Packaging shapes digital natives' shopping decisions

Especially with impulse buyers, successful packaging can attract a lot of attention and lead to a purchase decision."Today, branded goods have the function of mass media," cultural scientist Wolfgang Ullrich has also noted. Much of what we know about products - from the ingredients to information about the manufacturer - we know from the packaging. Whether a brand suits our lifestyle and whether we like to adorn ourselves with it depends not least on the packaging. Packaging not only provides the functions of mass media, but also their reach: 89% of consumers regularly pick up packaging and engage with it intensively. Whether a product is consumed quickly or slowly or is recommended to others also depends on the packaging. Packaging is therefore on a par with the other mass media of marketing communication - television, radio, print media or the Internet. Especially the generation of people who have grown up with the Internet (the digital natives, who are now under 30 years old) use packaging for much more than just the safe storage of goods.Orientation in the digital worldDigital natives got to know the internet at a young age - for 14 to 20-year-olds, it is a matter of course. It shapes their communication, their use of media and even their shopping behavior. The study shows: Packaging is often even more important to them than to their older contemporaries.Packaging basically has two main functions: the signaling function for orientation in the store and the communication function, which makes the brand tangible and provides information. The signaling function of packaging is not losing its importance in the digital world either. On the contrary, it is becoming even more important for digital natives when they are online. Packaging not only provides orientation on the shelf, but also on e-commerce sites or Google search results. This is why the majority of consumers attach importance to seeing images of packaging online.Illustrations as a guideThe more people use the internet, the more they appreciate images of packaging as an orientation aid. Combining the materiality of packaging with the virtuality of the internet offers new opportunities for brand communication. This is demonstrated by the high level of interest in QR codes. Even if their use is only slowly increasing, interest in them is high, especially among digital natives.

For digital natives, it is particularly important to see images of products and packaging when shopping online.However, the communication function is also very important for digital natives, especially the brand message, as brands are more important to them than to other age groups. For them, brands are an expression of their individual personality and an important topic of conversation. It is no wonder that they also have a higher level of brand knowledge, which is shown, for example, by the fact that they recognize brands more easily by their logos.

Digital natives define themselves more through a brand than the older generation.Brands stand for quality. For digital natives, quality is increasingly assessed via the packaging. Packaging therefore plays an important role in brand perception.Spontaneous or according to planWe all behave differently when we go shopping: sometimes we plan our shopping and go to the supermarket armed with a shopping list. Sometimes we let ourselves be inspired by what's on offer locally and buy impulsively. One thing is certain: regardless of whether you are an impulse buyer or a planned buyer - a product must first be handled so that you can properly assess it. When designing packaging, it is therefore not enough to focus solely on attention-grabbing performance. People who do not buy impulsively also pay attention to the packaging.

A third of digital natives believe that the packaging of a product says a lot about its quality.However, impulse buyers are more likely to use the full range of communication options offered by packaging. They value packaging more than plan buyers in all functions. This also applies to all product categories surveyed. As impulse buyers are always on the lookout for something new, their attention is drawn by new packaging. New things are not only seen, but also touched - from there it is only a small step to purchase.Packaging provides selling pointsPlan buyers see themselves as confident consumers who make rational decisions. Information that provides arguments for the purchase is therefore important to them - detailed information about ingredients and environmental friendliness. The small print is also of interest to them. This is where packaging offers a communication opportunity: it can also provide sensible arguments and supporting information.