How can a brand affect consumer behavior to the point of getting people to identify and interact with the brand? At the core of branding is a set of values and emotions that go with it. A brand that communicates its values and emotions through visual cues on packaging has an edge over competitors that don't pay attention to how visual details connect with consumers.
Development of a Brand
A brand develops usually through an initial product then blossoms into a line of various products. Panasonic, for example, made various electronic products long before issuing audio stereo components starting in the mix-sixties. The brand started out as a development within the larger parent company Matsushita in Japan.
Over time the durable and sonic qualities of Panasonic audio products stood out, as consumers associated these qualities with the brand. Eventually, the Panasonic name became the parent company's name due to the success of the brand. The Panasonic brand had built up so much trust and loyalty over the years, it became a more valuable name than its original parent company's name.
What a Brand Must Do to Connect with Consumers
In order for a brand to become a big part of a consumer's life, it must deliver the values and emotions the consumer initially expects. The more consumers experience a brand, the more they decide for themselves how they relate to its associated products. People who never experience the brand directly might otherwise base their perceptions on it from marketing and what friends say.
Role of Packaging in Communicating Brand Values
The packaging exists to protect and promote the product. Many food producers rely on metal packaging because of its superior qualities in protecting food and preserving freshness. Metal is also a top choice because it allows for easy shaping and printing of package design. It adds to the aesthetic appeal that people associate with strength.
The values a brand communicates through packaging will ideally trigger emotions and memories of related experiences. The more a brand becomes a part of a person's history and lifestyle, the easier it is to sell more products that communicate the same values to the same customer.
Conclusion
Successful branding involves developing a relationship between the brand and the end-user. Brand loyalty usually doesn't manifest overnight, as it often requires multiple experiences. Ultimately, metal packaging gives brands subtle advantages if visual cues trigger desired values and emotions.
References
[1] Relationship between color and emotion: A study of college students (2004), by Naz Kaya and H. Epps
[2] Analysis of cross‐cultural color emotion(2004), Xiao-Ping Gao, J. Xin, Tetsuya Sato, A. Hansuebsai, Marcello Scalzo, Kanji Kajiwara, S. Guan, J. Valldeperas, M. Lis, M. Billger
