Your packaging is arguably the most important part of the product. The packaging is the key to selling the product in the final stage of the sales funnel, and it protects the product on the shelf and in the customer’s home. It can also easily cause the product to be lost in the crowd, or you to lose the sale if you haven’t kept up with the times. This is why you should always consider whether your packaging is up to par, and whether it could use a redesign. Here are three signs that it is time for you to change your brand packaging.
Sales Are Down but It Isn’t Obvious Why
One sign that you may need to change your brand packaging is declining sales. This is especially true if brand recognition is still high among your customers. In some cases, it might be because the packaging doesn’t stand out and customers can’t find your product on the shelf among similar products.
In this case, one solution could be to incorporate new colors or shapes in the packaging. Another could be to change the packaging method so that your product stands out on the shelf. You should also try to look at things from the retailer and customer’s point of view. Is your product no longer the easiest to open? Are customers choosing re-sealable packaging that reduces waste?
You also have to look at retailer preferences. A large box might dominate the aisle, but retailers want to sell as many units as possible, and they may be favoring smaller packages that are easier to stock, so this is another thing you’ll have to take into consideration.
Packaging Costs Are Too High
Packaging costs are determined by a variety of factors. The amount of material and types of material used are important. The labor required to make and fill the packaging is increasingly important as well.
You may be wasting money using hand-packed products when automation could improve throughput and reduce costs. The hard part, however, is finding a viable alternative without wasting time and money you may not have on product design.
Services like The Package Lab, for instance, could allow you to build custom packaging fast. You can choose from their assortment of food, beverage, health, nutritional and beauty brand packaging that protects the product without costing you a lot. Their compact, flexible and re-sealable pouches are reasonably priced, and flexible packaging will reduce your shipping and stocking costs, too.
You Haven’t Updated the Packaging in Years
Branding is challenging, and buying new packaging can be expensive. This is why you shouldn’t change your packaging every year. However, you should try to refresh your branding and your brand packaging every few years. Some studies suggest that this should be done every six years. You can choose to change the color scheme, the font size, the location of the logo or tag lines and endorsements printed on the package. An update like this will not only affect the opinion of loyal customers, but it will catch the attention of new ones.
Do this in conjunction with market research and ask former customers why they stopped buying the product. You might find that your packaging is too difficult to recycle, or uses materials customers are now trying to avoid. You also need to consider what the competition is doing. Understand what they’re doing that is working well and isn’t working at all so you don’t make an avoidable mistake with your own packaging design.
Your brand packaging is one of the most important aspects of your product’s marketing and branding. Make the necessary changes to help it move more quickly if you want to remain in business.
