To help, we’ve put together a list of food content marketing trends for 2023 that will help you cook up a winning recipe.
A food content marketing trend for 2023 that seems to be on the rise is understanding how to market your product or food services by putting yourself in the shoes of your customers, and creating empathetic content. Instead of marketing from a business perspective, you should be addressing your target audience’s wants and needs, answering their questions and communicating with them in a way that evokes an emotional response. With 94% of consumers staying loyal to brands that are transparent and genuine, empathetic content should certainly be something you consider doing more of if you don’t already.
Typically within the food industry, consumers like to see themselves represented in some sort of way, showcasing your food brand in their everyday life is a great way to establish empathetic content that ties them in with your brand. Value-driven, empathetic content also means your brand should be addressing the bigger issues such as; sustainability, social responsibility, inclusivity and diversity - authenticity will get you a long way in 2023 it seems.
2022 saw the launch of shoppable links for e-commerce and this will continue to grow as a key food content marketing trend for 2023. Shoppable links make it more convenient for consumers to be taken to where they need, without having to leave the area they first saw the information, it’s pretty clever and shows how social media is adapting to the ever growing marketing world.
As a society our attention spans are becoming shorter and we’re more impatient, we like to have access to information quickly and with very little hassle. Shoppable links make it so consumers can find out more about your product and make an instant buy through the same link. This is great for food marketing as you’re able to promote a food product or service on your social channels and include a direct link to purchase, rather than directing them to your website. This increases the likelihood of a sale as all the hard work is taken out of the buying process for the consumer, and in most cases they won’t even have to move to get their card if they have Apple or Google Pay on their device. Convenient or what?
The power of TikTok cannot go ignored, and since the social platform blew up a few years ago, we’ve seen various developments, such as video marketing taking shape on the app. If a picture can speak a thousand words, a video can speak double that, if not more, making it very attractive to marketers. As humans, we’re usually very visually stimulated, which is why video content does well to entertain us in comparison to plain text.
TikTok is an ideal platform to produce video content, as the short-form videos conform to our demanding attention span and deliver information in an easily digestible package. When it comes to your food brand people love seeing behind the scenes content, perhaps in the kitchen where food is being prepared or packing orders to go out for delivery. The possibilities are truly endless and building a reputation on TikTok can help your brand’s personality shine through, generating more website traffic with 86% of marketers using video content to drive traffic to their website, leading to more interest and more sales.
It looks like podcasts remain the dominant audio food content marketing trend for 2023.Billions of people listen to podcasts yearly, making them an effective way to spread the word about your food brand. This type of audio content shouldn’t be too salesy, it should feel light and fun but also informative, so listeners are intrigued and search for your brand after hearing about it.
Audio content via the means of a podcast is also a great way to gain local attraction. Get your brand out there by playing on the fact that you're local with intriguing and leading lines like ‘Want to know why we’re the best fish and chip shop in X, Y, Z? Find out for yourself.’ Leave something to the imagination and make people hungry to try your food.
Influencer marketing has been a source of great results for many brands and that seems to be the same for 2023. With 93% of marketing professionals using influencer marketing to; increase brand awareness, build trust, reach their target audience, drive conversions and connect to a wider audience, it’s no surprise it gets results. It does seem though that the food content marketing trend for 2023 will be evolving to a preference of quality over quantity. Brands now care more about the trustworthiness of the influencer or the brand ambassador, and want to establish long-term, authentic relationships with both the influencer and their target audience.
Your food brand is more likely to gain an increased amount of searches, orders and visits if you have a set of consistent and reliable brand ambassadors who promote your brand. Essentially, you don’t want an influencer who one day is promoting vegan sweets and the next a meat-only burger shop. People are able to see through orchestrated influencer interactions and it just won’t wash in 2023. So it’s time to start leveraging user generated content and brand ambassadors that fit your food brand to make a positive impact.
There’s a huge data change set to take place in 2023 with Google Analytics. On the 1st July 2023 the current Universal Analytics, a web analytics service offered by Google that tracks and reports website traffic, will no longer process any new data and you’ll need to migrate across to the new Google Analytics 4 property.
