Packaging is increasingly being analysed not only in terms of protection, cost and logistics. In product design and customer experience, its impact on the perception of quality, brand credibility and the attractiveness of the offer itself is becoming more important. The studies cited in the material indicate that product evaluation may begin before the contents are examined, with visual and tactile stimuli playing a key role. This concerns such elements as material, texture, stiffness, weight, opening method and surface finish. From this perspective, packaging becomes the carrier of the first physical experience with a brand, particularly important in e-commerce, where contact with the product before purchase is limited or does not occur at all.
The material refers to the study “Why We Like to Touch”, conducted by researchers at Delft University of Technology and published in Psychology & Marketing. According to the description presented, consumers rate highest those objects that combine design coherence with a variety of tactile sensations. This means that the perception of packaging depends not only on its appearance, but also on whether contact with it creates an ordered, pleasant and credible experience. In turn, the research review “Hand-Feel Touch Cues and Their Influences on Consumer Perception and Behavior with Respect to Food Products”, published in Foods, identifies packaging as one of the key external cues affecting product evaluation. The authors emphasise that expectations regarding the contents are built not only by graphics or labels, but also by holding, opening and physical contact with the packaging.
Touch as an element of product evaluation
In practice, this means that the functional and sensory characteristics of packaging can strengthen or weaken the perception of a product. The texture of carton, its grammage, structural stability or closure method affect whether a product is perceived as refined, safe and high-quality. In this approach, packaging ceases to be a neutral carrier and begins to act as the brand's first message.
The importance of this phenomenon is growing in e-commerce. In remote sales, the moment of receiving and opening the shipment is often the customer's first physical contact with the brand. This is when the consumer evaluates not only the product itself, but also the care taken in preparation, the credibility and the professionalism of the supplier. If the packaging appears random, is too delicate or difficult to open, it may negatively affect the perception of the overall shopping experience.
Carton in consumer perception
The material indicates that the growing position of paper and carton materials in packaging design results not only from environmental considerations. Carton also provides specific sensory stimuli, such as a perceptible structure, stiffness, weight and natural texture. These characteristics create associations different from those of smooth plastics and may influence the assessment of quality and trust in the product.
The cited data from the European Consumer Packaging Perceptions Study 2025, prepared by Pro Carton, show that 89% of European consumers would choose a product in carton packaging instead of an identical product in plastic packaging. According to the material, this result indicates that packaging material currently affects not only the assessment of environmental performance, but also overall trust in the product and brand.
Jarosław Kamiński, managing director of Rajapack Polska, points out that "packaging is often the customer's first physical contact with a brand, which is why its importance goes far beyond product protection. Consumers perceive packaging with all their senses, they see it, touch it, open it, and assess its durability and ease of use. Carton responds very well to these expectations because it combines functionality, naturalness and a sense of quality. We see that companies are increasingly analysing packaging not only as a cost, but as an element of customer experience and trust-building".
He additionally indicates that "companies are increasingly choosing paper mailing envelopes and cartons made from recycled materials. Such solutions respond to expectations related to sustainability, but at the same time they influence the recipient's experience. Packaging material, its texture and the way it is used matter for how a brand is perceived by the customer".
Packaging as part of the brand experience
Packaging neurodesign, according to the material presented, is not limited to attractive appearance. It covers the entire user experience, from first contact with the parcel, through ease of opening, to the sense of product safety and the possibility of reusing or recycling the packaging. In online sales, packaging can simultaneously serve as shelf display, first impression and carrier of brand values.
As a result, companies are increasingly analysing packaging design more broadly than only in terms of dimensions and price. Material, ergonomics, aesthetics, recyclability and the way quality and responsibility are communicated are gaining importance. In this approach, carton remains not only a logistics solution, but also an element affecting the perception of the product and the entire shopping experience.
