Every once in a while, you will want to take steps to change your packaging. This is an essential part of business, as it keeps your product interesting and lets you keep up with changing trends or even take advantage of holidays. To get the most of your packaging changes, you need to engage in careful planning so your result is a success.
Get Inspiration and Make a Design
Start by figuring out the types of changes you want to make to your packaging. You will want to make sure that the final product is recognizable as being the same item but appears refreshed. This way, current customers will be able to easily find your product when it is mixed in with the competition. If you aren’t sure what changes to make, consider looking at the competition for inspiration and to see what works and doesn’t work. Or look at other industries to see current trends in packaging that you can take advantage of.
Talk to Your Customers
After you have a design for your new packaging ready, do some market research. Gather a group of your current clients and ask them what they think of your updates and whether they are still interested in your product. Pay attention to their feedback, and consider talking to potential customers as well so you can get an idea if your packaging will bring in new clients.
Find a Company to Work with
Before you can actually see how your packaging will look on your product, you need to figure out which manufacturer to work with. The best ones will offer short-run packaging so you can test out your ideas. You also want a company with a range of options in case you change your mind about the style of box or decide to expand your lineup in the future. This way, you can stay with the same company that you have already built a relationship with.
Order a Small Run First
Make any necessary changes based on the market research you did and then order a small packaging run. Some companies will let you order as few as 500 boxes, which is just enough to get an idea of how they will work with your product without making a huge investment.
Get Feedback on Packaging
To be completely certain you made the right decision, bring the completed packaging to another group of current and potential customers and get their input. You can even use the short run as a test to see how your product sells in the new packaging compared to the old one.
Make Adjustments or Order the Full Run
Once again, listen to the input you receive on your package. If you have to make changes, go ahead and do so before ordering another short run with the new design and testing that one out. When you are confident in your new design, work with the packaging manufacturer to order the full amount that you will need.
