Recently someone in our office purchased a home cordless phone system which came in the box shown here. It appears simple enough as it has pictures showing the product, the features and all the information a consumer would want to know prior to purchasing. It contains 5 handsets and a base station – the normal complete setup you would expect in today’s marketplace.
Now if you look at the second image you will see something interesting. We placed the inner package that contained everything you would get in this purchase in front of the overall package. There is a noticeable difference in size.
About 40% difference is what we gauged when we measured the two boxes. Spacers were placed to keep the inner box from rattling but we weren’t sure why there was such a big size difference. Then we thought and came to the conclusion that for this item to sell successfully the manufacturer decided that a bigger box would be best as it leads the consumer to believe there is more in this package which justifies the purchase.
Somehow the consideration for any concerns in regards to sustainability got left behind as a considerable amount of material is wasted on this package. We were curious if any consumers noticed this after their purchase and if it made any impression on them about the manufacturer for now or in the future. My guess is that there really wasn’t an impression made at all. We are so used to opening packages that when the task is simple, we are pleased and move on. When it gets difficult, we get annoyed. Taking action… well that’s another story all together.
At CTI, we work hard to rewrite the story to make a more positive impression down the road for all involved.
