Be memorable. This is a tough ask for brands. When a consumers step into the grocery store, they are bombarded with so many consumer brands, all with different design strategies. Consumers might be drawn to package colors, imagery, and messages. Through innovative packaging design that emphasizes key ingredients, your company can stand out on the shelves.  

The Power of Key Ingredients

Today, brands have found various ways to communicate with health-conscious consumers. One is through packaging design - graphic elements, innovative and sustainable packaging materials, and images of nature transmit the message that a brand is healthy and natural. 

As consumers roam the grocery store aisles or look up products online, the messaging on the package is key to their decision-making. When packaging emphasizes the consumer’s desired message, this simplifies decision-making. Someone who is following a gluten-free diet will be more likely to reach for the package that says “gluten free” in large letters on the front of the package, rather than scouring the ingredients list on the back. 

Highlighting key ingredients is a powerful design strategy for consumer packaging. 

Principles of Innovative Packaging Design

How can you appeal to consumers through innovative consumer packaging? The design of your product is paramount when prospective customers are considering what to buy. Use innovative packaging ideas to create packaging designs that make an impact. 

1. Know what is important to your audience so that you can effectively target your message. 
2. Position your product. Define what your target audience wants and note how your product meets their needs. If your customers prefer organic products and your product is organic, this can be at the core of your messaging. 
3. Synchronize your message. Use visuals, packaging choices, and text together to develop a cohesive message about your product. 
4. Be transparent and genuine. Particularly in the health food arena, this lets consumers know that they can trust your product. Put your ingredients front and center. 

Strategies for Emphasizing Key Ingredients

What is in your product? How can you tell your customers? Consumer brands use many different strategies to highlight key ingredients through packaging design.

1. Simplify your graphic design to make your message stand out.
2. Use minimalist packaging, allowing consumers to focus on your key message. 
3. Target your tag line, letting customers know about your core values and key ingredients. 
4. Create a core visual that features your key ingredients. For example, you could feature a close up of a field, with a tag line that states that your product is unprocessed. 
5. Ensure that the rest of your design echoes your core message. If you have a healthy, unprocessed product, your packaging could feature hand-lettered design, earth tones, and sustainable materials.  

PKG Brand Design’s Approach

In our product brand design, we take careful note of the intersection between your market and your product, crafting a design that highlights your key message or ingredients. For example, in the design of Perdue chicken packaging, we targeted the healthy consumer with the message “No Antibiotics Ever!” beside the name of the brand. The message draws the eye as it is on a bright yellow background, and it is echoed below the product description as well, where we highlight other healthy characteristics of the product. This design strategy gives space for a small list of health messages while emphasizing a core message that the product is antibiotic-free.  

Conclusion

Your customers care about your product’s ingredients. The goal of your graphics and packaging design should be to focus the consumer’s attention on the way in which you meet their needs. At PKG Brand Design, we work with top brands to create a cohesive message for your brand - one that combines effective writing, visuals, and packaging design. Learn how we can help you reach your market:  subscribe to our blog today.