"Appearances do not merely attract us; they transform our experience," says marketing expert Harry Beckwith in his new book The Invisible Touch. It's clear that despite the admonition not to "judge a book by its cover," that consumers do exactly that. The power of packaging — its ability to influence our buying decisions is summed up by Beckwith: "We act under the spell of packaging."
"We act on prejudices and habits, not on knowledge."
Harry Beckwith, The Invisible Touch
Now I know what you're thinking: "No, I don't. I make informed choices based on what's important to me. I look at quality, price, value for money." You do, I know you do. But if you're handed two packages — one wrapped in brown paper, kind of scuffed around the edges, with a post office label on it, the other wrapped in glossy paper with brightly colored bow — which one will you reach for first? Which one elicits the greatest degree of anticipation that there's got to be something good inside?
Time and again, we make judgments based on appearance. "It's natural to think that you never judge books by their covers, oranges by their peels, or doctors by their lab coats," comments Beckwith. But we do. Our susceptibility to visual cues and clues influences our buying behavior. Beckwith takes the example of people's preferences for the oranger of two oranges as evidence that packaging works in irrational ways. Oranges are picked when they are green and then sprayed with chemicals to transform their green color to a vivid and appetizing orange. "The vivid color of an orange peel is, in short, a packaging trick," he notes.
"Packaging represents a rare opportunity to engage and titillate your audience," says David Morrison, in the March issue of Brand Packaging. He cites the example of The Vermont Teddy Bear Co., which ships its bears in paperboard boxes much like its competitors. "However, the box is unique in that it features an air hole for the occupant's comfort while the teddy bear is in transit," notes Morrison, adding that "a little whimsy goes a long way in differentiating this company from its competitors and helps it to maintain a premium marketing position." He urges marketers to think outside the box (literally and figuratively) and create packaging that both entertains and informs.
Packaging a Service
But what of service industries? How does packaging play a role when the product is, in fact, a service that has to be experienced before the purchaser can form an opinion? Here too, packaging is all-important. Your expectation of what you're going to get at The Plaza is different from what you expect from Holiday Inn. And what you expect to get at one of New York's finest restaurants is different to what you expect to get from McDonalds. The way the service is presented — from
the advertising to the architecture, to the décor, to the service provision, all work towards creating a total experience. What we see, touch, feel, hear and taste, all make an impact on the purchaser. And as Beckwith points out, the expectation of obtaining excellence can sometimes persuade us that we're receiving a superior product or service, when that might not always be the case. "Beauty trumps quality," he notes.
"Your packaging is a set of cues and clues from which people draw conclusions — often, seemingly ridiculous and totally unjustified conclusions," says Beckwith. This begs the question: what clues are you sending your customers through your stationary, documentation, advertising materials and website? When a prospect looks up your Web site and finds it full of typographical errors, inconsistencies and broken links, he is going to assume that he can't trust your services either.
"Let your package do the talking," says Dorothy Deasy, writing in Brand Packaging. "The package is the product. This basic concept — that a product's package has an impact on the consumer's perception of the product's performance — is as true today as it was 50 years ago when it was first identified."
Time and again, we make judgments based on appearance. "It's natural to think that you never judge books by their covers, oranges by their peels, or doctors by their lab coats," comments Beckwith. But we do. Our susceptibility to visual cues and clues influences our buying behavior. Beckwith takes the example of people's preferences for the oranger of two oranges as evidence that packaging works in irrational ways. Oranges are picked when they are green and then sprayed with chemicals to transform their green color to a vivid and appetizing orange. "The vivid color of an orange peel is, in short, a packaging trick," he notes.