Luxury Packaging
Richard Burhouse, commercial director at API, discusses foils and laminates used for luxury products with regard to research undertaken by Package InSight.
he study, titled, ‘Brand impact delivered through packaging’
presents compelling proof of consumers’ preference for luxury packs that have been foiled or laminated. There has never been a better
time to incorporate foils, laminates and holographic effects into packaging than today. Thanks to technological advances, designers in 2017 have an array of metallic colours and screen effects at their fingertips that predecessors could have only dreamed of, enabling them to take foil packaging to the next level with even more sophisticated pack solutions. For luxury products that require strong shelf-appeal – gifts, wine labels, cosmetics, personal care goods – metallic embellishments are becoming essential. A recent study by Package
InSight highlights the role of foils and laminates in a consumer’s product buying decision. The study, which took place in the CUshop laboratory at Clemson University, found that adding metallic embellishments to premium
chocolate packaging both attracts consumer attention and drives purchase intent. This was discovered by using hi-tech eye-tracking glasses to uncover the subconscious decision processes within shoppers’ minds, thereby offering brand owners valuable new insights into consumer preferences when purchasing consumer goods. The 70 participants were asked to
wear the calibrated eye-tracking glasses while selecting products from shelves within an artificial shopping environment. Some products were foil stamped or laminated, while others featured no such embellishments. The glasses allowed Package InSight to track participants’ eye movements up to 50 times per second, picking up minute nonconscious signals. From this, they were able to produce detailed heat maps showing, how often the participants had looked at each product, and how long they had looked for. The results were clear: for both the Swiss and Belgian varieties of luxury chocolate included in the study, participants looked at the embellished packs significantly
more often (an average of 196 times compared to 134) than the unembellished ones. Similarly, they also looked at the embellished packs significantly longer (an average of 1.41 times longer) than the unembellished ones. In other words, the foiled and laminated packs attracted shoppers’ attention more often and held it for longer than packs that did not feature metallic embellishments. But most significantly of all, the
researchers discovered a strong correlation between fixation-time and product selection: the longer participants looked at the pack, the more likely (six per cent to 23 per cent) they were to purchase it. A further interview segment of the study then shone light on why participants favoured the foiled and laminated packs, with a consensus emerging that these treatments added a premium feel to the chocolate that was suggestive of higher quality products. Responses included, “The foil-stamped version looks more elegant and expressive,” and “It gives it a more premium look and shows attention to detail.” As the results of the Package
Brand impactdelivered through packaging T
InSight study show, foils and laminates significantly boost the appeal of luxury chocolate products (and by implication, other luxury products) within a retail store environment. It provides quantitative data on the impact of metallic embellishments on brand and shelf impact, and offers a compelling argument for brand owners who feel discouraged by the extra cost involved in foil stamping; money is more than likely to be regained through sales. For all of these reasons, this information could have a profound impact on the future of luxury packaging. It should be noted, however, that metallic enhancements do not necessarily lead to an increase in sales for all products. As the participants’ comments about elegance and a premium feel imply, customers have their own associations with foils – and when these are defied, their effect can be reduced or even reversed. The full potential of foils is therefore only reached when they are carefully and expertly integrated into a brand offering, working in harmony with all other elements of a pack. 70 per cent of purchasing decisions are now made in store. This shows the importance of standing out from the crowd, but also underlines the need to present a clear image in a brief window of time. That is why API works closely with design teams throughout the design process, striving to gain a deep understanding of each brand so that its products can complement, rather than complicate, the product. This approach to packaging
design, coupled with the benefits of foil and laminates delivers an interesting proposition for premium and luxury brands today.
www.apigroup.com 26 June 2017
www.convertermag.co.uk
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