The Breakdown
Step into the shoes of your B2B customers and imagine you are the buyer for a new store. You have two choices: Johnson & Johnson and a lesser-known, discounted brand. If you chose the name brand, ask yourself why. The discounted brand sells the same items and you get more bang for your buck.
The answer is marketing.
Packaging is the first impression of any brand. You (and your customers) had years of exposure to Johnson & Johnson’s logo and packaging. Studies show that children exposed to brands are more likely to remain brand-loyal in adulthood.
What will it take for the other brand to compete? Learn what makes a good package design and why it is vital for driving sales.
The Principles of B2B Packaging Design
There is a lot of detail that goes into the design of custom packaging. Companies should think through the entire process that their product will go through to create an effective packaging solution. Keep this set of principles in mind while you think through your products life to enable your brand to effectively stand out to B2B consumers:
- Keep it Simple
- Authenticity Sells
- Brand Consistency in Product Expansion
- Shipping and Receiving Arrangements
- Effective Footprint
Let’s take a closer look at some of these principles in-depth.
Keep it Simple
B2B customers are going to be less focused on flashy graphics, and more focused on graphics that clearly convey what the product is. It should be very quick and easy to understand what the product is.
Consider the impact of negative space. Negative space can seem like a waste, but it can drastically help draw attention to the most important parts of your branding. Effective spacing makes it easy for businesses to identify the brand, type of product, and benefits of the product. Too much text can detract from the critical identifiers of the product.
Authenticity Sells
Authenticity is very important for B2B sales. If a business is reselling your product, it becomes a reflection of their business. B2B customers expect the product they are accustomed to purchasing will be the same on the next purchase. Any deviation from this can cause the customer to lose trust in a brand.
Brand Consistency
Are you planning on expanding your product line? Consistent packaging design is critical in maintaining brand identity which really helps your shelf presence. Businesses should not have to take the time to try and determine which brand, or product line, new products fit into.
The best way to do this is a strong logo that can be presented in a variety of ways and scaled to a variety of sizes without losing brand recognition. That identity also includes a consistent style of fonts and taglines. As long as the style is consistent, color schemes can be manipulated for different product lines without losing brand identity.
Shipping and Receiving Arrangements
Custom packaging needs to be easy to ship and receive for a good B2B relationship. The medium that your product packaging comes in should be quickly identifiable and convenient to unload. Any labor that goes into assembling something like a display needs to be simple, and quick to do. If a company creates packaging that is inconvenient for a business to use, it can lead to them going with a competitor that has already streamlined this process.
Logical Footprint
A big factor a business will take into consideration is the footprint of packaging. Competition for space on shelves is getting more and more competitive so custom packaging needs to be designed efficiently to not take up unnecessary room. Companies also need to consider the type of environment that they will be utilizing for sales. Different companies will have varying shelf sizes, hanging spaces, or counter space that need to be considered. Some companies may also have strict rules that packaging must follow to even be considered.
Harness the Power of Packaging
What makes a good package design for B2B customers? Packaging that takes any questions out of a buyer’s decision. Remember these rules for simplicity, and authenticity as you brainstorm how to cater your packaging to the environment you are selling to. Effective packaging can be the deciding factor when a business is choosing your product over another company’s.
Are you ready to put your ideas into motion? Contact us today to get the packaging your product deserves.
