Is your packaging Instagram ready?

We are all familiar with the demands and interests of generation Z, the visually driven, emotionally empowered and experience seeking consumer. 

We may even find ourselves following suit, tuning into twitter in bed, taking part in the endless commuter scroll, and snapping that ‘candid’ photo of this Sunday’s casual brunch (after 30 mins of painstakingly chosen placement, 20 deleted shots and of course the addition of the latest trending filter). But what does it all really mean for brands?
 

Engagement

Self-expression and emotional meaning are huge motivators for this audience who want a reason to take to social media and share their experience with their peer groups and the wider world.

This generation of younger consumers are looking for a seamless consumer journey. From shelf – to product - to digital – and back. Consumers expect flow and connectivity, so the design of every marketing tool in our arsenal has to have purpose and give consumers a reason to stop and interact.

Social media is having a huge impact on the packaging of tomorrow. With one click we can learn more about products and brands than ever before, and very quickly make decisions on our affiliation (or aversion) to a brand. Trends can grow, and they can become forgotten at an incredible speed, so if we want our brands to stay relevant, visuals need to have purpose; they need to inspire and intrigue and they all need to be Instagram ready.
 

What makes consumers share?

In this digitally connected world anything visual becomes content, which brings packaging right to the forefront of our marketing ammo. With the potential to stimulate sight, smell, sound, touch (and maybe even taste – edible packaging, it’s a thing now!), packaging presents a whole arsenal of emotional touchpoints to engage the consumer and draw them into the brand journey.

With engagement comes sharing. Consumers want to feel connected to their peer group and word of mouth marketing has huge value for any brand with the right voices. Give your consumer the gift of excitement and wonder and in return your consumer will repay you in enriched and connected exposure, increasing organic and genuine customer interest and brand longevity.

Consumer exposure can come in so many forms, from raw and ready to highly curated photography, giving an insight into the lifestyle of peers and role models, a source of inspiration for consumers and a rich boost in organic and invaluable brand presence.

With Smart packaging there’s also a wide range of possibilities from QR codes to barcode scans, snap chat filters, gifs and VR, packaging can be more connected than ever before, also offering the invaluable benefit of consumer insight into how, when and why consumers interact (or don’t) with your product. It can act as a great cue for brand design evaluation. What’s trending, what do they love, and what are they shouting for you to change?
 

Is your packaging Insta-ready?

So what we all want to know is how to stand out in the perpetual scroll. If you take a moment to turn to your smart phone, you’ll find a few clear themes in effective packaging - utilising minimalist design, bold colours, surprising unboxings and simple yet loud statements.

Packaging should be able to clearly demonstrate a products function and a brand’s intention without the need for unnecessary information. Consumers no longer have the time or focus for long-winded descriptions. The packaging that stands out communicates relevance immediately and inspires ideas of lifestyle and emotional connection.

Engaging and connected packaging transform a simple day-to-day essential into a communication marketing channel and an invaluable asset.
 

When does packaging come into play?

At every turn, there is an opportunity for your packaging to add value to your consumer experience. On the shelf, in the basket, at the till, at home, on your website, on social media and even in the cupboard. Beautiful packaging is rarely thrown away immediately. It will sit in a cupboard or on a shelf to be seen, picked up and played with time and time again, and with every interaction it poses a new opportunity for sharing.

Listen to your audience. Design for digital and get your packaging Instagram ready.

Packaging continues to become more agile as brands are moving away from entrenched product design to socially aware and sensory design. Packaging is your most valuable visual marketing asset, take advantage of it now and get sharing.

Blog Author: Alethea Price is the Marketing Manager at Burgopak Packaging Design studio and joined the growing team in 2017. With a background in Psychology and Human Behaviour, she combines her fascination for human understanding and creativity to help brands express intention and purpose in everything they do. https://www.linkedin.com/in/alethea-price/
 

About Burgopak

Burgopak is a world leader in design and manufacture of innovative patented packaging for products of all shapes and sizes. From tickets, bank and gift cards, to champagne, luxury cosmetics, healthcare, legalised cannabis and technology. With a highly creative and experienced design and project management team, Burgopak designs to brief, to provide an engaging opening experience to your customers, creates a higher perceived value of your product with clever cardboard engineering, and makes your life easier by managing the process right from conception to completion. 
 

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