{"id":43606,"date":"2019-06-14T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2019-06-14T01:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/daxueconsulting.com\/?p=43606"},"modified":"2022-06-02T18:24:46","modified_gmt":"2022-06-02T10:24:46","slug":"packaging-design-china","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/daxueconsulting.com\/packaging-design-china\/","title":{"rendered":"Packaging design in China: how to attract Chinese consumers while packaging sustainably"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

China\nexpects to import over\n40 trillion US dollars<\/a> of goods and services in the next 15 years, which means that a lot of foreign brands are\ncapitalizing on this opportunity to enter the Chinese market. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But with the growing pressure placed upon companies to create packages that attract consumers and differentiates them from competitors, some brands may feel lost when faced with the challenge of packaging, especially in Asia. Discover the keys to creating the best packaging design in China when localizing your brand and respecting the environment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Packaging design in China, a business\u2019s primary selling tool<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The power of packaging in China: boost your sales<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

We have all heard about the \u2018Moments of Truth\u2019 theorized by Jan Carlzon in 1985<\/a>, defining the stages when customers interact with products during the purchasing process The critical thing to remember is that every time a consumer comes into contact with a brand it is an opportunity to pursuade. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"product
[Source: Daxue Consulting \u2013 Power of product packaging in China]<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

And this is here that we\nunderstand the importance of packaging\ndesign in China. It is a key\nelement of the first moment of truth when the consumer looks at your product\n(in-store or online). When you consider that there are about 20,000 products\nthat are before the eyes of a typical consumer during his 30-minute shopping in\na grocery store, then it is obvious that\npackaging is a crucial element of your\nstrategy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Product packaging\nin China is the most tangible representation of a brand for customers<\/strong>.\nIndeed, packaging design has less than 3 seconds to grab the attention of a\nconsumer. Those 3 seconds are extremely\nimportant because more than 70% of purchasing decisions are made at the shelf (in-store or online). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Additionally, the 2018 HKTDC Research survey unveiled<\/a> that, compared to 2013, the importance attached to packaging design (for food products) has increased significantly in China. On the other hand, the attention paid to raw materials used and the price has declined. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why it is necessary to adapt your packaging design in China<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

One\nwould think that because Chinese\nconsumers love foreign products,there\nis no need to adapt your packaging to the\nmarket. Why adopt a more Chinese identity when consumers love the look of European or American\nproducts? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the\none hand, it is true that Chinese consumers see\nforeign products as higher quality. In fashion,\nsportswear, cosmetics, jewelry, and baby care products for examples, the\nChinese more often trust Western brands than local ones. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

