Creating enticing food packaging copy

Effective packaging is the key to making your product stand out on the shelf. If your packaging competitive and the message is not presented in an effective way, sales are likely to go nowhere.

Package copy should be used to light up the product and let customers know what they will be missing out on if they don't buy it then and there. Customers want to know what the product is, how it works, and how they will either benefit from it or how the purchase will be beneficial. The package copy should create a sense of excitement for impulsive purchases and then justify the purchase through key facts.

Images, colours, graphics are all very important in terms of initially attracting customers to your product but it is vital for the copy to engage with them to keep them interested. In this way packaging can be seen as a great creative platform for writing, giving a chance to engage and entertain the audience. Copy should be relevant to your product as well as on target to the right audience with the right message; it should include a short and concise description of the product as well as its functional benefits.

However, it has also been argued that including a poem or short story, something that does not directly relate to your product, can cause an emotional connection between the shopper and your product. Research suggests that a positive emotional reaction to a package is more likely to result in a desire to engage with it. 

'Clean' designs are now key as the customers do not want to be oversold.  They want their information clear and simple without all the fluff.  

In summary there are four main points for effective packaging;

1. the packaging must be seen,
2. it must engage shoppers,
3. communicate key messages/point of difference,
4. and most importantly close the sale