The new GA4 property has many benefits from being able to collect more data than Universal Analytics, giving you a lot more insight into what people are doing on your site or app, and overall tracking more than just website traffic. All in all, GA4 will transform the way data is captured throughout 2023 and beyond.
If you’re looking to add any of these marketing trends into your mix but aren’t sure where to start, get in touch with Eat Marketing. Whether you need some expert advice, a thorough strategy, or social media support, we have the winning formula to help you stay ahead of the competition in the new year.
From sustainable packaging to faux 3D deco and muted colour palettes, we’ve outlined our top five food packaging design trends for 2022 so you can go into the new year, well equipped to reach new heights.
Here are our top food branding and packaging design trends for 2022:
Calm and muted colour palettes are at the forefront of food packaging design trends in 2022, so expect to see designers embracing it.
Post-COVID, everyone is craving peace and calm, and these muted and calming hues provide that sigh of relief, simplifying the branding for an aesthetic and modern appearance. Muted colours help to tone down a brand, so if you find your brand surrounded by bright coloured packaging from competitors, a muted style can help you stand out. Similarly, if you’re wanting to be perceived as natural and organic, using these muted, earthy tones can help you achieve this.
With this trend set to soar in 2022, Pantone has created its new shade for colour of the year and it’s a beautiful muted blue and purple tone. Named Pantone 17-3938 Very Peri, this colour is deemed the happiest and warmest of all the blue hues according to Pantone and we can expect to see this colour influence the design world.
Faux 3D graphic artwork adds an innovative twist to ordinary design to give a refined and contemporary edge. Playing with depth and illusion is a sure-fire technique to encourage customers to stop and look at your product.
The unique packaging design trend tells your customers that you're on top of the latest trends and technology, portraying the message that your product is well worth their money.
Earthy, uneven textures and materials serve as a reminder to customers of where you’re sourcing your materials from, which is essential for brands that want to promote their eco-friendly ethos and tap into the consumers’ conscience.
Raw, recycled materials like paper, wood, and cardboard are gradually being introduced to offer businesses an authentic and high-end feel, as well as providing a great backdrop for printed ink, creating a delicate colour distortion.
As the industry shifts to favour businesses that place sustainability at the centre of their brand, ethical and compostable packaging are one of the many ways you can demonstrate your commitment to sustainability.
Some food brands are set to take a step further by integrating smart technology onto their packaging. With the rise of smart devices, food brands are searching for effective ways to engage, inform, and educate their customers. This is where QR codes come into play. Innovatively replacing the instructional guides on food packaging, customers can scan this to retrieve information, be redirected to the brand’s website, or even for an interactive game as part of a marketing strategy.
The demand for a personalised style is one of the most prominent food packaging design trends to bridge the gap between consumer wants and product reality.
Consumers want to connect on a more personal level with the companies they buy from, and personalisation is a great method to entice them in and increase brand loyalty. In 2022, more food brands will be leaning towards this concept, attempting to appeal to niche customers in less superficial ways.
If you’re inspired by any of our top five food packaging design trends for the rest of 2022 and beyond, get in touch with Eat Marketing.
Image sources: 6.) www.99designs.com 7.) www.medium.com
To help, we’ve put together a list of food content marketing trends that will help you cook up a winning recipe in 2022.
Create short video content
Short video content is the food content marketing trend that has swept the industry in the last 18 months. Creating bite-sized, short-form content on social platforms with video features such as TikTok, YouTube Shorts, and Instagram Reels can really engage users, making it easier for them to discover your brand and foodie offering.
What’s more, there is significant audience growth potential with short video content as it often leaves consumers hungry for more. Therefore, this creative content can encourage users to return to your profile, therefore strengthening the connection between your brand and audience.
Conducting research to discover what type of content is most effective in the industry is a great way to get creative with trending reel and video content. Typically within the food industry, consumers enjoy seeing behind-the-scenes content such as the process of preparing a certain menu item, showing your team hard at work, or even focusing on your seasonal restaurant decor.
