By Stephen Clysdale / Director of Marketing / The Pouch House / LinkedIn
I recently came across a Harvard Business Review article that talked about “The Science of Sensory Marketing.” Researchers have learned that consumer brands can increase buyer preference and drive higher sales when they engage the senses. A few examples caught my eye.
- Hershey’s has found that consumers love to unwrap the foil around a chocolate kiss — a tactile experience that makes eating the chocolate extra special.
- Olay formulated their Regenerist facial products to create a warming sensation on the skin, even though the warmth doesn’t have anything to do with the moisturizing process itself.
- My personal favorite: Dunkin’ Donuts played a company jingle on municipal buses in South Korea at the same time an atomizer sprayed a coffee aroma throughout the bus. Sales at Dunkin’ Donuts locations near bus stops soared 29%.
The Sensory Delights of Flexible Packaging
The same thing is true of flexible packaging. It seems the unique sound of unzipping, opening and resealing a flex pack has become “a thing.” We’ve heard from pet owners that Fido comes running whenever they unzip the flexible package of a certain dog treat. The crinkly sound of that film packaging is music to the dog’s ears.
I’ve seen children react the same way. My kids love a certain popular fruit snack we keep around the house. Their ears perk up when they hear the wrinkling of the colorful film wrapper.
Incidentally, the senses of sight and touch are also a big deal in the flexible packaging market. The type of finish you put on the outside of the pouch can influence the consumer in various ways.
- A glossy finish on flexible packaging results in especially vibrant colors, which helps catch the eye. The hard, smooth finish is also more durable and feels extra substantial to consumers.
- A soft-touch matte finish, on the other hand, results in more muted colors and feels almost velvety to the touch. Not surprisingly, we find that soft-touch matte finishes are ideal for more upscale consumer brands.
- Metalized films, meanwhile, can be cleverly incorporated into the package design itself to create an expensive-looking spot foil effect. Somewhat ironically, these metalized films can also eliminate a sensory experience. Given their ultra-high barrier properties, metalized films block intense smells that can sometimes permeate other packaging films.
When you combine these sensations with the satisfying “snap” of a high-quality flexible packaging zipper closure, it’s no wonder that flexible packaging is growing so quickly in popularity. Whether it’s a lay-flat or standup pouch, a sachet pack or stick pack, or a spouted pouch being used instead of a rigid bottle, flexible packaging engages consumers in ways you might not have considered.
Stephen Clysdale
Director of Marketing
The Pouch House
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