How It’s Packaged
It’s that time of year again where everyone is beginning the big push toward their holiday preparations. Packages are being dropped off at every door in my neighborhood, grocery stores are packed, and party invitations are being passed around like water.
Considering the aesthetics of it all really got me thinking about the value of packaging and presentation. My family of origin was all work and no show. They would spend hours in the kitchen, creating a delicious meal, making every sauce, baked good and bread from scratch. Then after all that preparation, the food would be set on the kitchen counter and left on the stove top, without so much as a thought toward garnishments or pretty serving tables. People would shuffle through and find the food, choose a table, then scarf it down. It was a labor of love and a gift.
Fast forward to Pinterest, being an adult, and witnessing my fair share of feasts and parties- What were they doing? They did all the hard work of creating a top tier product and then they didn’t provide the packaging to bring it all together.
Conversely, I have a friend we will call her Maria. I don’t think I’ve ever had a piece of food made from scratch in her house. She will grab Trader Joe’s hors’devours, Costco dinners, or takeout. Her presentation of such foods is where the magic happens. Candles are set out, calligraphy labels adorn everything, flowers are arranged, and the prettiest charcuterie boards are strategically placed.
The packaging hits every note and things feel special and opulent. She has mastered the art of presentation.
Marketing Application
The concept of presentation reaches far beyond food or wrapping paper. Research, as well as personal experience, shows the importance of presentation in sales and customer satisfaction.
First, think about brick and mortar store experiences. The classic example is that of how Mr. Selfridge changed the nature of shopping in a department store in London by taking customer experience into account. Perfume was placed at the front of the store, careful thought went into the displays. Items were arranged for tactile engagement.
This new style of marketing paid off quickly and caught notable attention. Juxtapose this experience with trying to shuffle through merchandise and find things in a disorganized store with bins spilling and harsh lighting. Even if the products remained the same, where would you be inclined to spend more?
Secondly, think about customer experience on a website. There is the design and flow of the site, ease of use, updated and connected links, and of course page load times. Keeping your website clean and pages loading quickly makes a significant difference in whether your prospects become customers and whether your customers stay engaged.
Third, think about compelling emails. How many times have you clicked an email only to close it because it looks unprofessional and uninspiring?
Take It All the Way
As much as we all want to scream, “The products can sell themselves”- reality is that the packaging often carries people over the finish line or causes an early exit. Good products packaged attractively, engaged with seamlessly, and presented clearly will beat great products on a glitchy website, emails with lorem ipsum carelessly left behind, or packages where you see more tape than ribbon.
Here at Areveo, we help you go to market with form as well as function. You’ve already done the hard part.
Reach out to us and learn how we can help you best showcase your products and services today!