You’ve spent months or years developing and perfecting a fantastic product and then you’ve spent hours or days mulling over the size, shape and colour of the box, tin, glass, carton or bag. But once the bright colours, creative logo and aesthetically pleasing shape have drawn the potential customer towards the shelf, they’ve done their job. Now that your product is in the consumer’s hands, they have a buying decision to make. That’s why a great product and equally great packaging design need great copy. It’s the packaging copywriting that provides the customer with the key information and reassures them that they’re buying the right product. Effective packaging copywriting delivers the core message and the brand personality at the point of purchase, and ultimately influences consumer behaviour and purchase.
For simplicity’s sake, let’s use a box. You’ve got six sides, most of which will be taken up with design, product name, logo, instructions, barcode, disclaimers, ingredients, warnings and any other information required. The size and positioning of all this will dictate how much space there is for sales copy. As well as working in isolation, each panel has to work in combination. Effective packaging copywriting is about making a connection with the consumer, conveying the product’s benefits and supporting the overall brand voice and message. But before you start writing, ask yourself how much of the packaging will be visible on the shelf? What will the customer see first? How will the packaging appear on a display with multiple items? How will it compare next to a competitor’s product? It’s important to remember that, once removed from the shelf, your product can be viewed from any angle, making each panel of your box equally important.
Your brand identity should be reflected in the packaging’s tone of voice. If your brand is playful, use light, engaging copy. If it’s more formal or professional, adopt a tone that is less chatty and more reserved. Consistency is key, particularly if your product is part of a broader range. The front of the packaging is prime real estate for creating a strong first impression. With limited space, once you’ve accounted for the design, logo, barcode etc., the copy should be concise and focused on key benefits. Stick to a defined word count, use short taglines and bullet points to highlight important features. This makes it easier for consumers to quickly scan the packaging and find relevant information. Speak directly to the consumer, using ‘you’ rather than ‘we’ or ‘our’. Great retail copy appeals to emotions like excitement, happiness, relief, or empowerment, engaging the customer on a personal level.
Before you start writing, clearly define the goals of your packaging copywriting. Do you want to highlight the product’s unique benefits, its eco-friendly nature, or simply explain how to use it? Start by understanding the consumer profile and their needs, and use this to tailor your language. Each panel has a different role. The front of the box should create a presence on the shelf and get straight to the point. Alongside the product name and logo, it needs a short strapline or bullet points focusing on the key benefits or differentiators from competing products. The copy should speak directly to the consumer as an individual (avoid using ‘we’ and ‘our’) and create an emotional connection (excitement, amusement, relief) that nudges them toward purchase. The reverse panel typically lists specifications or ingredients, where you can subtly incorporate brand messaging, where you can cleverly or subliminally place any brand messaging.
Product packaging comes in sorts of shapes and sizes, so here’s a reminder of the most important considerations when copywriting for packaging.
- Firstly, define the aims and objectives of the copy and gather all required information.
- Develop a consumer profile to understand their personality and purchasing motives.
- If you already have them, be consistent with your brand identity and tone of voice.
- Address each panel individually before connecting them at the end.
- Spatial awareness. Get a word count and keep your writing clear and concise.
- Choose your approach. What angle are you going to come from?
- Make a list of keywords (especially adjectives which elicit the emotions you want to evoke).
- Talk to the consumer as an individual. It’s all about them.
- Include bullet points to provide a list of any secondary benefits or important features.
- It’s often easier to write a slightly longer description and edit it to the correct length.
I have created straplines and written copy for all types of product packaging. If you would like to discuss your packaging project with an experienced packaging copywriter, please contact me.
