Packaging, much like most things in business, can become outdated. Well-designed, and perhaps most importantly, relevant packaging is important for many reasons. If you have packaging for your products right now, but you’re thinking of switching it up a little bit – this article is for you. When you’re redesigning something, there are many questions to ask yourself. We’ve condensed the most important ones into this one post for your convenience.
Packaging projects can be complex and time-consuming, and require many moving parts to get the job done. Doing it all yourself, while admirable, can prove to be more difficult than one expects.
For this reason, hiring a company to manage these projects is the best action to take – Hey! We know someone
But all jokes aside, being prepared is the most important factor when taking on a monumental project that can shape your brand. Make sure you have all of the answers early in the game.
Here are our most-asked questions, and some from our expert custom packaging specialists!
PRODUCT QUESTIONS
1. WHAT IS THE PRODUCT?
Obviously the most important product – and is often overlooked. You may be thinking, “How can that be? This is what the packaging is for.” Oftentimes, something as simple as this gets overlooked in the hoopla of everything.
First and foremost, you need to understand everything about your product. Weight, fragility, and perishability are all attributes that need to be taken seriously. These factors will directly impact the materials and accessories used in your redesign packaging products. How fragile an item is can mean the difference between a paper sleeve and a rigid box – definitely a difference in cost here.
2. WHAT ARE THE DIMENSIONS?
Another seemingly obviously question, but important nonetheless. In this day and age, it’s important not to waste materials unnecessarily. There’s no need to use a box that’s 3x the size of the product being packaged. Getting accurate dimensions for your products are essential when redesigning components.
This ensures that the product is able to remain intact during transport and avoids any kind of damage that may upset the customer. Sometimes, products require custom-fitted inserts in additional to external packaging, and dimensions play a huge part in these decisions.
3. HOW MUCH DOES YOUR PRODUCT COST?
Lastly, in terms of product questions – you never want to spend more on packaging than the product is worth. Although packaging is essential, it should never cost more than the thing it’s holding together.
INDUSTRY QUESTIONS
4. WHO IS YOUR AUDIENCE?
Market research, past purchasing behaviour, anything that can tell you about your target audience is key. You may not immediately associate it with redesigning of packaging, but your target audience is everything.
They’re the ones that are ultimately going to be purchasing your product and have the ability to determine the way your brand is viewed. They are able to give immediate feedback on appearance and functionality, so a focus group isn’t completely out of the question depending on the size of the redesigning project.
With new customers, there isn’t much to lose. The people you really need to pay attention to are the ones who have been dedicated consumers for years. Making too large of a difference can have a negative impact. It’s all about playing the game and making sure that the changes you make are necessary.
In packaging, you have to have the correct balance between allowing you to increase the value of your product and staying true to your loyal customer base.
Female friends out shopping together
5. WHAT ARE THE DETAILS OF YOUR INDUSTRY?
The worst thing you can do is miss the mark completely on the tone of your industry. This is because you risk your product not being recognised as part of the industry to begin with. When you’re redesigning, you need to ensure that the design is still consistent with your industry to maintain positive reactions.
If your industry is constantly re-inventing yourself, it’s easy to look antiquated in a sea of more current design. Again, it’s about balance. You need to differentiate yourself from your competitors, while still maintaining the look, feel and tone of them.
6. WHO IS YOUR COMPETITION?
Speaking of competitors – What are they doing?
When you revitalise your packaging, you need to make sure that it’s not too similar to your direct competitors. In fact, in some instances you may want to do the exact opposite!
Think of your placement on a shelf – if all of our your competitors have busy packaging then you may want to do simple, solid colours as it will stand out. Likewise, if your competitors are all doing simple packaging, consider going with a bold design to catch your consumer’s eye.
DESIGN QUESTIONS
7. WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO ACHIEVE?
Decide on your goal and stick to it. What are you trying to accomplish by changing your packaging components? The answer to this question will have a direct impact on the direct you take.
For example – your sales are down and after some surveying, you find out that it is directly correlated to the packaging design. Customers find it difficult to open your packaging and decide to go with a competitor that is more easily accessible. Sometimes it’s not this simple, but you definitely need to determine why you want to revamp your packaging.
If a redesign will directly impact your bottom line, then you’re on the right track.
8. HOW SIMILAR SHOULD IT BE TO CURRENT PACKAGING?
Now, depending on your goals, you may not even need to redesign your packaging. Instead, you may just need to make some minor adjustments.
If you know for a fact that customers like specific components, be sure to keep those. As we previously mentioned, your customer base can be very opinionated and have the power in their hands.
9. WHAT INFORMATION NEEDS TO BE DISPLAYED ON THE PACKAGING?
Legally, make sure all of the regulatory information is included on your packaging. Nutritional facts, declaration of identity, ingredient lists… the list goes on.
Once you have your personalised list of things that have to be on your packaging, you can move on to what you want on your packaging.
10. SHOULD YOU GO GREEN?
Definitely. Environmentally friendly options are the obvious choice with packaging, so be sure to make the right decision.
When all is said and done, you have to make the best choice for your business and brand. Whether it’s redesigning your existing packaging, creating brand new components, or branching out to alternative materials, LeKAC is here to help you. Contact us to get the ball rolling on your next project!