The primary function of food packaging is to protect food items during transit and storage. Food packaging, on the other hand, aims at attracting customers. It means that food packaging helps you sell your food products. It helps you build a strong brand identity that conveys information about your product and brand in a way that is relevant to your target audience. Remember, your product packaging is your brand ambassador that brings the retail buyer closer to your brand.
Know your brand identity
Whether through a screen or walking through grocery store aisles, your product packaging is the first point of contact between your brand and consumers. That is why you have to ensure that the packaging of your product makes a clear statement about who you are as a company and what improvements your products tend to bring to your consumers’ lives.
First and foremost, you will have to look at your product. See how it is different from other products available in the market. Also, look at who your primary customer is. Be sure about your company’s philosophy. Answering these questions will allow you to make sure that your food packaging design forms a logical connection with your brand identity. It will guide you to use the right color, shape, and materials.
Form and function
The job of a food packaging designer is to balance the shelf appeal. When it comes to the package’s functionality, you have to make sure that your product arrives in the very same condition it was at the time of leaving your warehouse. If the product is damaged, grocery retailers will send you an invoice or deduct money.
Another crucial responsibility of a food package is to convey the features and benefits of the product in a way easily understandable. Remember, you only have a few seconds to get the customer’s attention, so make sure that your product packaging stands out from the competition.
Materials and design
You will have to pay attention to product packaging when launching your product. You should be ready to embrace a surge in costs at this step. The key is to be flexible and work on alternative options when necessary without sacrificing the appeal and functionality of the package.
Here are some cost drivers for food packaging.
- When packaging food products, you have to choose from aluminum, plastic, glass, and paperboard, all of which are the traditional packaging materials. While choosing any packaging material, make sure to analyze its impact on the environment. Fortunately, we are living in an age where the demand for sustainable packaging supplies has risen significantly. As a result, production units are producing high-quality sustainable and eco-friendly packaging materials to meet market requirements. However, be sure to discuss your requirements with a packaging vendor before implementing any solution.
- The development process and setting specifications embed 80% of costs. It means that 20% will occur during manufacturing. It means that if you want to save costs, you will have to optimize the design and development phase.
- While it is possible to make trade-offs during production, printing, and managing labor, make sure that you understand the implications of those trade-offs.
A successful food packaging process depends entirely on the choices you make. That is why it is necessary to make the right choices.