Consumers can absorb small bursts of information through a creative lens in videos that range between 30 seconds and a minute. Adding some music or voiceover on top will enhance this even more, and you'll end up with content that generates a buzz around your brand. Not only this, but if you’re doing something your competitors are failing to do, you're already ahead of the game and stand a better chance of retaining new customers.
Tailor and personalise your content to your customer
While it's important to optimise your content for search engines, it's equally important to personalise it to your target audience. Personalisation has always been a big hit with businesses, so there’s no surprise it’s a key food content marketing trend.
You boost your chances of obtaining business by speaking directly to your customers. For example, addressing their pain points, speaking on their level, and anticipating their wants and needs by providing them with related content, are all great ways to communicate with your target market.
The fact is, consumers are more likely to place their truth in people, not companies. To retain this trust, your brand can generate personalised and targeted content that humanises your brand and makes your customers feel recognised.
Sending emails to your loyal customers with exclusive promotions and discounts is a great way to achieve this. Presenting them with a reward will make them feel valued and appreciated, and they will be more likely to take you up on your offer as a result.
Place emphasis on user experience
Placing emphasis on your user experience is another example of an effective food content marketing trend that can help to increase your audience engagement.
The secret to keeping your customers happy is by having a user-friendly website. There’s nothing worse than your customers being unable to navigate your website. To avoid this, ensure it loads quickly so they’re not left waiting, make sure it’s mobile-friendly, and ensure your brand identity is consistent throughout.
In terms of the content you publish, having written content that is in small paragraphs and easy to read is vital. If your consumers are faced with too much text, they won’t spend any time on your site. Be sure to add plenty of visuals whether that’s photography, illustration, or video content, as this helps to break up walls of text and ultimately creates a better user experience.
Optimise content for voice search
Another food content marketing trend worth incorporating this year is optimising your content for voice search. With over one billion voice searches each month, your food brand can't afford to ignore voice search optimisation.
Today, so many consumers are using voice search engines such as Alexa, Siri, and Google to retrieve quick answers to their questions.
The best method of optimising your content is to use short and concise copy so your content is easy to find. For example, questions could include, “Where is the nearest fish and chip shop to me?” or “Is there gluten in XYZ?” If your content isn’t optimised for voice search, chances are you’ll miss out on this valuable traffic.
If your food business is optimised for voice search, the more chances you have of appearing in search engines, therefore helping you establish your brand’s online presence, and encouraging customers to buy your products.
Get on board with influencer marketing
It's hard to imagine a world where we don’t take pictures of our food before eating it, however, with the rise of influencer marketing, this is the one sure way to promote your food business.
A food content marketing trend that’s set to stick around for a while is influencer marketing. Simply put, these influencers are essentially another branch of user-generated content working as digital creators to reach and engage with their followers on social media platforms. Whether it is delicious images, cooking tips, or food inspiration, an effective marketing content strategy utilises the content of its audience to further promote itself.
Essentially, these are considered a valuable resource for marketers aiming to attract a certain audience, as promoting the food on their social channels can springboard brand awareness and increase sales.
In this digital age, foodie influencers have become essential components of restaurant marketing. With a blend of strategy, innovation, common sense, and social media tracking, these collaborations can elevate your brand.
With many consumers conducting research online before they choose to purchase from a takeaway or restaurant, this kind of content is especially useful.
With 86 percent of consumers saying that authenticity is a key factor when deciding what brands they like, it’s never been more important to get on board with brand transparency.
Brand transparency has always been important, however, in recent years the demand for authenticity and honesty has reached new heights. Today, customers want to get under the skin of your brand and learn everything they can about it, from your suppliers right down to the material of your packaging.
Going forward into the new year, the best course of action for your food brand is to thoroughly understand and shout about your products and supply chains. With the increase in conscious shoppers and diners, many are seeking honesty when it comes to the sourcing of your ingredients. If the process is ethical and sustainable, then let your customers know. They will admire you for being honest about your processes and in turn, you will gain their respect and support.
If you’re looking to add any of these marketing trends into your mix but aren’t sure where to start, get in touch with Eat Marketing. Whether you need some expert advice, a thorough strategy, or social media support, we have the winning formula to help you stay ahead of the competition in the new year.
