Brands want to sell to multiple people, and sometimes, outside of the country. However, with it, you have to respect certain things. namely, the cultures, and how they’re reflected on your packaging.
Being culturally sensitive is important for worldwide brands to really create the effect that they want to have on their consumer base. With how diverse things are, it does make sense, right?
So how can you design culturally-sensitive packaging for a global market? Here, we’ll give you a few tips to really make this possible.
The Elements of Culturally-Sensitive Packaging
There are a few elements that come with culturally sensitive packaging that are worth mentioning, and here, we’ll go over them.
The first, are colors. Certain colors like black for example, don’t cut it in certain markets. If you are planning to market to a more Eastern culture, you may want to use different colors such as reds and golds, which symbolize power and wealth, perfect for brands such as that.
The same goes for symbols. Obviously, certain symbols mean different things. various companies have gotten in trouble for putting symbols that they presumed to be okay on their packaging, only for backlash to occur. Do your research before you plan on tapping into more diverse markets and ensure that the cultural norms are respected.
Finally, the imagery. Certain images will play a part in how people react. Various images, such as those that are whimsical and cartoony work in certain markets. Whereas, in others it might not cut it. make sure that you pay attention to this too.
There are also the elements of language and localization. If you plan on translating and localizing stuff for markets, please be mindful of the effect you create with this and ensure that the language properly conveys everything that you wish for it too, because one wrong move, and it might suffer.
Why do This
If you are planning on going global with the items you sell, you need to do this. tapping into these markets and being respectful will result in a more positive outlook, and will in turn, really help with ensuring that you gain market success.
However, it can be a bit of a challenge for certain companies. Balancing the accuracy of the contents with the brand identity can be a precarious line that’s hard to teeter for certain people. The solution to this, is to get someone that is familiar with the culture or who used to live there, and make sure that they check the packaging, in order to ensure that you are doing things in a manner that is culturally sensitive, and how it will show the impact.
Tips to Design
If you are hesitant, try to start with a more neutral packaging that is proper for all sorts of channels. As you put out the neutral packaging, you can then develop other types of packaging.
For instance, some ecofriendly brands will just tie into the ecofriendly aspects of their packaging that people like. In turn, they will be able to harness the brand and acquire more customers.
On the flip side, if you don’t create a unique packaging that resonates, it may get left behind. So do your market research and look at the competitors that you are dealing with. Try to do something similar, but with your own flair.
In any case, try to have consistency across the boards. Not everyone may like it, but if you have a design that genuinely makes people happy, and really resonates with these people, then you will succeed!
