Personalised packaging plays an important role in the purchasing process by appealing to consumers individually. Coca-Cola’s Share-a-Coke campaign put consumers’ names on cans and bottles more than ten years ago and showed the packaging industry what was possible and sparked interest in personalisation. FESPA’s Personalisation Ambassador Richard Askam points out that since then, the industry seems to have stalled at what should have been the jumping-off point for the next evolution in packaging and explains why personalised packaging needs to move beyond names.
“Don’t ask how; ask why”
Richard Askam says that as a brand owner, the question should no longer be about whether you can personalise something and they have already reached the point at which you can personalise packaging to the nth degree if you wish to. Askam points out that however, just because you can, does not mean you should and personalisation needs to have a purpose, disclosing: “So, the question you should be asking is not whether you can personalise, but rather what story you want the packaging to tell about the brand, the product or the customer themselves. The answer to that question should, in turn, be what dictates the personalisation tactics you deploy.”
Saying personalisation is impactful because it makes an emotional connection Askam notes that yet, while someone’s name may be an identifier, it really is one of the least personal and emotive things about them. Askam relays that this is why brands and retailers need to move beyond names and continued: “Human beings are hardwired for ego, and personalisation plays into that by demonstrating a company’s recognition of our individuality. By using their understanding of their customers – from specific customer information and demographics through to buying behaviour and motivations for purchase – brands can deploy surprise and delight with personalised packaging that taps into customers’ desire to feel special.”
“Create an emotional touchpoint on the customer experience journey”
Richard Askam states that the unboxing experience can be an opportunity to validate the customer’s purchase decision and begin to build loyalty, saying that by adding personalisation, brands and retailers can enhance this further by turning this experience into an emotional touchpoint on the customer experience journey.
Askam discloses that good packaging tells a story about the brand before it has even been opened, so it is no surprise that luxury packaging is forecast to grow at around 5.5% on annual basis over the next decade and notes that the use of personalisation and customisation to make an emotional connection with consumers is one of the drivers of this growth.
Saying; “Alongside the many motivators for making packaging part of the personalised customer experience, another trend increasing personalisation’s appeal is the shift toward more minimalist and environmentally friendly packaging,” Richard Askam noted that when less is more, packaging needs to work even harder to stand out, and personalisation can be an impactful way to achieve this.
Personalised packaging will stand out at FESPA GPE
Askam says that the opportunities in personalised packaging are plentiful but are not necessarily joined up yet and concluded: “Personalisation Experience, co-located with FESPA Global Print Expo 2023 (Munich, 23rd – 26th May 2023), aims to address this. By bringing together creative agencies, brand owners and retailers with packaging and print businesses, the event will catalyse conversations and establish the connections businesses need to capitalise on the personalisation opportunity. With a line-up that includes pioneers in personalised packaging, retail experts and consumer behaviourists, the Personalisation Experience conference will provide valuable insight into the future of personalisation and inspire delegates with ideas and applications they had not even imagined were possible.”