How brand packaging design deals with changing consumer behaviors

Consumer behaviors and attitudes are forever changing, which means packaging design must follow suit for brands to continue to thrive. This article takes a closer look at recent shifts in consumer behaviors and extends those trending changes to specific solutions both brands and packaging designers today cannot do without. 

Single and ready for instant gratification

Now more than ever, consumers have no time to lose. Not only do they work longer hours than their parents’ and grandparents’ generations, the number of single-person households is also increasing. As is the consumer’s belief their purchases should be a reflection, nay, a celebration of their individuality. So brands face a conundrum: how to personalize packaging design in a market where mass production still sets the rules and do it fast enough so the consumer is not tempted to take their business elsewhere?

Brand packaging design 2.0

In response to the changing consumer trends mentioned above, brands are betting their money on:

• Single-serve packaging formats: family size and economy packs are making way for smaller single-serve packs and resealable packaging formats that allow for easy portion control without compromising on freshness.
• Next-level customization: sure, ‘Share a Coke’ was a whopping success. But it also raised the bar for brands that want to impress. Did you know General Mills gives consumers the ability to have their face printed on their very own cereal box?

Must-have tools for brand owners

To rise to the occasion, brand owners are pulling out all the stops by investing in an array of must-have tools for their packaging designers:

Packaging management

Esko’s cloud-based WebCenter helps packaging designers to manage projects from preproduction up to the point of distribution, ensuring all stakeholders are kept in the loop at all times.

Workflow automation

Esko’s Automation Engine gets files from design through prepress onto the press faster and free of errors.

Structural design software

A structural design software tool such as ArtiosCAD is indispensable for streamlining design, product development, virtual prototyping, and manufacturing. You can use it to design both in 2D and 3D, and create designs based on common standards, a library of materials, and asset management. Inspired by What They Think