19 Mar Tips On Choosing The Best Packaging For Your Product
Tips On Choosing The Best Packaging For Your Product
Picking packaging is tricky, and there are lots of elements to juggle. If you are struggling, here are some tips that will work wonders for your products.
Prioritise Protection
It might be tempting to dive straight into the look and feel of your packaging. But first and foremost you want to make sure that it is able to keep your product safe and secure on its journey to the store.
You will need to balance the cost of procuring adequately protective packaging against the expense of having to replace products that are damaged in transit. If one is greater than the other, then you’ll be losing money for no reason.
The nature of the product itself can be a key indicator of the type of packaging you need. If what you are selling is light and prone to breakages, it will need to be cushioned internally and shielded from exterior impacts. If your product is heavy and solid, the packaging must provide protection for other items around it and keep it stable during storage and transport.
Select Suitable Materials
This ties in with the way a product is protected, but the packaging material will influence other factors, such as how your brand is perceived by potential customers. Opting for the most affordable type of material might look like a good move on paper. But if your branding suffers as a result then this will be a false economy. It is so easy for consumers to detect the quality of packaging as soon as they get their hands on it, so you can’t afford to take shortcuts.
Ensure Accessibility
Another aspect of packaging that can get overlooked in the rush to get a product to market is the usability. The product might be fully protected and beautifully presented, but what if customers have a tough time accessing it?
Getting frustrated when trying to open a package can immediately spoil the experience of ownership. So instead you need to think about how to create something which is ergonomic, intuitive and accessible.
The definition of accessibility will change depending on who you are targeting with your product. Adults can cope with complex packaging better than children, for example. On the other hand, if you can design your packaging in an interesting way that engages younger audiences, you should not miss this opportunity to get inventive.
Meet Expectations
Who you are trying to sell to is just as important as what you are trying to sell when it comes to packaging. So if you have a certain segment of the market in your sights, this should determine the design you choose.
This ties in with the other tips covered so far, but goes much deeper. You need to look not only at who will be buying your product and how it grabs their attention in stores, but also how the packaging performs throughout the rest of its usable life, long after a sale has been made.
It can be easy to get bogged down in marketing mind-games, trying to outdo competitors with a design that stands out in the aisles of a supermarket or out of town outlet. But if your product looks out of place once the customer gets it home, all this effort will have been wasted.
Practicality is similarly significant. If the packaging is going to stick around for as long as the product, rather than being discarded immediately, how easily can it be stored? Will it be the right size and shape to slip neatly into a cupboard or sit unobtrusively on a work surface? Will it be sturdy and protective enough to still look good months or even years after the original purchase?
All of these questions need to be answered when you are investigating your audience and setting out to meet their expectations.
Use Your Imagination
Once all of the practical aspects of packaging have been handled, you need to think about the pure presentational impact that it will have. From the typography you use and the branding you include to the colours and layout, you shouldn’t leave anything to chance.
The type of packaging will sometimes be a limiting factor in terms of what you can achieve with the aesthetics. Not all materials will support the types of printing that are required to bring your initial ideas to life. With a little creativity, it is possible to overcome these obstacles, but you should still keep them in mind to avoid getting carried away early on in the process.
Seek Sustainability
Packaging needs to be sustainable if it is going to appeal to an environmentally-engaged customer base. And this is not just about reducing the amount of material you use to package your products, but also about the life cycle of these materials.
In general it is worth picking packaging which is either biodegradable or widely recyclable. Ideally you should choose something that meets both of these criteria, as you will be able to boost the green credentials of your brand and avoid being seen as uncaring by consumers.
Make It Match
The packaging should be seen as an extension of the product that it contains, not something separate. So the two need to complement one another, rather than clashing.
This involves considering all of the factors we’ve covered, from the type of material and its durability to the exterior design and the information it presents to customers. If product and packaging go hand in hand, your brand will reap the benefits.
Furthermore once you’re familiar with what makes for a good packaging strategy, you will be able to use this knowledge to your advantage again and again. It’s an important step on the road to sales growth and long term success for your business.
Choose Compelling Packaging
If you are still unsure of which type of packaging is the best choice for your next project, contact us at Lakeside Products and we’ll pair you with the perfect solution.