Full disclosure - I'm a product junkie. Before business school I worked in the beauty industry so I have a lot of experience with product development, from formula creation to advertising to packaging. Especially in the beauty world, packaging is so important in influencing purchase. In the consumer products world, packaging needs to breakthrough the clutter on the shelf and communicate a clear message.
Luxury products are even more important to get right with packaging because they are such an aspirational, emotional purchase. I go to Blue Mercury about once a week to just check out the products and see what is new. A new candle collection from Lafco New York caught my attention. Not only are the scents amazing, but the packaging is absolutely gorgeous!
The box opens from above like a present, so there is a very special consumer experience just opening the box. In luxury products, experience is just as important and function and it is necessary to get the following right when creating packaging:
- The "opening ceremony" should be special
- Each use should evoke prestige and/or exclusivity
- The consumer should feel like s/he is buying not just a product but an experience or access
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