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Guide To Chocolate Packaging Design

Views: 205     Author: XianDa     Publish Time: 2023-09-14      Origin: Site

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Guide To Chocolate Packaging Design

1. Chocolate Packaging Design Elements

The visual elements of a chocolate product's packaging design are critical in capturing the attention of consumers. Let's go over these again to refresh our memory on each design element.


Colors and Themes: Colors and themes are important in packaging design because they can elicit specific emotions and associations with the product. Colors and themes frequently reflect your brand personality and can vary greatly depending on your consumer audience. Consider the color and pattern differences between a Hershey bar and Tony's Chocolonely.


Typography and Font: The choice of typography and font can influence how a consumer perceives a brand and contribute to the overall aesthetic appeal of the packaging design. While you can find fonts that match your brand's aesthetic, make sure they are legible and easy to read.


The shape and size of a chocolate product's packaging influence its shelf appeal and convenience. It can also convey information about the product. An oversized chocolate bar may appeal to a wide-eyed child, but it will not appeal to a calorie-conscious consumer.


Texture and material choices in packaging design add tactile interest, potentially increasing the perceived quality and value of the product. For this reason, many brands include outer packaging. A chocolate box design has more leeway than a chocolate wrapper.


Imagery and Graphics: Because imagery and graphics can serve as visual cues to the product's flavor, ingredients, and even intended audience, they are an important component of packaging design. Natural chocolate bar packaging might depict a cacao bean in nature, whereas a culture-focused chocolate brand might use bright colors to stand out.


2. Factors to Consider When Designing a Chocolate Package

There are preliminary steps that must be taken in every CPG category, but the strategy is especially important in the chocolate category. As a result, before moving on to creative, brands must consult with their packaging design agency about each factor. Click here for Chocolate Box.


2.1 Target Market and Demographics

Identifying your target audience as women in their early 30s might have worked for previous generations, but we live in a much more specialized world. Thousands of chocolate brands with seven figures or greater revenues are fighting for the broad target market example we just used.


A better target market would be a working mother in her early 30s who loves to entertain, pairing wine with chocolate with her friends. Even this might be too broad, but you get the point.


2.2 Identity and Branding

How do you want your brand to be remembered by your customers? Are you an occasional product consumed for specific reasons (e.g., See's Candy) or a daily occurrence where consumers develop a habit (e.g., caffeine-infused chocolate)? Each approach to brand identity differs, and you should be clear about who you want to be in the market before creating any chocolate bar branding.


2.3 Product Distinction

The first brand to combine caffeine and chocolate achieved true product differentiation. Attending the natural products expo, unfortunately, confirms that this is no longer a point of differentiation. Points of differentiation based on ingredients are a good start, but brand positioning builds more trust and prevents competitor saturation. It will be more difficult for a brand to replace Cadbury as an Easter chocolate substitute than it will be for sustainably sourced cacao products.


2.4 Usefulness and Convenience

Chocolate products must be readily available. Brand switching is an ongoing issue for many companies in this category, and you cannot rely on DTC and a single retailer for your product's success. If you want to enter the chocolate category, you must take an omnichannel CPG approach.


2.5 Environmental friendliness and sustainability

Although sustainability is not a differentiating factor, it has become a category expectation. In this CPG category, consumer awareness of the need to be eco-friendly is only second to coffee.


Threading sustainability into your brand story is standard practice for chocolate companies, so you must stand out by uniquely communicating your sustainable practices.


3. The Psychology of Chocolate Packaging Design

Surface-level awareness will not result in a loyal customer. Understanding how packaging design influences consumer behavior is essential for converting the consumer into a repeat buyer of your product. Here are three examples:


3.1 Color Psychology

We have some reservations about this subject. However, it is worthwhile to put it to the test. After determining your target customer, you can test how colors influence purchase intent.


3.2 Value Perception

Distinctive packaging that communicates a higher value always wins. Perceived worth begins with identifying the words that increase your worth, followed by a design that reflects the message.


3.3 Emotional Resonance

The public frequently uses the word inspiration in a celebratory manner. However, inspiration is the action that occurs within an emotion. Sadness, joy, shock, and other emotions can all inspire. Creating an emotional appeal on your package should be entirely focused on attracting the consumer's hands to the package, causing them to pick it up and take a closer look.


3.4 Confirmation Test

A consumer psychology approach necessitates package design testing. Otherwise, you're just throwing out ideas that may sound good in a meeting but fall flat when it comes to showcasing your packaging design in a retail setting.


4. Design Trends in Chocolate Packaging

Previous generations noticed a trend toward dark chocolate as there was a growing awareness of antioxidants and health. We are now entering a world of chocolate personalization, which is influencing packaging presentations. Here are two of the market's most visible chocolate packaging design trends.


4.1 Storytelling and Minimalism

It appears strange that chocolate companies are adhering to the minimalist packaging design movement until you open the package. Brands are now rejecting the Willy Wonka gold foil focus in favor of letting the cardboard box do the talking. Chocolate companies frequently write articles about sustainability and include them as inner packaging content.


4.2 Functional Ingredients

Caffeine isn't the only ingredient being promoted as an upgrade to the standard chocolate bar. In the formulas, we find functional ingredients like matcha. And, as previously stated, ingredients are not a "sustainable" point of differentiation for this category. Sustainable is easily replicated by category pioneers working with low-minimum manufacturers.


5. Innovations in Chocolate Packaging

Packaging innovation is occurring across many categories, but chocolate is leading the way for many of these concepts.


5.1 Multisensory Experimentation

We live in an integrated world where tactile touch evokes emotions in consumers, yet they grab their phones and scan the QR code for products with smart packaging. Bridging these two worlds together for a multisensory experience is the best way to reach consumers.


5.2 Personalization

When creating a personal experience for the consumer, we must not overlook the importance of nostalgia. Until recently, brands were limited to a single print unless they were willing to pay exorbitant plate charges. You can now not only include the "golden ticket," but also print it directly on the box. More chocolate companies should capitalize on the opportunity to personalize the experience.


5.3 Tertiary Containers

The term "tertiary" is usually reserved for shipping pallets or large boxes of product, but in the case of chocolate, it's another way to stand out on the shelf. A packaging design for the box that your chocolate bars come in will ensure proper slotting and allow you to broaden your presentation.

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