THREE QUESTIONS TO ASK WHEN DESIGNING PACKAGING FOR YOUR RETAIL FOOD PRODUCT
Your label is your biggest selling tool and is often the first impression people have with your brand. This is why good and effective label and packaging design is critical to the success of your consumer packaged goods, retail food, and beverage products. There are three questions you must answer before you start designing the packaging for any product:
WHAT IS THE PRODUCT?
This should be easy, but don’t just think about what you are selling right now. Think also about what you might be selling in the future, as you want to ensure any design you create now will grow with you.
What are you selling? What are the materials and dimensions? Is it a single product, or are there multiple flavors or formats? What are the key differentiators of your product(s)?
WHO’S BUYING THE PRODUCT?
Is the product supposed to be used by men, women, or both?
Is it for children or adults?
Is it geared toward environmentally conscious people?
Is your customer a local or a tourist?
What’s the price point, and what type of customer will that appeal to?
Take a moment to learn who your ideal customer is. Ask business partners, observe the marketplace, or study the analytics of visitors to your website. And don’t fall into the trap of thinking they’re just like you.
A product’s packaging should appeal to that customer – so it’s important to know who they are before you start the design process.
For instance, items geared towards an affluent customer will need to consider materials that convey a feeling of luxury. Those appealing to an eco-conscious consumer will want packaging that can be recycled or reused.
HOW WILL THEY BUY THE PRODUCT?
Are they purchasing it in a grocery store, small boutique, online, or even in your own business? How will it be displayed? Will it be on the same shelf as competitors?
You’ll want to think about packaging differently if the product is going to be sold online and shipped than if it’s going to need to stand out from the competition on a big-box store shelf. Those that will be on a boutique shelf will need to catch the eye of a buyer surrounded by cutesy items in cutesy packages.