We take a closer look at why you shouldn’t be tempted to sell your shop’s soul to a third-party delivery partner.
The coronavirus pandemic resulted in a sudden shift of consumer behaviour in the food industry overnight. Without the opportunity to build rapport and relationships with customers physically visiting their premises, food businesses needed a new way to retain customer loyalty and revenue.
In 2020, more than 6 million people ordered from 115,000 restaurants through Deliveroo every month. With a streamlined process for onboarding new food brands and a network of delivery couriers in place meaning no hassle of recruiting or managing a team of drivers, many shop owners were drawn in by the reach larger delivery partners offer them.
Delivery apps also promise to promote your food business to a new customer base outside your local target area without the work of planning logistics or extra marketing. Sound too good to be true?
Deliveroo, UberEats and Just Eat all charge restaurants and takeaways a commission for each order. Although they’re fairly hush hush about how much this is, Big Hospitality reports it’s generally 25-30% commission - a hefty amount when it comes to smaller takeaways or restaurants.
In 2020, Deliveroo’s net revenues, consisting of mostly fees charged to restaurants and consumers, were up by a massive 54% (£1.2bn) compared to 2019.
Although Deliveroo says it encourages restaurants to use the same pricing model for delivery as for in-house menus, many food businesses feel compelled to charge more to make up for the high commission.
In a fickle market it’s already difficult to keep customers loyal. Although your food business may now be visible on a larger online ordering platform that doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll get more orders.
With the majority of these delivery firms having more than 100,000 restaurant and takeaway partners listed on their platforms, it means your business will be sat amongst a whole range of other brands.
They’re effectively in the driving seat of your business - you’re completely in the hands of the third party’s algorithm and where you appear on their app.
Customers are also now well versed in scouring multiple delivery platforms to identify the best deals for their favourite meals. This influx of choice across multiple third-party platforms has had a huge impact on customer loyalty. In fact, according to Second Measure, the average 6-month repeat custom rate is just 21%.
Working with a delivery giant will also limit the insight you have into the purchasing patterns of your consumers, as they can retain the rights to your customer data.
This means no remarketing campaigns, no loyalty scheme incentives and no information on who your online customers really are.
Instead, why not consider setting up your own online ordering system on your website? You’ll have control over your brand experience online and have access to any customer data.
Like the sound of being in control?
To help you resist temptation, we’ve outlined three stages to get your food business set up for online ordering - whether that’s for Click & Collect, delivery or both.
Stage 1 - Branching out
A good place to start is setting up your own online ordering system on your website that offers Click & Collect. If you wanted to also offer delivery, consider pairing up with a large third-party to help ease the pressure on your team.
With your own online ordering platform for Click & Collect, you’ll have full control over your customers’ experience, with minimum costs and access to data.
Stage 2 - Expanding your offering
Once you feel confident following the roll out of Click & Collect, next consider how to take ownership of your delivery service. This could involve partnering up with a local firm such as a taxi company to introduce delivery to your online ordering system.
Stage 3 - Take control
For complete control of the journey your food delivery takes - from leaving your kitchen to arriving at a customer’s front door - introduce your own branded mopeds or cars with a team of dedicated delivery staff.
Branded vehicles offer free advertising whilst your delivery team are out on the move, raising brand awareness and showing customers you really care about the whole process from start to finish.
Instead of selling your food business’s soul to a larger third party delivery firm, why not explore the alternative options out there first? From doing it yourself to partnering with a local taxi company, there are plenty of ways you can offer your customers a fantastic experience.
The algorithm update is rolling out this month, meaning it’s time to ensure your website is mobile optimised and not just ‘mobile-friendly’.
Originally due to go live from September 2020, Google pushed back the roll out, stating: “We realise that in these uncertain times, it's not always easy to focus on work as otherwise, so we've decided to extend the timeframe to the end of March 2021.”
Now Google is switching to its mobile-first algorithm indexing and if you’ve not made the necessary changes, you could soon see a dip in website performance and traffic.
The mobile-first algorithm will give priority to mobile-first websites over desktop. Once the update is rolled out, it will change the way Google indexes websites on its search engine results page (SERP).
