When to Invest in Packaging Design
I get it DIYing your package design seems fun. All the creativity, color, and material choices. Not to mention the drawing or choosing the graphics! That is until it’s 2 am and you’re watching your 15,945th YouTube video trying to figure out one more thing.
A successful package design will attract ready-to-buy customers and set your product apart, all while sharing your vision. It may seem like no one would be able to do it like you, but you’d be surprised at how an expert designer can help.
Here are four situations when you should consider investing in professional packaging design:
Developing a New Product
So maybe one of the most common times to hire a packaging designer is when developing or sourcing a new product. This is always a thrilling time! You have put all of your creative energy and innovation into coming up with this new product. You’ve spent so much time solving a problem for your ideal customer. You want to make sure that your new product is presented in an engaging way to your audience. You want it to be perfect.
A packaging designer will help bring your vision to life and share expertise to help meet your goals. Plus, it’s always beneficial to have an outside perspective.
Sales Have Flatlined
Another time when it’s really great to engage with a packaging designer is if you’ve seen a drop-off in sales. Let’s say you have an existing product; maybe it was a best-seller or perhaps one of the bread-and-butter products that sold consistently over time. But those consistent sales have dipped a little bit.
Take a look around the market. Have new competitive products emerged? Are the brands in your space telling new product stories? A packaging designer will take an audit of similar products in your sales channels, as well as other areas, and advise on some ways to update your package design to really stand out.
Ready to Attract New Customers
Similar to when your sales have declined, another great reason to engage a packaging designer is that you want to attract new customers. So let’s a product you developed had several different use cases. When you launched, you decided to focus on one story. That one specific use case. Niching in on one ideal customer really is the most thoughtful way to market your product.
But you know that other customers can benefit from your product. Take what you already know about why customers love your product and invest in a packaging update to broaden the appeal. A skilled packaging designer will guide you through maintaining the existing equity while adding visual elements that catch the attention of new buyers.
Elevating the Brand
You’re ready to level up! You’ve reached your product’s initial goals, but now it’s time to make progress on the big scary goals. Whether that’s getting the product featured in a magazine or landing on the shelves of a retail chain, make sure your packaging is ready for its close-up.
When you’re pitching your product to a national retailer or major publication, the packaging is a part of that equation. Retailers want to see how your product will show up on their shelves, how it’s going to complement their existing assortment, and how it’s going to stand apart. When it comes to publications, print magazines especially want to see that your packaging is legible and eye-catching when printed at a smaller size. Investing in your packaging ahead of pitching to a dream retailer or magazine can really help you reach that goal of seeing your product on the shelves of Target or the pages of Vogue.