If you think that the product you’re selling is all that matters, you couldn’t be more wrong. The packaging you choose plays a huge role in the decisions your customers make; the package can tell them what the product can do for them, your company’s values, and more. Packaging can make or break the sale if there’s any question of them choosing your product.

With the advent of YouTube and other social media platforms, “unboxing” has become a huge deal when it comes to the consumer’s experience. One company, for example, that sells iPhone and iPad cases wraps its products in brown paper and a Roman seal, and messages printed on the inside of the paper for that added unboxing experience.

So what does this all mean for you? It’s extremely important to consider your brand packaging and think about the following factors that might affect your sales.

1. Stand Out

Thousands of products like yours are trying to get the attention of consumers. A full one-third of a person’s decision which product to buy is because of product packaging. In order to be chosen, your brand needs to stand out, and not look like any of your competitors. Think about a noteworthy brand with a unique package. Does it stand out from the rest, or blend in with all the other products?

2. Use Packaging As a Marketing Tool

The packaging you choose for your product can be helpful when it comes to marketing via in-store advertising. It’s easier for consumers to recognize branded products, so when you design your package with its logo in a conspicuous location, customers will remember your product the next time they are shopping.

Ask yourself: “What does the packaging say about my brand and product?” Could you improve upon it? It’s always a good idea to think about the message your packaging sends to shoppers.

3. Create Brand Recognition

Take a few minutes to imagine your favourite brands. It’s pretty much guaranteed that the packaging for those brands are memorable and, if they’ve been around for any length of time, they don’t vary much from the original look. Recognizable brands should never make radical changes; in the past, when big brands made changes to packaging, colours, or logos, consumers didn’t like it.

It’s especially important for startups to have great packaging because it can directly influence a company’s overall appeal and sales success.

Poor packaging can have a huge impact on sales, too; but not the way you want. In Australia, the government ordered cigarette companies remove their branding from packages, and instituted graphic images and health warnings that deter smoking. This resulted in the largest smoking decline the continent has witnessed in 20 years.

4. Use Colour to Sway Purchase Habits

The colours you use in your product’s packaging will play a huge part in the buying decisions of your customers. The human brain reacts to colours in different ways, so it’s important to carefully choose the colour of your packaging. As an example, consider a brand that uses white packaging. It makes you feel like the product offers safety, purity, and simplicity. Experts in the field say that the more colour there is on the packaging, the less sophisticated it appears.

When it comes to the colours themselves, different colours have the ability to make consumers experience different feelings about a product. For example, a light blue seems playful, while a navy makes the consumer feel the product is more professional. Blue, overall, is the most-liked colour. When it comes down to it, you will need to study your target audience before you decide on a colour scheme for your product’s packaging.