Packaging

Maximising Consumer Appeal With Strategic Plant-Based Packaging

A product’s packaging is its visual handshake with consumers; it’s the first interaction, where preconceptions are challenged and perceptions formed.

Alternative protein products are in a unique position regarding their packaging. Often using novel ingredients and innovative production techniques, the aim is to entice consumers towards a product that might feel unfamiliar compared to an established animal product counterpart.

Tackling these challenges and the host of pre-existing consumer assumptions that come with them, effective packaging is a key aspect of a product’s success. Secure a strong first impression, and you’ll position your product favourably in consumer minds, paving the way for repeat purchases.

In its recent New Food Hub article, ProVeg International shares plant-based packaging best practices to boost your sales, with recommendations on colour palettes, labelling decisions, materials, wording, and imagery.

The power of colour

Don’t underestimate the power of colour.

Your product packaging’s colour palette will be one of your first impressions on the consumer. Research on the most effective colour palettes for plant-based packaging has found that consumers tend to associate brown and dark packaging, and contrasting colours, with tasty and healthy plant-based products.1

ProVeg recommends taking either a very traditional or very different approach. Whilst familiarity and traditionality have a strong positive association with consumer purchasing intent, some brands have shown that thinking outside the box can pay off too.

© Pink Albatross

Pink Albatross is a great example of why the rulebook isn’t something you necessarily have to play by. The brand’s bold, vibrant colours go against the traditional colours recommended by research and adopted by plant-based products.

“We knew that we had to be able to visually stand out in those micro-seconds that a consumer takes to make a purchase decision. That meant having a colour that was eye-catching… that would stand out. We went against a lot of conventional thinking. We were aware of that, and took the risk.” – Luke Saldanha, Co-Founder of Pink Albatross, in an interview with ProVeg International

Pink Albatross’s bold design goes against the mainstream, and that’s why it stands out.

Remember, with something as subjective as your packaging’s aesthetic appeal, research and data should guide, not dictate. A healthy dose of creativity and innovation can work wonders!

Want to boost your plant-based product sales through intuitive packaging? Read the full article, unlock the remaining recommendations on the New Food Hub, and get in touch with the expert team directly at [email protected].

1 How to drive plant-based food purchasing, (2019). GFI. Available at: https://gfi.org/images/uploads/2019/10/GFI-Mindlab-Report-Implicit-Study_Strategic_Recommendations.pdf. Accessed 2023-10-09.

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