Previously Google viewed desktop traffic as a priority, however recent reports show mobile usage is outgrowing desktop usage.
Compared to other search engines, Google also has the highest share of organic mobile search traffic (54%) - which is predicted to keep rising over the next couple of years.
Today is the perfect opportunity to evaluate your website design and content, identifying areas to optimise in time for the roll out.
Use this period to analyse and address whether your website is just friendly to mobile users, or actually optimised for a smaller screen device.
Mobile optimisation is true responsive-mobile design. This means content will resize for multiple screens, resolutions and orientations to provide visitors with just as good a browsing experience as using a desktop.
Consider your website design, is it providing the best possible experience for your users?
Even if your design is mobile optimised but your content is still targeted towards desktop users, you could also face difficulties being indexed by Google following the update.
Consider your audience’s experience with your website when they are visiting via a mobile device. Long paragraphs of text or large images will not be easy to scroll past on a small screen.
By shortening sentences, paragraphs and optimising videos and images, you’ll be improving user experience and also satisfying Google’s algorithm.
However you don’t want to remove important content. While your mobile site’s content doesn’t have to be identical to your desktop site’s content, important content should be kept.
Removing smaller features like email opt-ins won’t have a major impact from an SEO point of view, but excluding things purely because it feels too long for a mobile layout can have a negative impact.
For example, important content includes internal links. You’ll want to ensure all of the important links still exist on your website’s mobile version, as removing these could negatively impact your rankings as they may change how Google judges the value of your website pages.
You’ll also want to ensure your site speed isn’t hindering your user's mobile experience. According to Google, 53% of mobile users will leave a website if it takes longer than three seconds to load.
Ideally your website’s load time for both desktop and mobile will be under 1 second, but under 3 seconds is still acceptable.
There is still time to get prepared for Google’s mobile first algorithm update, if you take action today to analyse your website and make important changes.
Discover how to optimise your design and content for mobile with a detailed website audit, and ensure your food business doesn’t suffer from a decline in visitors in the future.
In the next of our Restaurant Marketing Unlocked series, we’re bringing key marketing insight that will help inform your restaurant’s website design.
We take a closer look at how optimising your website’s capabilities will ensure you’re securing regular bookings once reopen.
Heard of the phrase ‘Hangry’? Customers aren’t very patient when they’re hungry, so your website will need to be stress-free for users to browse your menu, book a table and place their order online to ensure they don’t choose a competitor over your restaurant.
Your website will need to load quickly - ideally in less than 2 seconds to satisfy the 47% of users who expect this online. It will also need to immediately instil a sense of authenticity amongst customers, with research by Blue Corona finding users decide in less than 10 seconds whether they trust a company based on the design of their website.
We touched upon how online ordering can be easily set up and branded in our previous blogs looking at how to plan your new menus.
Integrating online ordering into your website doesn’t have to be costly or difficult, there’s plenty of options out there to choose from. It’s just about finding the platform that best works for your business.
By integrating online booking or menu ordering systems into your restaurant’s website design, it reduces face-to-face contact. Some of these systems also have the option of creating an app, allowing customers to choose a platform that works best for them.
With in-app or online ordering, you’ll be able to gather details on the most popular dishes to help streamline your menu, whilst collecting customer data. If you’re able to gather consent for marketing at the point of sale, you’ll also be able to use this customer data for campaigns in the future.
Although there is a high volume of consumers ready and waiting to dine out, you may have customers who still want to enjoy your food but do not feel ready to eat in public.
With an online booking system in place on your website, you can extend the service and open up a new revenue stream to cater for click & collect and delivery orders as well as in-house diners.
Consider encouraging customers to pre-order meals and how you might stagger your collection times to avoid too many people queuing outside your restaurant.
In our latest whitepaper ‘How to get your restaurant open for business within the current government guidelines’, we delve deeper into ensuring your website is optimised to maximise bookings and how to choose the right online ordering platform for your restaurant.
Analysing your current website and making changes to maximise table bookings or click & collect and delivery orders, will ensure your restaurant has multiple revenue streams in the future. By optimising your restaurant’s website design you will:
Sound good?
