OUGD603 Brief 09: Packaging for children (Research)

Packaging for children (Research):

Packaging for children is an unusual market as the target customer - the child - is rarely the one making the purchase. Attracting a child’s attention is the initial goal for packaging. 

Enticing the child:
- Packaging design is more important than functionality.
- Packaging that triggers an emotional response in the child is hugely successful.
- Emotional response to packaging is important, as this is what stimulates a purchase.
- Engaging a child’s senses to encourage interaction with the product - and the more interactive and engaging your product packaging is, the more it’ll stand out from the other products available.
- Packaging that is colourful and covered in fun and exciting drawings does best at attracting children.
- Linking your packaging to TV characters or popular children’s films is a great way to capture a child’s attention in-store, and combining this with a packaging design that shows off the entire product can trigger a child’s imagination and make your products irresistible. 
- Just as important to make the packaging appeal to parents.

Enticing the parent:
- It’s vital that packaging doesn’t just look fun, but will also be functional and useful for their child.
- It needs to show its value to the parent as something that will benefit the child.
- Packaging that triggers an emotional response in the parent as well as the child is much more likely to succeed, as parents will be happier to make a purchase knowing the product is useful. 

Overall, the packaging needs to connect to kids and parents alike, appealing to a child’s imagination and impulses through visually captivating designs, whilst also offering practicality to the parent.