Luxury branding is a cornerstone to reaching a high-end market, whether it involves chocolate, confectionery or other products such as fashion merchandise. The key to luxury branding success revolves around the concept of special qualities and exclusiveness. If the campaign is effective, then target individuals will develop a meaningful bond with the brand as part of a social and cultural experience. In order to achieve this connection, focus must be placed on the consumer-centric paradigm.

The success of luxury brand building for chocolate and confectionery products comes down to ten factors, as identified by researcher K.L. Keller in 2009. The following provides summaries of each of these critical factors that determine luxury branding success.

At one time through the first half of the twentieth century, products such as chocolates were packaged and marketed based on their utility and intrinsic value. Then in the second half of the century researchers began to suggest that products could also be sold for their symbolic value. Now in the new millennium the symbolic paradigm is increasingly becoming a primary packaging focus.

Packaging designers understand the importance of graphics and color in metal packaging. Visual stimuli drives emotions and can play a pivotal role in product purchasing decisions among consumers. Color alone can account for up to 90% of an individual's decision as to whether he or she likes a product, according to a 2006 study by Singh. Here are important considerations for designers in their focus on graphics and color.

Even long before packaging design became a focus among marketers, there has always been a sense that aesthetics has had something to do with why people are attracted to certain products. Now in the new millennium a growing body of evidence confirms that visual stimuli is a huge factor in purchasing choices at physical stores. Here's a deeper look at how consumers respond to packaging design.

The psychology of packaging design has become a top concern of marketers, as evidence accumulates that visual aesthetics play a major role of a product's success. Research shows that aesthetic package design leads to an increase in the time consumers spend on making decisions. In fact, the more aesthetics offered by the package, the better chance it has of being chosen over name brands that come in standardized packages, regardless of price.

Food items have more impact on the environment than the packaging that contains them, by comparison. Even though the most important purpose of a food package is that it protects the food, sustainability has become a major strategy to help protect the environment.

As packaging design has quickly evolved this century, it is becoming increasingly part of brand design. Just like a brand, packaging communicates messages to its target audience through various senses. That's why designers and product managers must examine how packaging is perceived by consumers. Here's a look at how tastes and packaging design need to be consistent.

Effective marketing strategies depend on shape of packaging and semantics that associate with the product. Tests have shown relationships between packaging and brand attributes, which can benefit packaging designers who base their solutions on sensory marketing. While these semantic associations are unique for each individual, this knowledge is still important for marketers to understand. Here's a deeper look at how the shape of packaging conveys meanings to consumers.