Every big company knows why packaging is vital in the marketing of a product - packaging is what convinces the consumer that the product is worth buying. The simplest way to understand the functions of a package is using the three Ps: preserve, protect, promote. While the first two are well understood, it is the last function of promotion that is least explored. In a sense, promotion is where the package takes on the role as the silent salesman. The package promises to keep the product safe and sound, while also promising that the product is right for the designated consumer. A regular salesman uses literal, word-of-mouth communication to get a message across, pull consumers' emotions, and promise that the product will benefit everyone and anyone watching. The silent salesman can do all of those things, just in multiple different forms of communication: direct, brand-emotion, and indirect.
Direct Communication is the simplest yet loudest form of communication done by the silent salesman. A very important duty of the package is communicating the necessary information that consumers look for when first facing the product. Direct communication differs from indirect and brand-emotion communication simply because unlike the other two, it is expressed in the form of text. These texts will at the very least include the product name, brand, and description. No matter what the font color, font size, or duration, this information has to be communicated directly in order for the package to meet the market.
Commercial Salesman: "New Clean & Clear, Fruit Infusions with vitamins and antioxidants. So purify your pores, get happier looking, vibrant skin. Clear and under control!"
Silent Salesman: directly states the brand is Clean & Clear, product is Fruit Essentials facial cleanser, definition of the cleanser as a promise to either brighten, purify, or energize the skin.
While the salesman from the commercial describes the package using word-of-mouth, the silent salesman clearly states the information in a location easy for consumers to locate.
Brand communication is something far less straightforward than direct communication, but still somewhat clear...and maybe a little clean. This can be expressed through the brand's name, color, or shape. Brand communication often uses all three of these techniques to make customers feel more comfortable about their purchase decision. If you think about it, a brand isn't the company itself, a brand is the reputation and view of the company from the public eye. Having a company with a trusted and popular reputation means having a good brand. If the brand is indeed "good", packaging designers will use that to their advantage when it comes to the marketing process.
The most simple form of brand communication is the brand name itself. For example, when hearing the brand name "Coca-Cola", it pulls an emotion that almost all Americans have in common - a feeling of comfort towards the world-renowned, loved and trusted soda. Coke would not succeed nearly as much as it does if it didn't slab the brand name across the can for consumers to spot at first glance. In addition to the name, the font that the brand name is in is extremely noteworthy; Coca-Cola isn't Coca-Cola if not written in cursive!
The second type of brand communication is color. When picturing Coca-Cola, most would see the red and white color scheme. These recognizable colors are what we know and trust, because they are associated with the trustworthy brand. If Coca-Cola were to start selling cans that are yellow with blue font, consumers would not recognize the product as easily, and might also be skeptical as to whether they can trust the product as being Coca-Cola.
The last type of brand communication is expressed by shape. Sure the pop can is the same shape as every other flavor of pop, but the coca-cola bottle surely is not. The hour-glass figure of the glass bottle is one of the strongest means of communication for the silent salesmen of Coca-Cola. Since 1915, customers have been recognizing this shape as a drink that will never be questionable of its originality and trustworthiness.
The final way that a package communicates with consumers is through indirect communication. This is where the creativity in the packaging design world comes in - color, patterns, unique shape, eco-friendliness, convenience, the material, and the list goes on. Every remaining physical attribute the package has contributes to indirect communication with consumers. For example, a hot pink package in the shape of a female's head infers that the product is feminine. If the package contains handles, reusable features, or stand-up abilities, it can be inferred that the product is attempting to make the experience for the consumer easier and more convenient for them. This creates a respectful relationship between the consumer and the product, and potentially the brand as well. Unique design is a major way the package indirectly communicates with consumers. A creative and innovate looking package might make the consumer feel as if they are also unique when purchasing it. The personality given to the package is the personality then associated with the product; the consumer has an impression of the product's personality and is making that apart of their own personality when purchasing it.
Packaging provides several visceral cues designed to affect consumers' perceptions of the product and influence their decision making. A package doesn't just preserve and protect the product, it convinces consumers to purchase the product with the use of direct, indirect, and brand communication.
