FDBusiness.com

Is there anything better than giving someone a gift and seeing them react with joy? With Christmas just around the corner, people across the world are searching for special gifts they would like to give to friends and family on the big day.

While most shoppers will set off on a festive shopping trip with a general idea of the luxury product they wish to buy as a gift – a bottle of high quality whiskey perhaps – what they don’t realise is the incredible impact the way the bottle is packaged will have in influencing their final buying decision.

MW Luxury Packaging creates premium, award-winning packaging, that matches the quality of the product it contains. The journey from luxury product to must-have-gift is a long and complex one – and it begins with a brief.

The Fine Details

It’s likely that often, the gift buyer isn’t an expert in the many varieties of whisky that are on the market. For this reason, a large part of their choice comes down to what they think of the quality of the packaging, and how it speaks to them and meets their aspirations in the brief moment they pick the product up in the shop.

For most consumers, a premium product isn’t quite a luxury gift until it is packaged. High quality packaging adds a finishing touch. That is why it’s essential that designers get to know the product, the brand and its story. It is only by having a deep understanding of these elements that design teams are able to create packaging that complements the product, and adds tangible value to the consumer experience.

The use of high quality materials and the integration of design details and techniques such as wax seals, embossing, coloured glass and distinctive packaging shapes, help premium products stand out from the crowd. These fine details also communicate the prestige that is expected from a luxury brand.

Development

As well as understanding the product, it is also vital that the designers of the packaging understand the potential customers. Tastes in Asia, for example, can differ greatly from the European market, as customers have different cultural reference points when it comes to luxury goods; colours, for instance, have very different meanings around the world.

Demand for seasonal gifts varies from east to west, and from north to south. In parts of the world that celebrate Christmas, there are also regional variations in traditions. Christmas happens at the height of summer in the Southern hemisphere, for example, which can also be a factor that influences design choices.

The Aspects of Luxury Gifting at Christmas

It is important to keep in mind the additional roles that packaging has to fulfil during the Christmas season, when products are likely to be gifted to others.

Luxury gifting is a three way process. It involves the buyers feelings towards the brand and the packaging, their feelings about what the brand says about the recipient, and the recipient’s actual reaction.

Exquisite packaging, which presents a luxury product in the best possible way, will let the person opening the gift know that they are cared for and highly valued, while also making the giver proud to be offering a beautiful gift to someone they love.