New insights show what kind of packaging excites lip balm shoppers

OAK BROOK, Ill. — New insights from rigid packaging company TricorBraun has found that  when it comes to lip balm packaging, consumers are partial to packaging that makes using lip balm fun and focuses on portability and ease of use. 

 

TricorBraun found that female consumers prefer the lip balm stick packaging for the size and trendiness, as well as the modern jar packaging for its hygienic, trendy and visually appealing design. Another packaging design seeing popularity is the not-yet-marketed pop jar format, which consumers prefer for its intuitiveness, portability and the ease with which it opens and closes. Consumers would only recommend a modified pop jar design that doesn’t involve touching the product.

 

“With nearly three-quarters of consumer purchase decisions based on packaging, it's no longer enough to be noticed on the shelf; an understanding of consumer lifestyle and how it drives package functionality and aesthetics is critical to success,” TricorBraun SVP design and engineering Becky Donner said. “Direct feedback about how consumers interact with the product allows us to look inside the mind of the consumer and answer the how and why so that we are able to elevate every aspect of the package design and enhance the consumer experience.”

 

In terms of consumers’ priorities when deciding which lip balm to buy, TricorBraun found that intuitiveness, having a fun factor, visual appeal and trendiness have more influence than size, ease of opening and closing, cleanliness and portability. 

 

“Our industrial design team fully understands that it's not enough to design a beautiful package,” TricorBraun industrial designer Rachel Murphy said. “It must be useful, meaningful and relevant to consumers’ lives. In this demographic, germ-free application was very important. Consumers make their purchases based on products that work for their personal needs so through package design we need to deliver the best possible user experience. Only then can packaging help build brand loyalty and win on shelf.”