Tips for an excellent design in food packaging
Although the main function of food packaging is to protect the product, the main function of design is to attract. Packaging is a brand ambassador. It should sell itself; this means that it should have a strong identity and communicate information about the product clearly, concisely and relevant to its target audience.
Know the identity of your brand
How will the packaging reflect the positioning of your product? Packaging is often the consumer’s first point of contact with the product. When developing a design, you should have a clear idea of your brand.
What is your product? How is it different from similar products on the market? Who is your target customer? What is the philosophy of your company? All these important questions must be answered to ensure that the packaging design is consistent with the brand identity, as they help determine the colors, size, shape and materials used in the packaging. The launch of a new product requires that its packaging clearly communicates the company name and logo; in addition, the brand messages must be solid and must appear clearly on the package.
Design with form and function
A packaging designer balances the attractiveness (design and message) as well as the functional aspect of the safety and security of the product on the grocery store shelf.
It is essential that when you send your product to a customer, distributor or retailer, it arrives in the same conditions in which it left the factory or warehouse. The retailer will deduct the cost of the damaged product from your invoice.
Food packaging should convey a clear message of features and benefits that are easy to see and understand; think that you only have 1/10 of a second to get consumers’ attention while shopping in the supermarket aisles
The Spanish Agency for Consumer Affairs, Food Safety and Nutrition has guidelines for the correct labelling of foods ranging from the most important aspects of the packaging design to how the health properties should appear or the nutritional information box.
Designing food packaging: Key questions to get better packaging
Materials: Which material will allow the maximum freshness and protection of my product?
Package construction: flexible or rigid? How much space do I need to include all the information?
- Ease of packaging: Can the shape or size prevent you from shipping the product to retailers?
- Ease of storage and distribution: What is the cost of secondary packaging and transportation to get it to the retailer? Will it be stored for a period of time before going out for delivery?
- Expiration date: How long can it stay on the shelf before consumption?
- Communication: What are the ingredients, product benefits, considerations, brand identity?
Packaging design costs and materials involved
Packaging is one of the most important elements in the launch of a new product. However, you should be flexible and consider alternative options, which can be equally attractive and functional. The main factors of the cost of food packaging are:
- Materials: Traditional packaging materials are plastic, aluminum, glass and cardboard. However, new innovative and environmentally friendly packaging materials have appeared.
- Design (if working with a designer): Once the development process is completed and the specifications are established, 80% of the costs are integrated, which means that 20% of the costs occur at the manufacturing stage. Therefore, there may be several opportunities for savings in the design and development phase.
- Packaging production (printing, production and labor): It is possible to make trade-offs, such as labor costs and production, but make sure you understand the implications in time and effort and do not detract from the quality in the final appearance.
Example: a customer switching from manual packaging to automatic packaging. There is a significant cost overrun to buy the machine, but the expenditure on labor decreases. In addition, the consistent appearance of the package can attract more retailers and distributors.
Final considerations
- An attractive packaging for food makes your product end up on the consumer’s plate.
- A good packaging is a key success factor to help the retail buyer decide.
- Packaging is the most important marketing tool in a highly competitive market
- Hiring a packaging designer and using the available resources will not only save you time and money in the long run, but will also help ensure that your brand leaves the factory and you make a quick profit.
Do you need to innovate with the packaging of your food product? At Nicholl Food Packaging we have the best designers to make your food stand out in a market saturated with competition. We want to help you turn your brand into a market leader. You can check with us your doubts and questions and we will love to visit you, have a coffee together and be able to present you alternatives to be strong on the shelves.