Packaging– the #1 connector to your target market

Opportunities pass quickly, we live in a very competitive era where a good product can easily be outsold by a similar offering with better designed packaging. To avoid being left behind, manufacturers and brand owners must compete at a higher level when it comes to packaging. Here’s how.

Packaging needs to clearly define target markets, communicating key information to connect personally with the consumer. Interaction is key from the time that your customer first browses the shelf looking for a solution to fulfil their needs.

In a fast-changing world it is important to remain flexible and keep up to date with consumer trends. Consumers want more from their choices. Companies must compete harder with regard to product packaging to establish a personal connection with their consumers.

Effective packaging and efficient workflow

What if we told you that perceived value is projected through your product presentation? You could find yourself in a position to compete with larger US and European retail brands using effective and well-designed labels and packaging tools.

What if your packaging could communicate back to the enterprise critical information such as which part-time packer was responsible for packing errors on customer returns? What if by doing this you could identify repeat offenders? Small steps to improve workflow create large returns over time. In a world where profit margins are getting tighter, we need to be more efficient.

We need to keep testing new packaging prototypes to find the sweet spot between consumers’ perceived value and fulfilment value. How does a product make the consumer feel?

Every year, brand owners spend more on their packaging to better connect with their audience

Find the right partner to support your journey

Your packaging partner needs to guide you towards an affordable method to test new ideas, fresh variants and different consumer journeys. This could be your game-changer – how many of your competitors are paying attention to what their customers want from their product experience?

Collaborative communication with the consumer is key. Your consumer wants to feel part of your story, experience your brand promises and ultimately, by process, demands appreciation for their spend and loyalty. Customers stay as long as they feel appreciated. For the producer, the feedback from their communication efforts helps to improve user experience, providing up-to-date information that keeps customers coming back for more.

International trends built over more than 10 years don’t lie. Every year, brand owners spend more on their packaging to better connect with their audience. What’s more is that the strategy is working for those who listen to their customers and adapt accordingly.

Did you know?

Counterfeiting is more and more prevalent in FMCG product markets. Consumers want to spot “the real deal” from fakes. The better you can control packaging, the more you can prevent market fakes from impacting your consumer’s experience.

Digital solutions amplify flexibility

During the pandemic the need for packaging flexibility was amplified. Customers were desperate to keep their products on the shelf and available to consumers. The challenges broke many, but we found inspiration in the few who stood up to the task. Those that flourished moved quickly to launch new product lines and variations of existing lines while readjusting messages of current product.

NSI Label has received many calls from companies wanting to invest in their own packaging printing equipment since the pandemic struck. Its customers who already had digitally-operated packaging solutions hardly noticed industry production shortages and delays. The flexibility allowed quick response to new opportunities without the need to order large stocks to test the new markets.

Online purchases of luxury items like cosmetics, nutritional supplements, hygiene-related products etc. increased. Products with well-designed packaging capitalised and, in some instances, still do. Immune boosters, multivitamins and sanitiser products sold faster than they could be produced, and traditional packaging demand could not be met. The flow of international brands was restricted, giving an open door to locally-produced products and solutions.

Extended producer responsibility

An interesting shift is happening in consumer behaviour where their consideration of the product life cycle after use is becoming as important as the product itself. More brands are willing to pay a premium to accept recyclability or the use of recycled elements, which ultimately enrich the consumer product experience.

Customers are becoming more aware of the impact of their products on the environment and are proactively making changes to protect the Earth for future generations. Legally suppliers are bound to be responsible and communicate that responsibility to their customers. These changes are constant, and you need to be flexible with your product packaging to accommodate them without wasting masses on packaging stock write-offs.

Think out of the box, ask many questions and do not get left behind. Consumers want more and will give their hard-earned money to those products packaged in a way that makes them feel appreciated. You will not be able to be at every point of sale of your product, so make sure that your packaging is “dressed for success”. •

LABELS PRODUCED ON DIGITAL PRINTING SOLUTIONS