visuals. I was amazed to find a note (complete with signature!) from the CEO of Dilmah Tea (printed on the pack of one of their green tea variants) expounding about their heritage, history and passion. The tea was terrible, but the story clicked. I felt I was a part of something bigger just by the simple act of buying the product.