Introduction
Cereal is one of the most popular breakfast foods in the United States, with over 90% of households purchasing it regularly (Statista). The cereal market was valued at over $10 billion in 2021 and continues to grow year after year. With so many iconic cereal brands on shelves, packaging plays a crucial role in standing out and appealing to customers.
Eye-catching and creative cereal boxes can grab attention in the busy cereal aisle and influence purchase decisions. They allow brands to showcase their personality and build brand recognition. Custom-printed cereal boxes provide ample space for vibrant colors, bold fonts, characters, nutrition information, and more. This makes products pop on crowded shelves.
Visual Shelf Impact
One of the most important roles of cereal box packaging is to make products stand out visually on crowded store shelves. With hundreds of competing cereal brands and endless varieties, brands need eye-catching boxes that grab attention.
Vibrant colors are key for visual impact. Bold, saturated hues in exciting color combinations create contrast and make cereal boxes pop. Using the brand’s signature colors on packaging is an effective way to aid brand recognition. Unique structural shapes that deviate from standard boxes also help products stand out. Novelty shapes like spheres or irregular polygons are more likely to catch shoppers’ eyes. Packaging design trends point to increased use of striking colors and atypical shapes for shelf appeal.
Increasing Cereal Boxes Brand Appeal
Cereal boxes present a great opportunity to engage customers and build brand loyalty through fun activities, nostalgia, and interactivity. Brands can include puzzles, mazes, word searches, trivia, and other games right on the box. This engages kids while parents are shopping and encourages them to want that cereal. Games and activities essentially turn the box into a toy itself. Some brands have created amazing interactive boxes, like Kellogg’s Krave that had an augmented reality maze game.
Conveying Quality
Custom cereal packaging can help convey a sense of premium quality to customers. As research shows, packaging design greatly impacts the perceived value and quality of a product. Using special finishes like foil, embossing, or soft-touch laminations can signal that a cereal brand is high-end and luxurious. Clean, minimalist graphic design also makes products look sleek and refined. This shows customers the brand cares deeply about its image and products.
Product Differentiation
Custom cereal boxes allow brands to differentiate their products in a crowded market. As cereal aisles are filled with similar-looking boxes and bags, unique structural packaging and custom shapes help products stand out. According to research, over 80% of product innovation fails due to a lack of differentiation. Cereal brands can reinforce the specialty attributes of their products through custom structural designs.
Shelf Dimensions
When designing custom boxes, brands need to consider the shelf dimensions in grocery stores. According to RedSheep, the standard retail shelf height ranges from 1000mm to 4000mm, with 1500mm, 1800mm, and 2100mm being the most popular.
Discountshelving.com states that grocery store shelves are commonly 72”, 84” or 96” high. The base shelf depths range from 10” to 22”.
The structural design of custom boxes should align with common shelf measurements. Boxes that fit neatly on shelves are easier for stores to display. Odd-sized boxes can leave empty spaces that look unsightly.
Legibility
Legibility is crucial for cereal boxes to effectively communicate with customers. The packaging needs to present information in a clear, readable way. As the Institute of Packaging Professionals states, “Text should be set in upper and lower case, and never in all capitals. Type size should be sufficient for legibility and the typographic color should contrast well with the background color.”
Conclusion
Custom cereal boxes provide significant benefits for cereal brands looking to stand out. With unique shapes, bold designs and premium finishes, custom boxes grab attention on crowded shelves. They allow brands to reflect personality and build recognition. Interactive games and activities on the packaging boost customer engagement. Nostalgic retro box designs tap into emotions and build loyalty. Most importantly, custom cereal boxes differentiate brands and make products more visible and appealing.