How Important is Packaging Design to Your Product’s Success?

Packaging is the third largest industry in America- It should protect your product against any kind
valued at $110 billion per annum. It is estimatedof damage or deterioration.
that there are 350 billion packages which comprise- It should also be able to withstand transport and
of the tiniest item in pharmaceuticals toshipping.
supersacks used that are used to carry- It should be environmentally friendly
thousands of pounds of content and which can- It should be easy to open and the product easy
withstand rigorous transport.to use.
Product Packaging Design- It should be tamper proof.
Consider what product packaging design does toPackaging should have consumer appeal, a
your product:distinctiveness that makes your product stand out
- Most importantly, packaging identifies your brand.against a hundred other products on the shelf.
- Packaging communicates with the consumer andPackaging, labeling and any additional information
presents an image, displays the product and alsoshould be designed keeping in mind the profile of
provides instructions for its use.your target consumer. Understand your market
- Packaging distinguishes your product from yourand target them specifically. Packaging for a
competitor’s in its design, color, and shape.generic audience can confuse the consumer.
- Packaging is your product’s promotionalPackaging should help build your brand image.
advertisement. It is the last thing the consumerIt’s about communicating your product and
sees about your product before making a decisionbuilding a relationship with your consumers through
to purchase it.your brand image.
To see how important product label design is,Packaging should stand out against your
take the case of DermaQuest which produces acompetitor’s products.
line of skincare products. Although their productsProduct Label Design: Health Supplements
are of high quality, their initial packaging was not- Labeling on health supplements is important.
impressive and did not say much about theirLabels on the package should contain Supplement
product. After working with a team ofFacts about the ingredients and their nutritive
professional designers and branding houses theirvalue and comply with other FDA guidelines
skincare products were given a totally newregarding dietary supplements.
makeover. Allyson Rogers, director of education- Additional information on the package on how
at DermaQuest said, "It's made a huge difference.the product works could provide the consumer
It's helped us get into new doors that we weren'tincentive information that will help the consumer
in before. This is something that appeals toto make an educated decision over your
doctors. It's clean, scientific and elegant-looking."competitor’s products.
The new look resulted in doubling their sales.- Promotional leaflets inside the packaging can help
Generally packaging works out to 10% of theconsumers to be more aware of the product and
retail cost of a product. However this marginhow it beneficially impacts the consumer’s
would go up or down considering the product youhealth. This can build credibility and trust. These
are selling. Cosmetic and electronic manufacturersleaflets can also be used to introduce other
may spend up to 40% or more of the productproducts in your line of production.
cost on packaging, as would gift items. An- Adding one or more health claims on health
attractively packaged product makes all theproducts could boost your sales by 20% . This
difference at the point of sale. The extra carewas the conclusion of an online study conducted
and cost required to produce an attractiveby National Starch. Consumer perception was
package are more than covered through increasetested for leading brands of bread, nutrition bars
in sales.and cereals. It was found that consumers began
Sanjay Sood, associate professor of marketing atplacing a higher value on these products when the
UCLA's Anderson School of Management said,packaging was altered to include additional health
"Packaging may provide consumers with someclaims such as: “increases dietary fiber
sort of interest or incentive that can help getinake”, "promotes a healthy digestive
customers to try it, but for repeat buys, that'ssystem", "helps to control blood sugar highs,"
where the product will live or die on its own.""provides a balance of energy" and "delivers
There is a psychology to a consumer’sprebiotic properties."ackaging trends are changing
selection of a product and it depends on productconstantly. There are new innovations all the time.
design and packaging.Keeping abreast of packaging and label trends will
Points to Consider in Product Label Design:give your products a competitive edge.
- Packaging should be functional.