This time around we're looking at how to ensure your restaurant’s reopening internal safety information is on-brand.
For restaurants to safely reopen, Government advice includes ensuring social distancing and hygiene notices are clearly available for customers to view inside your restaurant.
Almost half (47%) of consumers questioned in research carried out by restaurant intelligence platform Yumpingo, said their key criteria for choosing where to dine in the future will be based on a restaurant’s social distancing policies - especially if they exceed the legal requirements.
The difficulty for all restaurants reopening will be striking the balance between informing customers on the importance of following rules, in a way that doesn’t disturb the ambience and is still on-brand.
Plastering glaring and garish safety notices everywhere will not only impact the interior design of your restaurant, but also detract from the experience for customers who dine out for that sense of escapism.
Whether it’s your signage, posters or floor markers, keep your internal messaging consistent to reassure customers.
Ensure your tone of voice is clear without being overbearing and any social distancing markers are on-brand.
In our latest whitepaper ‘How to get your restaurant open for business within the current government guidelines’, we delve deeper into how to create Covid-19 safety notices around your restaurant that are inline with your brand and still get the message across.
Customers are ready to dine out, they just need reassurance that you’re taking the situation seriously. By your restaurant reopening with internal safety information that’s consistent with your brand, it will:
Sound good?
Download our free whitepaper today to get the inspiration and insight you need to establish what internal safety information you need to create and how to do this inline with your brand.
This week, we take a closer look at the updated government guidelines on using disposable print or digital menus for restaurants and what impact this could have on your business.
When previously it was acceptable to reuse menus during each shift, updated coronavirus guidelines indicate this can no longer be the case for restaurants. The Center for Disease Control & Prevention, advises those in the industry to look at using disposable or digital menus for restaurants to limit customer contact with commodities.
Deciding which option is right for your restaurant depends on your personal taste, budget and brand.
One option for new menus in your restaurant is to make them disposable. Disposable menu cards can be printed on paper and discarded after customer contact.
Although inline with regulations, this option could prove to be unsustainable in terms of printing costs for the long term.
Another option is to scrap individual menus altogether and instead use digital menu boards to showcase all food available.
These can be installed with ease, but some restaurant owners could find them too expensive to fit and upkeep.
There’s also the risk of diners moving around your restaurant to get a better view of the digital screens - not ideal when you’re trying to keep strict social distancing in place.
A more modern approach to Covid-friendly menus is through customers ordering via your website or app. This ensures contactless ordering and keeps customers safely seated at their tables.
It is relatively simple to set up and brand online ordering for your restaurant, you’ll just need to find the right platform that works for your business.
As well as encouraging customers who are dining in your restaurant to view your menu and order via your website or app, you could also roll this service out to the wider community.
Online ordering could be used for both click & collect or delivery, with customers directed via a link on your website for both click & collect or delivery options, providing you with ownership of customer data and a commission free service.
In our latest whitepaper ‘How to get your restaurant open for business within the current government guidelines’, we delve deeper into how to choose the right menus to suit your business that will keep both your team and customers safe.
Taking the time to analyse and weigh-up your new menu options now will save you potential problems in the future. By opting to use digital menus, you will:
Sound good?
Download our free whitepaper today to get the inspiration and insight you need to choose the right menus for your restaurant.
Products need great packaging. Consumers are motivated by clear, attractive designs that catch their eye and motivate them to make impulsive choices. With food packaging design, the proof really is in the packaging. What consumers see and subsequently feel, can make a huge difference when it comes to purchasing decisions. Creating food packaging with impact will lead to powerful associations between the audience you’re trying to capture and your food business. You can immediately show them through packaging design how delicious your food product will look and taste.
At Eat Marketing, we understand that food product packaging is such a crucial design discipline, and we spend a lot of time on this element when it comes to branding for the food companies we work with. Strategically, your branding is so important when it comes to marketing your products, and initially, clarity is key; what your food product is for and what you, as a brand, want to convey through your food packaging design.
