How does perfume packaging design influence customers’ decisions?

With new product launches almost every day, the cosmetic and perfume industry faces many challenges in finding ways for their products to stand out. Packaging represents an important element, as it can attract customers’ attention and convince them to buy a certain product. But how does this process occur? What factors influence clients’ buying behaviour? Let’s discuss in this article.

Perfume packaging: the “silent salesman” in the luxury industry

When we talk about cosmetic and perfume packaging, the external appearance of the products can easily trigger impulsive buying even when buyers don’t intend to make a purchase. This is especially true in the luxury packaging industry because people want to get their money’s worth when they buy an expensive object. The quality of the bottle, the beauty of the box, their design, the luxury packaging materials chosen, and how these are decorated are all elements that prove the value of the product and can lead to successful and effective packaging.

Marketing experts often refer to packaging as the “silent salesman,” as it can influence buyers’ decisions even more than a retail salesperson. They observed this phenomenon when self-service retail shopping emerged, which gave buyers the power to choose their preferred products without the help of any assistant. They noticed that some elements of the package might attract consumers, which meant they could be designed strategically. From that moment, perfume packaging became a crucial element of branding and marketing.

In particular, perfume packaging must be exploited as an opportunity for the brand to tell a story and provide an experience for the consumers, communicating the right message just from the first glance. This message must be coherent with the nature of the brand and must convince clients to buy. Perfume, in fact, does not mean just having a good smell; consumers often consider the fragrance bottle a real collector’s item—something to display on their shelves.

According to Peter Bloch’s Model of Consumer Responses to Product Form (1995), “When given the choice between two products, equal in price and function, target consumers buy the one they consider to be more attractive.” His theory supports the fact that perfume packaging is not just a cover to protect and contain the product. It is a serious issue that can affect sales. Similar fragrances of different competitors can have some scents, notes, or other characteristics in common, but what differentiates them is their packaging.

Three main components can contribute to the success of perfume packaging:

Material

The material of perfume packaging must convey elegance and prestige, but it must be functional at the same time, protecting the product, avoiding any leakage or contamination, and being easy to use. Quality, performance, and functionality are the three elements to evaluate when choosing the material for your packaging.

Wood is considered the best material for luxury packaging, as it responds to all these requirements: it provides a tactile and sensory experience that is unthinkable with other materials, and it can be left rough or enhanced with many types of finishing options. Moreover, we have to consider that there are very expensive and prestigious wood essences, such as mahogany, teak, ebony, santos, bubinga, wengé, and burl, which evoke exotic paradises and landscapes and also for that, they are appreciated by luxury brands.

Design

As mentioned before, many people consider perfume bottles as objects of design—something to display in their bedroom or bathroom. Accordingly, proper design is critical. Complicated shapes are the most attractive for consumers, especially curved lines, as they convey an elegant and graceful image. Bottles can have amazing shapes, but you must find an expert manufacturer that is able to create them. If you want to widen your catalogue with wooden perfume packaging, for example, you have to select a supplier with the right machinery and tools to manage wood together with a deep knowledge of its characteristics and precise tolerances, as they are crucial to get a perfect product.

The design of perfume packaging should give additional value to the product and respond to brands’ need for uniqueness and identification. That is why customized solutions and production can be the answer for an unrepeatable and unique perfume packaging. A competent manufacturer must be able to produce original and distinctive shapes and present new ideas, observing new trends and responding to customers’ preferences.

Innovation

Innovation means the ability to offer several finishing options and materials that customers have never seen before. Wood, for example, can be enhanced with many types of finishing that can make it more prestigious and elegant.

Among the possibilities:

• oil finishings, which make wood look richer, translucent, and weather or moisture resistant
• water-based finishings, which provide a clean and clear appearance
• polymer coatings, which make wood look like plastic and are very innovative
• embossing, which is used to decorate wooden surfaces with tridimensional patterns
• engraving, which is a relief printing process known for its small scale and fine line work
• soft-touch finishings, which add a velvety-soft feel to printed wood
• glossy finishings, which give a shiny image to the packaging

That’s why wood can satisfy buyers who want exclusive and original products, which is something that is worth paying for.

To sum up, the first thing consumers see when they buy a new fragrance is its packaging, which is why it is very important in their purchasing decisions. Packaging affects the perception people have of the value of the brand and the product itself. Companies are aware of this and always look for innovative ways to make their products stand out. With its eighty years of experience in wood manufacturing, Minelli S.p.A. can help you satisfy your clients’ needs and preferences, offering unique products and anticipating new trends. If you want to talk with one of our experts, click here for a free consultation!