How to bring a product to market and the costly mistakes to avoid
Bringing a product to market can be an exciting, if not overwhelming experience. There are so many balls to juggle including getting the packaging just right. The packaging has many jobs, from the practicality of keeping your product safe to representing your brand. It is quite often the consumer’s first interaction with your brand and you will typically only get one chance to make a good first impression. All that being said, it can be a bit of a stressful journey getting your packaging right. I have compiled a short list to help you get started on that journey. Take it one step at a time and I promise you will get there.
1 The fundamentals
This may seem like an obvious thing, but checking that your packaging is the right size for your product should be step 1 in any process. The aim should be to find a box that has a snug fit, not too tight that your product is bursting out or putting pressure on the box. With your product fitting perfectly inside, there will be less room for jiggling about in the box and therefore less chance of getting damaged. It also demonstrates a well thought out product with a high attention to detail. It doesn’t have that generic, off-the-shelf and, let’s be honest, CHEAP feeling.
2 Generic design
You can spot it, can’t you. It just doesn’t look right. Sometimes you can’t put your finger on it, but you know it’s just, well, boring. It’s generic, it’s a me too version of something else you’ve seen, something better. You have a split second to make a good impression on a consumer as they peruse a shelf during their weekly shop. In this moment your packaging IS your brand. It speaks to what you are as a brand, what you stand for, your qualities, etc. To use a dubious analogy, you wouldn’t go on a first date in your worst overalls, you would make an effort (one would hope), so why would you not put your best foot forward when it comes to your packaging. It’s true in both life and packaging, you only get one chance to make a first impression.
3 KISS (Keep it simple stupid)
It’s a term that gets bandied about a lot in design and for good reason. Simple, clean, easy to understand, with a clear design hierarchy, is essential if you want to stand out from the clutter of a supermarket shelf. Avoid complexity (clutter) to allow for a consumer to quickly and easily digest what your packaging is trying to convey. All elements on the packaging should have a purpose, not just there for decoration.
4 Less is more
Following on from the KISS principle keep packaging to its minimum. There are a few reasons for this. We live in an environmentally conscious landscape. People do not want to see wasteful packaging. It does not fit in with their world view and will not be a good look for you as a brand. Another reason is that the consumer doesn’t want to have a hard time opening the package and then being left with lots of packaging to get rid of. And finally, it just doesn’t make financial sense to spend money on designing and producing many packaging elements for a consumer that sees no value it in and, especially in today’s climate, doesn’t want to pay for it.
5 Bad photography
I have seen this so many times and its just such a shame. A beautiful piece of packaging let down by some less than amazing product photography. When it comes to food photography it is essential to get this right. This is where a good photographer, food stylist and retoucher come in. They are worth their weight in gold. Customers need to see fresh delicious food presented in a way that inspires them. The level of artistry and skill required to make this happen does not come cheap but its definitely not an area to skimp on. In short, your iPhone just ain’t gonna cut it!
6 Legal compliance
When designing your packaging, it is vital to take into account all the legal standards that apply to your particular market. This is becoming a bigger issue, as there has been a push in recent years to have all the health and nutritional information displayed more prominently on pack. Each sector will have its own regulations. For instance, in the alcoholic drinks market here in Australia, there needs to be a pregnancy warning logo on every sku and each sku has its own regulations in terms of size. These factors will need to be considered at the design concepts stage in order to avoid retrospectively fitting in these mandatory elements. Getting this wrong could have your product removed from shelf and damage, even destroy, consumer trust.
In addition to this, there are also rules about how food is represented on pack. Will the reality of the product match the expectations of the consumer, based on the representation of the food on pack? If not then you could come into some legal issues and again erode consumer confidence in your brand.
7 Spelling mistakes
Ok, so maybe I am a little extreme (occupational hazard, I guess) but I won’t buy something if I spot a spelling mistake on a piece of packaging. If someone hasn’t gone to the effort of checking the spelling, then maybe, just maybe, they have put as little care into the product inside. This might be a little unfair of me, but I am sure I am not alone on that. It just plants the seeds of doubt in the consumer’s mind, and that’s all it takes for them to choose your competitor.