Five Steps to Packaging Your Product and Getting on Shelf

Are you feeling overwhelmed about getting your product out into the market? This is really not surprising. Packaging is a complex multi faceted discipline, with a multitude of decisions that have to be made prior to the production of the product. There is a plethora of material and vendor choices that have to be made before you package anything. After all you cannot have a product without a package.

My very first suggestion is that you find a reputable package design consultant. A brand manager is the owner of the brand and the package design specialist is the personal trainer to the brand.

Here are 5 easy rules to get you started.

Do Your Homework.

Before you decide how you want to package your product you need to see and understand what is already available in the marketplace. Even if you think your product is the greatest new invention out there, you will still have competition of some sort.

Start by checking that out first. Visit outlets that carry similar products or products in the same category. For example, if you have a homewear product that you want to launch into the marketplace, make sure to check out the opposition. Don't just pick one outlet. Go to a variety of stores. You don't want to develop a great new packaging concept only to find someone else is already doing something very similar, or that you can import the product far more cheaply than you can produce something very similar. The more knowledge you have about your potential opposition, the better, as this can only empower you and your own choices about your product. Knowledge is power.

Pick Your Packaging Material.

This isn't as simple as it sounds because there are many external factors influencing why products are packaged in certain types of materials. Certain products lend themselves to special merchandising. Some products can only be merchandised in certain materials. How the product is merchandised may dictate what type of package material you use. For example, if you need clarity to see the entire product then you are probably going to want plastic. The choice of material may also be dictated by availability.

Packaging materials are classified by their primary raw material. Two simple examples are paper and plastic. Within in each material type are numerous subcategories of different types of packaging. If you chose paper packaging it might be a box, a bag, a drum, a tube, a canister and so on. See the variety of choices? It's easy to become inundated with options and hard to figure out what is the best choice. As products lend themselves to several different packaging materials, it's best to start with what you know is working with similar products.

Even if you choose the same material as your competition, the owners is on the designer or design firm to make your packaging unique through design.

Optimize Your Package Profile.

This is what is called the retail footprint, i.e., how much space will your product take up on the shelf. Your goal is to have the smallest size or amount of packaging you can while optimizing the shape and design of the package. It's important to understand the concept of the retail footprint. Retail space is at a premium so the smaller amount of space you use the happier the retailer will be.

They may even specify that your product only be allowed so much shelf space. In any case, you need to understand the concept and incorporate that in your sales pitch to retailers.

Many times you can package your product in variety of different ways. This is where creativity comes into play. Your product doesn't just have to sit on a shelf in a box. It could sit upright; it could hang or be displayed in a floor stand or similar merchandiser. There are many unique ways to merchandise any product.

You just have to think outside of traditional ways of doing things. Look at other products from different industries. See if you can't incorporate design ideas into your own product packaging.

Be Prepared To Take Advice.

I know you are in love with your product and you are sure you have ALL the answers, but you can't be an expert at everything. Listen to what other people have to say about your product packaging. Don't get so caught up in your own ideas that you make design mistakes or mistakes in merchandising. Get a reality check from someone who knows nothing about your product. See if your packaging concept is compelling to an outsider. By that I mean that they are interested enough to pick your product up off the shelf.

Think Big, But Be Prepared To Compromise.

I know your product is fantastic, but you may need to start out on a smaller scale than you envision. One of the largest obstacles might be finding a vendor. In general, custom packaging is relegated to large volume orders and you are probably not there yet. But don't despair.

Look for stock items that can be customized. The stock container market has improved dramatically with innovation and new designs. In fact there are many companies now that provide only stock containers. You can customize stock on a smaller scale. With a simple label change, your packaging solution may be resolved. Ordering in a limited quantity allows you to change and modify your packaging as your sales increase. You don't want to have 10,000 old packages on hand when you need a design change, or need to change a regulatory issue.

The important fact is to understand that packaging is not static and continually evolves and changes with consumer needs and demands. It can even change because you have more business and can order in larger quantities, as this will greatly influence your unit costs. What worked in the past, may not work tomorrow.

You need to be innovative and creative in your thinking.

Look for guidance and expertise in outside resources. Keep up with packaging changes and materials. Don't get caught ordering too much stock that you can never use. Think big and start small.