How can you tell if a package is good or bad?

As the economy develops and most products on the market face fierce competition, decision makers and marketers have become concerned with all the details that affect the competitiveness of their products in order to win the market. They have come to realise that, in addition to the basic function of holding and protecting the product, the packaging of a product also has a strong marketing and information dissemination function.

A more comprehensive and in-depth understanding of the marketing role of packaging has led decision-makers and marketers to pay attention to packaging design, but this has been accompanied by a number of questions. One of the main questions is whether the packaging design can fulfil the intended marketing objectives? In most cases, designers or marketers tend to judge a package on the basis of personal experience or preference, which often leads to a lack of accuracy and universality, resulting in a waste of resources and a possible deviation from the packaging design and marketing strategy.

Therefore, there is a need for an objective and scientific method of evaluating packaging. These characteristics include: visual appeal, message effectiveness, appeal, operability and aesthetics.

1. Visual appeal

Visual appeal refers to the ability of the packaging to attract the customer's attention.

Only when customers notice the presence of the product can they look at it further and make a purchase decision based on the information they receive. Therefore, attractiveness is the first. The strength of the visual appeal of packaging is often determined by the novelty of the packaging and the degree of contrast with the surrounding environment. Novel packaging shapes, strong colours, beautiful patterns, etc. can all increase the attractiveness of the packaging. And when there is a significant contrast between the packaging and the surrounding sales environment, it also attracts the attention of customers.

Visual appeal is the primary condition for judging the merits of packaging design. Only with good appeal can the product stand out on the shelf, thus fulfilling further sales targets and conveying the brand message.

2、Information effectiveness

The information on the packaging can generally be divided into two categories, one is practical information, such as product quantity, specifications, instructions for use and other practical information. This type of information is mainly to help users to use the product correctly.

The second category is promotional information, such as product features, advertising slogans, brand positioning and so on. The function of this type of information is a marketing function, such as stimulating the user to buy, reinforcing the brand message, etc. The information on a good package should be graded, i.e. there is a difference in importance.

In terms of the functions of the two types of information mentioned above, the second type of information is more conducive to sales and competition and is more important to the seller. Therefore, the second type of information should be highlighted on the packaging as much as possible, i.e. information that helps to clarify the positioning of the product, stimulates the user to buy and reinforces the brand image. As for the first type of information, it is sufficient to ensure that the user can read it without difficulty.

Therefore, an excellent packaging must grade the information in a primary and secondary way, rather than across the board, so as to ensure the effective communication of information.

3、Appeal power

In order for a product to achieve good sales and establish a brand image in the market, it must have a distinctive appeal point or clear positioning.

With a clear appeal, the product can be distanced from other similar products, produce differentiation advantages and establish a unique brand image in the minds of users.

As a sales terminal for communication with users, the packaging must reflect the product's market demands.

4、Operability

Operability is mainly the examination of the use of packaging functions.

The most basic function of product packaging is the protection and storage of the product.

In general, the packaging should meet the following aspects of the use of function, including protection of products, easy transportation and storage, user-friendly, reasonable production costs, security and environmental protection.

In particular, it should be carefully designed in terms of user use to minimise the degree of difficulty in the use of the packaging, while considering the functions that the packaging needs to have from the user's point of view, so that the user can have a comfortable operating experience in the process of use and form a good brand impression.

5、Aesthetics

Aesthetics means that the appearance of the packaging should bring visual pleasure to the user and should have a certain sense of beauty.

Although different people have different views on the definition of "beauty", there are some aesthetic criteria that are common to all from a macro perspective.

For example, the smoothness and beauty of the shape, the evenness of the proportions, the balance of the picture elements, the harmony of the colours and so on.

In some packaging designs, the corresponding text, graphics, logos and other visual elements are often inappropriately highlighted in order to emphasise promotional or brand information, or all the product information that can be put on the surface of the packaging is piled up, leading to a decline in packaging taste and leaving a vulgar and cheap impression on the user.