The Power of Packaging

Orange you glad Tropicana changed their bottle?

When you walk into a grocery store, you’re confronted with hundreds of products lining the shelves. What makes you pick one product over another? While we like to think we make purchases based on things like price, quality, and ingredients, the reality is that packaging can play a huge role in shaping our buying behavior.

But what is it about packaging that taps into our psychology, and why is it such a pivotal factor in a brand’s success?

Enter: Tropicana.

Over the summer, the brand launched a new plastic bottle design, moving away from its signature carafe-style container. The clear, ergonomic bottle with a thin neck and a crown-like cap had become synonymous with the OJ brand. Tropicana’s new bottle is smaller in size (going from 52 ounces to 46 ounces) and less distinctive in shape with a simpler, less plastic-y cap.

Image Source: today.com (Amazon / Tropicana)

Sounds good, right? Wrong. What started as an effort to modernize the packaging structure has turned into a marketing misstep, and Tropicana (once again) finds themselves in the middle of backlash over a seemingly innocent design tweak that has caused sales to decline and consumer loyalty to crack.

Why are consumers so upset? For many, it wasn’t just about getting less juice – it was about the loss of a product they’d come to love as part of a daily routine. With its elevated carafe shape, Tropicana’s previous bottle communicated quality and freshness and consumers were excited to have it out on the counter. Feeling generic, the new structure turned the product into something you can find “just anywhere,” moving away from feeling like a premium product tied to a beloved morning ritual.

Image Source: Tropicana’s old carafe-style bottle design. Getty Images

We all know by now that branding is more than just visual appeal through colors, images, and logos. While these elements help a product stand out (or not), consistency in packaging structure is just as important in shaping positive experiences with a brand. When everything is working together and the brand creates emotional connections with consumers, everybody wins. Let’s sip on some of the ways packaging structure can get us in our feels.

Eco-friendly packaging, anyone? Compostable, biodegradable, recyclable – whatever way you slice it, environmentally responsible packaging resonates with consumers who are concerned about the planet, and they want the brands they buy to reflect their values. By going green with substrates, brands create an emotional connection with consumers who feel their purchase is contributing to a larger purpose.

People don’t just want a product that looks good; they want one that works well in their daily lives, saves time, and prevents frustration. If it’s easy to open, comfortable to hold, and well-designed for the task at hand (e.g., single serve, on-the-go, ready-to-drink…you get the idea), they’re more likely to return.

Packaging plays a major role in positioning a product as either a luxury or everyday purchase. Glass bottles, matte substrates, and spot gloss or metallic finishes can all create a sense of exclusivity, while everyday products use materials that are more practical and cost-effective. If you tend to assume that higher-quality packaging means higher-quality products, good news – you’re not alone. When a product’s packaging is sleek and premium, consumers believe they are getting something special, even if the product inside is the same as a competitor’s. And that, folks, is the psychology behind perceived value.

At the end of the day, packaging has become a critical element of branding. From emotional connections to convenience and perceived value (no pressure, packaging!), brands that understand these psychological triggers are better equipped to connect with consumers, influence their buying behavior, and establish loyalty. The challenge lies in creating (and maintaining) packaging that resonates on an emotional level, communicates the right message, and meets the practical needs of consumers.

Tropicana’s packaging setback highlights a key lesson for brands: don’t underestimate the power of emotional branding. In their case, the old carafe bottle wasn’t just functional; it was a symbol of quality, freshness, and family. It told consumers that this was the orange juice they could count on to start their day right.

Could Tropicana have done things differently with the launch, selling in the new packaging better with more rationale or by creating a new emotional connection to the revised bottle structure? It’s not like they didn’t know that their consumers are loyal as heck (see 2009 redesign).

Maybe it was just a case of “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” Small changes to a product’s packaging or size may seem harmless, but they can have far-reaching consequences, especially when consumers have an emotional connection to what was.