We’re not about to state this plainly for you: Your basic packaging sucks your sales out of the ground. Not your coffee. Not your pricing. Not even your logos. A box for your coffee is quietly wreaking havoc every day, and the sad thing is that most coffee brands don’t realize this until they’ve lost customers from other brands who did.
The U.S. coffee market is huge and extremely competitive. It’s not just about the brand next to you on the shelf. You’re battling the picture of that brand, the texture of their packaging, and the brand story that unfolds before they take their first sip. If your coffee box is like the back of a discount store, what is the first impression you are making and first impressions in this category are very difficult to undo.
So, let’s chat about what a high-converting coffee pack looks like, how it works, and why improving it makes sense now more than ever for coffee brands.
Basic Packaging Is Forgettable and Doesn’t
Go into any specialty grocery store and see just how many different brands of coffee there are on the shelf. Now attempt to remember how many you could remember five minutes after you have left. There are probably two or three and those are the ones with packaging that did something interesting. Everything else seems to merge into a wall of brown and beige that you ignore, unconsciously.
The fundamental issue of simple packaging. It’s not providing the customer with anything to hold on to. No strong color, no obvious structure, no obvious draw, no focus to hold the eye. If all of your coffee offerings are the same, price is the only deciding factor and price wars are a race to the bottom that is too risky for a small or mid-size coffee shop.
High-converting packaging is the exception. It evokes a moment of recognition that lasts, and it makes the purchasing choice seem easy as it expresses its own value.
So what is the secret of high-converting coffee packaging?
This isn’t about making your packaging look pretty. There are plenty of packages that look pretty, but are not selling. High-converting packaging: Each element on the box performs a specific function.
Structure first, then the content. A box will instantly give a sense of quality if it has a solid feel, opens easily and is shaped. A customer’s ordering process is preceded by the picking process. A solid coffee box design has a weight and feel that conveys an immediate impression of worth which translates directly to a feeling of I want this coffee box.
Typography and color convey who the coffee is for. An otherwise dark, simple box featuring one accent color is different from a brightly colored box filled with illustrations of coffee beans from the coffee farm. Both are incorrect, but they must correspond with the real product and real customer you are targeting. One of the most frequent and costly errors that coffee brands make is to have a mismatch between packaging design and product positioning.
Information placement is also important. Before purchasing beans, customers have questions about where the beans are from, how strong they are roasted, how many beans for the money. But the box must provide answers in a timely and unambiguous fashion, as a confused customer doesn’t buy. They place it back, and walk away.
Gift Market is a HUGE opportunity that was overlooked
Lots of coffee brands miss on the gift buyer. Specialty coffee is a big part of gifting, particularly in the U.S. during the holidays, Father’s Day and Valentine’s Day. Gift givers are not like regular shoppers. They’re not purchasing coffee. They’re purchasing something that appears lovely enough to present to an individual they like.
If your packaging doesn’t meet the gift test that is, if someone could give it as a gift and know it is unwrapped, you’re leaving a huge chunk of market. This problem can be eliminated with upgraded coffee boxes featuring high quality finishes and clean design, without any need for a separate gift line.
One of the most frequently asked questions by gift buyers as well as bulk buyers is how many cups of coffee are there in a box of joe? Smart packaging clearly answers this question on the front panel before the buyer has to sift through the paperwork or go looking on the internet for the answer before deciding on a purchase.
upgrade is actually much less expensive than you realize
Most coffee brands believe that good packaging comes with a good price tag. That’s not as true as in the past. Prices have got a lot easier to access, particularly when buying them in decent volumes, as food packaging products are becoming more in demand of quality all over the industry.
The ROI of that investment comes back quickly. Improperly packaged products are less valued, which can be detrimental to pricing. This results in increased sales of gifts, shares on social media, and repeat customers who equate the unboxing experience with the quality of the coffee itself.
A common question gift buyers and bulk buyers both ask is how many cups of coffee in a box of joe, and smart packaging answers that question clearly on the front panel so buyers don’t have to dig around or Google it before making a decision.
Get ready to make the Move before your Competition Does!
The brands that are winners right now may not be the most desirable. They are the ones who knew packaging is a product! Every time someone sees your box on a shelf, in a delivery, on someone’s kitchen counter, it’s either building your brand or quietly undermining it.