Whether you already have food packaging design in place, need a re-brand or are just starting out, you can see, there’s a lot to consider if you want to create impact – and sales! Take a look at a few of our do’s and don’ts to help you along the way…
Your food packaging design should show the product contained within – clearly and effectively. If a consumer looks at your packaging and cannot identify what you’re selling, they are likely to walk on by. And that goes for an honest depiction of what you’re selling too… for example, beautiful food photography is important but it must be true to how the food inside the packaging looks. So, always be straightforward about what your product is with clear, clean design, font and wording and beautifully taken, yet honest, photography or illustrations.
A great example of simple and honest food packaging is Border Honey, a local premium honey brand, whose packaging expresses the luxury, yet, humble nature of their honey brand. If you were to take a glimpse at their product you’d know exactly what it is that they’re selling and the quality you can expect from the packaging alone. With a stripped back look to appeal to the target audience, golden tones and bold font, their packaging design speaks to honey lovers far and wide. Now that’s what we call powerful food packaging design.
Made Coffee is another brand that appreciates that less is more. Their packaging is the definition of clean and simple, there’s no second guessing what their product is and there’s no over-exaggerated images or illustrations so you know exactly what to expect.
Beware of design and text overload… When there’s too much going on, whether it’s in the design or the copy, consumers won’t know where to look and they’ll simply switch off. This can apply to the fonts used too; don’t use different types of fonts as simplicity is key.
The next time you’re in a supermarket, take the shelf impact test… if your food product is competing against other similar products (and even if it’s not on a ‘shelf’ think of this in terms of competitive businesses selling similar food products to you) you want your product to attract attention. This can lead you to thinking about what you can do in terms of creating a strong, distinctive food packaging design that stands out from the food crowd. Yet, stick to the ‘keep it simple’ rule as these types of designs are more likely to catch the eye when people look.
Naughty Vegan, a devilishly delicious vegan brand, knows all about standing out on a shelf. Their innovative, award-winning packaging, markets their vegan products in a creative and revolutionary way compared to their competition. With the products on their packaging donning halos, devil horns and angel wings, they’ve played on their name and gone all out to ensure they stand out, which they certainly do!
Coca-Cola, a household name, is a great example of how important it is to develop a brand identity with effective food packaging design. Over 100 years, the Coca-Cola packaging has never swayed too far from their original packaging, simply updating it throughout the years, but never changing what fundamentally makes it recognisable.
Once again, we’re emphasising the importance of showing environmental awareness through packaging design. With food, packaging is immediately disposable and the more environmentally friendly it is, the better. By this we mean, really consider how much ‘packaging’ you need for your products and don’t go for designs that use unnecessary, wasteful packaging.
When it comes to food packaging design, the materials you use matter as much as the design you create. Of course, you need to consider what materials will keep your food fresh, whether you’re packaging hot or cold food and what will keep it contained without leaks or damage, but looking at biodegradable (yet sustainable) food packaging design is important too. In fact, 7 in 10 (that’s a high 72%) of consumers choose to buy products based on their initial attraction to packaging design according to a study conducted by the Paper and Packaging Board.
Delve a little deeper into the reasons why and you’ll discover it’s not just the design that counts, it’s the material too with 67% of consumers influenced by packaging materials. Going further, 71% of consumers are more likely to choose paper and cardboard packaging than other materials such as plastic. Consumers are becoming increasingly environmentally conscious, and as a food company, considering your food packaging design in these terms, as well as how it looks, could have a positive impact on your sales.
Take natural chocolate bar producers, Nookie, whose eco-packaging matches their overall natural brand. This helps them stand out against the crowd and attract consumers who favour sustainable packaging.
Oatly, the plant-based drink brand, are all for sustainable packaging. Their eco-friendly mindset doesn’t just stop with their packaging it encompasses their whole brand as they showcase themselves as a brand built on the idea of change and sustainability.
Consider how ‘easy’ your packaging is. There can be a temptation to try and create fancy packaging in the hope of standing out from the crowd, but it’s so important to have practical, easy to use and easy to open packaging that works for your product.
As you can see, good food packaging design is more than a pretty design. If you want to know more and take a fresh new look at your food packaging design or are just starting out, we can help.