It’s the first moment of truth for your product. Your target consumer is standing at the retail shelf or looking at options online, deciding which brand to put in her (real or virtual) shopping cart. Will it be yours? Does your packaging stand out from the crowd…in a positive way? Does it clearly and quickly communicate your brand and how it uniquely addresses a specific consumer need? Does it help to create and reinforce the emotional connection that is so essential to brand loyalty? Does it convey quality and value? If not, it’s time to re-evaluate and refresh your packaging design.
Nielsen research has shown that optimized packaging design can grow revenue by +5.5%1. The average supermarket carries over 30,000 SKUs2. With up to 80% of buying decisions being made at the point of purchase, it is more important than ever to make sure your packaging design is high-impact: find-able, shop-able and compelling enough to convert shoppers into buyers.
The average CPG packaging design project costs $102,0002 and can take anywhere from 6 to 12 months to complete, depending on the complexity of the brand/product line, where it is in its life cycle (new or refresh), whether or not structural, material, formulation, or ingredient changes are included, and the design process itself.
To help you minimize cost, accelerate speed-to-market, and, most importantly, deliver “wow” packaging designs that drive incremental sales, equity, and consumer loyalty, we’ve put together a collection of packaging design best practices in three easy downloads: The Creative Brief, Packaging Copy, & Packaging Design.
These best practices are focused on optimizing the visual and communication impact of the packaging structure, material, shape, and form that you have already selected based on the packaging performance and operational requirements you’ve identified. They apply to both new product launches and existing product refreshes.
As you’ll see, having a full understanding of the physical packaging characteristics, as well as production and supply chain considerations, is essential to the design process. However, best practices for packaging development, structure, material selection, equipment, sustainability, and other factors related to the physical/structural aspects of packaging design are the subject of a separate set of best practices.
Ready to get your hands on these resources and get started on your journey to achieving inspired, high impact packaging design?
1 https://www.nielsen.com/us/en/insights/webinar/2016/webinar-defy-the-odds/
2 https://www.fmi.org/our-research/supermarket-facts
