Benevolence is the quality of kindness, which can be conveyed in packaging design as part of what attracts customers. The carative nature of benevolence makes it a crucial element of packaging design that helps prospects decide whether or not to buy the product. Here's a look at how benevolence can be an important and effective theme in packaging.
The concept of benevolence is not necessarily associated with every product on the market other than the intent of products is usually supposed to reflect making people's lives better. Products that are popular gifts, such as special candy or jewelry, fit closely into the idea of benevolent packaging design. Many times birthday gifts provide experiences of packages within packages, as each layer conveys a level of mystique.
Other products that work as great gifts that trigger feelings of kindness include tools, clothes, and items with entertainment value. Each of these products can empower recipients to the point of making the gift giver and the gift memorable. Kindness can be conveyed through the medium of soft texture. The color light blue is associated with honesty, which is a key component of benevolence.
Kindness is confirmed through rewards, which the packaging can emphasize. When the consumer unwraps the product, he or she begins to feel a sense of reward. Then once they touch the product an emotional connection forms that replace the emotional connection with the package. It's that moment and sense of accomplishment that drives consumers to buy specific products over and over. Making benevolence part of the packaging experience can be a reminder the product is worth giving to someone as a gift.
Another market segment that responds well to the imagery of benevolence consists of people who like to donate to causes. Nonprofit organizations can benefit from including the spirit of benevolence in the marketing of their community events and fundraising causes.
Embedding carative elements such as benevolence in packaging is somewhat of a new idea that needs deeper research. Packaging designers have an opportunity to pioneer carative packaging while it's still in its infancy. The key is to allow packaging to come to life with personality. Benevolence is a personality trait that is commonly admired. Four of the five most common personality traits that psychologists have identified are openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, and agreeableness, which all relate to kindness.
Kindness can be conveyed in packaging beyond reminding people about gift-giving or the brand-consumer relationship. It can be communicated through the feelings and messages related to social improvement. Striving for a friendlier and more inter-connected world is an important role manufacturer can play in an era that increasingly emphasizes social responsibility.
Showing a level of concern for society is something that resonates well with modern consumers. The words "safe" and "safety" trigger instant images of community benevolence. Providing a list of product features or benefits on the package sends a friendly signal to consumers that you care about them making informed decisions based on facts.
Using careful language that communicates kindness doesn't always work if the product doesn't deliver what it promises. The message and the product must be in sync along with the packaging. Trying to trick consumers into buying products is never a good idea because it works against the principle of benevolence. People can be fooled by marketing messages but they generally cannot be fooled by their pocketbooks. Consumers ultimately reward brands that build authentic trust and avoid brands that violate their trust.