Did you know that there’s a lot of different ways packaging can influence the world, not just with the designs? There’s actually different planning that goes into this, and even colors can evoke feelings.
In cultures, you need to know the ramifications of using similar designs in many places. Some countries love that, others don’t.
But, if you’re looking to modify the packaging, here’s how you can appeal to various cultures.
Go multi-lingual
While English is the official language for businesses, not everyone does. A little over the quarter of the world does in fact, especially including those as a second language. If you’re going to send the product to various countries, you’ll need to make sure you use the right sort of packaging language to convey what’s in there.
Audience appeal
If you’re someone who has ever traveled out of the country, you’ve probably noticed that difference between the supermarkets in the US, UK, and other places.
Japan is very vibrant and bright with the packaging and encourages cartoons and drawings.
Swiss types of packaging are more understated, subtle, and more plain colors, bolder writing, and being minimalist. In the UK, the luxury products are in black block bags, but in China, you don’t use black because it means death.
You might think using a certain color or way of showing something will help to stand out, and people will like it, but it actually might tank your sales. You need to make sure that the packaging does reflect the culture, and the appeal to products to look desirable from the get-go.
The Green Factor
You also need to focus on going green. These days, there’s a big increase in being eco friendly, creating a large culture of so-called “eco-warriors” who will only get products that are sourced and responsibly packaged. Some are also starting to ban products that don’t do this, embracing eco friendliness and sustainability as well.
With so many different types of environmentally friendly types of packaging, such as biodegradable items, recycled and recyclable items, and even natural materials such as bamboo, if you know that it’s a big part to be eco friendly, you’ll want to make sure that you invest in it, to stand apart from the other people in this culture.
Innovative levels of Packaging
Packaging is a necessity for some of these items, but if you can think of how to make it useful and innovative, it will increase the sales by a lot.
Come up with designs that are like something nobody else on the market might do to grab the attention. Don’t be afraid to tap into what cultures are like too. Maybe you’ve got a new, unique idea that works for Japanese cultures. This could be practical, and there are more uses now that the packaging and function is spent.
On occasion, you might find some standard packaging that’s innovative without even realizing it.
For example, Neerlandia found that powdered milk worked in Africa. But they found that they needed to use the boxes as well, especially since the milk boxes were great for repurposing.
Localization
Finally, if you have certain quips or even little things you want to put on the package, don’t be afraid to also consider the localization that’s there too. A lot of global brands don’t realize that they might need to localize and adapt the packaging to cultures.
The solution at that point is to do some research, and figure out the preferences, then do the design based on that. over time, you’ll find that it does work, improving the success and conversion rates of your packaging.