There are so many important moments in our lives, which are associated with product’s packaging that became part of our lives long time ago.
Packaging is the first physical contact with consumers and plays a fundamental role on expectations management about its content.
Certainly, happened to all of us of labeling the content by its packaging, in an unconscious way.
It might not be correct, but the first impression of something is difficult to change.
People have normally a predisposition for aligning their first impression with experience itself and follow the minor resistance path. By other words, when people match the first impression with experience, the reaction tends to confirm the first impression. And the reactions can be:
Confirmation
Follows the minor resistance path, accepting product content minor deviations and according to each one tolerance, that first impression matches experience and people are right.
Positive confirmation: Product’s appearance appeals to consumers who are attracted to trying it and tend to confirm their first impression during the product experience.
Reactions like: “uhau! I knew I would like it, and I could see by the looks even before tried it.”
Negative confirmation: Consumer perceives that product’s appearance has low value according to its individual standards.
In normal cases, there is no trying intention, but for some external reason to consumer, for example a gift or no other buying alternative, the product is experienced and if product do not overcame the tolerance of the first impression, the consumer will confirm that product is not good.
Reactions like: “humm… did not seem good, but I had to buy it, as there was no alternative in the shop.”
Surprise
The product’s experience completely overcame the barrier of the first impression, creating strong emotions in the people causing the break in the first impression resistance. The surprise can be:
Positive surprise: The advantage is that people have a good feeling by overcoming the initial low expectation of a product. But it is very risky because people might not even try it.
Reactions like: “ I was skeptical at first, but when I tried it, I liked it a lot.”
The negative surprise is the most devastating of experiences also known as delusion. The value of the product is much lower than the expectation created by the product’s packaging first impression or by the quantity being much smaller than it appeared.
Reactions like: “such a big box and it is almost empty.”
There is no second chance to make a good first impression.
The alignment between the first impression and the experience is common in all cases and depending on the tolerance of each individual, provides different results in the consumer reaction during his experience with the product.
n other words, managing consumer expectations is crucial in product development. Elements such as design, dimensions, materials and colors contribute to the product’s appearance and are critical to consumers’ first impression, which will be the benchmark during the consumer experience.