However,\nwhen it comes to the design-related\ntopic, China is still regarded as a unique market, which is even different from\nother Asian countries. Thus, colors, shapes, materials, and designs are\nculturally specific:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"food
[Source: supermarket shelves in Shanghai – food packaging in China]<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In\naddition, it should be noted that even though young urban consumers are\nincreasingly worldly and better at English, most Chinese do\nnot speak proficient English (only\n10\nmillion people speak fluent English<\/a>) and therefore an import product needs a Chinese\nname, a Chinese brand signature and all communication media translated into\nChinese. An essential first step when thinking about your packaging in China. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thus, getting the right unboxing experience can have a serious impact on your sales in China, that is\nwhy you need to understand the packaging preferences of Chinese consumers in\n2019. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to adapt your product packaging in China to the preferences of Chinese consumers<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Colorful packaging design in China, yes, but beware of Chinese meanings!<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Colors increase brand recognition by 80% and influence 65% to 85%<\/a> of product purchasing. In China, it first helps people to identify the target of the product. For food packaging in China, it can be a good indicator of the ingredients of the product (e.g., sugar, healthy ingredients, fruits…). Also, because of the Chinese market\u2019s food and beverage counterfeit<\/a> problem<\/a>, packaging color consistency helps the consumer know that the product is real.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Choosing the right\ncolor palette for your packaging\nin China is, therefore, a big challenge. Here is a short guide on what\nyou need to know about colors in China:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In traditional\nChinese culture, red is a highly symbolic color, reminiscent of luck and\nprosperity (which is why it is everywhere during Chinese festivities such as\nChinese New Year). Gold is seen as the royal color. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"packaging
[Source: supermarket shelves in Shanghai and Dyson\u2019s Chinese website – Red and gold packaging design in China]<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Blue is a fairly\nneutral color, often reminiscent of masculinity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Green is often seen\nas a negative color because it is associated with infidelity and anger, even if\nwe see more and more vegan or healthy\nbrands<\/a> opting for green\npackaging. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"packaging
[Source: supermarket shelves in Shanghai – Green product packaging in China]<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Finally, as far as\nblack and white are concerned, Chinese standards are quite different. White is\nseen as the color of purity, simplicity but is also the color of the funeral. Brands\nmust, therefore, be vigilant. As for black, it is a common and neutral color used in everyday life. Note that in the\nfood and beverage shelves, there is almost no black packaging. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to Labbrand<\/a>, Chinese consumers generally\nfind appealing bright and flashy colors for food and beverage items and tend to\nprefer white and pastel colors for cosmetics and household products.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Moreover, the most essential step is to apply the right color for\nthe right product. It is not enough to have red and gold packaging to attract\nChinese consumers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Logo and brand names: finding the right fit<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Beyond the colors, your packaging design in China must include your brand name and logo so that it is easily recognizable. Thus, the adaptation of your name must be done in Chinese. This will help you convey your message more efficiently and activate word of mouth (challenging to recommend a brand that you can’t even say or write). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Foreign
[Source: supermarkets shelves in Shanghai – Foreign brands names in China]<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

As you can see above, some brands\nhave decided to convey a stronger message in Chinese using characters. This is the case of Heineken<\/a> which has\nchosen, as a Chinese brand name, \u559c\u529b(x\u01d0 l\u00ec). \u559c(x\u01d0)\nmeans \u2018\u2018like\u2019\u2019 and \u529b(l\u00ec) means \u2018\u2018power\u2019\u2019. In Chinese, Lay\u2019s<\/a> is sold\nas \u4e50\u4e8b (l\u00e8 sh\u00ec) which\nmeans happy things. Colgate<\/a> has also chosen a Chinese name to emphasize on the\nquality,  \u9ad8\u9732\u6d01\n(g\u0101o l\u00f9 ji\u00e9)  meaning \u2018\u2018high reveal\nclean\u2019\u2019. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This\nwill also help you avoid negative connotations of your name in Chinese. For\nexample, the Bing search engine has not been very successful in China, particularly because of its similarity to the\nChinese pronunciation of “sick” (b\u00ecng \u75c5).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Packaging material: what are the 2019 trends in the packaging industry in China? <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

According to the latest report named Latest\nTrends and Key Issues<\/a> in the Chinese Retail Packaging\nMarket, China sees a growing trend in\nthe use of flexible, glass, rigid plastic, rigid metal, and paper & board\npackaging materials<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Among these trends, the increasing\ndemand for lighter and cheaper packaging makes rigid plastic the most used and\npreferred pack type for FMCG products. In 2018, rigid plastic and flexible\npackaging were among the major share gainers with share growth of 3%\nand 1% respectively.<\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, the packaging industry in China is in a state\nof transition. Indeed, the Chinese are increasingly turning to a green lifestyle<\/a>\nand are trying to buy more environmentally friendly packaging. For example,\nsome brands have started to use recyclable materials for their products, which\nhas an impact on sales despite a higher production price. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finally, food packaging in China sees great innovations. Some materials are chosen for how they benefit the products, such as antimicrobial properties and mechanical strength. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Creating packaging design in China, steps, and tips<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

One of the most difficult\nthings to do when you want to localize your brand in Asia and work on new packaging design in China\nis to find the right partners. Daxue Consulting provides you with the best\nadvice to work with the right packaging manufacturers in China, to make green packaging in China\nyour first choice and ensure the best results for your product.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dealing with packaging manufacturers in China: two leading solutions<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n