MeadWestvaco has launched Packaging Matters, the company’s second annual study of the role packaging plays in consumer purchasing behavior, brand loyalty and overall product satisfaction.
This year, the research has expanded to 10 markets, including Brazil, China, Germany, India, Japan, Russia, South Africa, Turkey, the United Kingdom and the United States, to provide a broader perspective on the role of packaging around the world.
Packaging Matters research shows packaging plays a significant role in brick-and-mortar retail purchasing behaviors. Packaging’s role is apparent in the purchasing process — Trial, Repeat or Switch — in which consumers trial a new product and depending on the experience, subsequently repeat that purchase, or switch to another brand to test a different product:
- Trial: 64% have tried something new because the packaging caught their eye on the retail shelf
- Repeat: 41% have purchased a product again because of the packaging
- Switch: 36% have switched brands because of negative experiences with new packaging
Packaging Matters also examines online shopping habits of global consumers, and the research reveals a host of behaviors — beyond Trial, Repeat or Switch — that can be influenced by packaging. When shopping online, consumers report that product packaging has led them to:
-Research more information about a product (29%)
-Write an online review that mentions the packaging (22%)
-"Friend" or "become a fan" of a brand/company on social networking sites (20%)
Post something about that product on social media (18%)
"Packaging continues to play an important role in building brand loyalty and driving repeat purchase in-store and, increasingly, it is also a vehicle that connects brands and consumers online," said Steve Kazanjian vice president, Global Creative, MWV. "Brands that recognize how packaging can influence online shoppers have an opportunity to see a ripple effect as those consumers share their positive experience with others via product reviews or through their social networks."
