At some point, it may become necessary to redesign your packaging. There are plenty of reasons to do so. Sometimes the design is simply outdated, or maybe it is too costly. No matter the reason, your company needs to be careful during a redesign to ensure that your brand appeal remains. Successful redesigns will bring in new customers, adding them to your existing list of clients. Unsuccessful ones, on the other hand, might not only fail to entice new clients but also lose some of your formerly loyal ones. To avoid this potential disaster, you need to maintain your brand appeal.
When You Need to Redesign
Before figuring out how to maintain your brand appeal during a packaging redesign, it is crucial to recognize the signs that a redesign is necessary. Not all companies will need to redesign their packaging, but at some point, it may become critical. Since creative packaging tends to draw in customers, a drop in sales can indicate you need to rethink the overall design. You may also want to redesign your packaging if the current design, shape, or materials are too costly or if you want to take advantage of new packaging technologies and innovations. In some cases, your product may have even changed slightly, leading to different packaging requirements.
Consider the Size of the Change
No matter the reason you have decided to redesign your product packaging, you will need to take some time to consider how large of an adjustment you want to make. Industry experts refer to this as evolution versus revolution. A revolution leads to dramatically different packaging while an evolution maintains many elements of your current design but updates it. An evolutionary redesign tends to be less risky, as it makes it very easy to maintain your brand appeal and recognition. Customers will still recognize the product easily, and the change takes less time. However, a revolutionary change can have a major positive impact on your sales when done correctly.
Reinforce Emotional Connections
If you choose to dramatically redesign your packaging, you must make a strong effort to reinforce the emotional connections that customers feel with your product. Most people can’t explain why they pick one product over another, and industry experts feel this may be due to the emotional connection. In other words, you should make sure that your package continues to connect your brand to your clients, appealing to their interests.
Maintain Visual Cues or Shapes
For those who are highly concerned about maintaining their brand appeal during a packaging redesign, consider sticking to evolutionary changes or only mildly revolutionary ones. Instead of completely redesigning every aspect, maintain the same visual cues. In other words, don’t create a new logo, choose a new font, select a new color theme, and change the shape and size of your container all at the same time. Instead, figure out which parts of your current packaging work and maintain those elements so customers can still recognize your brand and product. Don’t hesitate to poll your customers to find out what they like about your packaging and their opinion on your new design before it hits the shelves.
