What are the most common packaging challenges and how do you overcome them?

1 Packaging materials

One of the first challenges you may face is choosing the right packaging materials for your products. You need to consider factors such as durability, weight, size, shape, cost, and sustainability. Depending on your product type, you may need different materials for primary, secondary, and tertiary packaging. For example, you may use glass bottles, cardboard boxes, and plastic wrap for beverages, or plastic bags, paper labels, and wooden pallets for clothing. You should also look for materials that are recyclable, biodegradable, or reusable to reduce your environmental impact and appeal to eco-conscious customers.

2 Packaging design

Another challenge is creating a packaging design that stands out, attracts attention, and conveys your brand message. You need to balance aesthetics, functionality, and information in your design. You should use colors, fonts, images, and logos that match your brand identity and product category. You should also make sure your design is easy to open, close, store, and transport. Moreover, you should include relevant information on your packaging, such as product name, description, ingredients, instructions, warnings, barcode, and contact details. You should also comply with any legal or industry regulations regarding packaging labels.

3 Packaging costs

A third challenge is managing your packaging costs and optimizing them for your budget and goals. You need to calculate the total cost of ownership (TCO) of your packaging, which includes the direct and indirect costs of materials, labor, equipment, storage, transportation, and disposal. You should also monitor the return on investment (ROI) of your packaging, which measures the benefits and value you get from your packaging in terms of sales, customer loyalty, and brand awareness. To optimize your packaging costs, you should look for ways to reduce waste, improve efficiency, negotiate with suppliers, and leverage economies of scale.

4 Packaging testing

A fourth challenge is ensuring your packaging meets the quality and performance standards of your customers and the market. You need to test your packaging for various factors, such as strength, durability, functionality, safety, and compatibility. You should also test your packaging for customer feedback, preferences, and satisfaction. You can use different methods and tools for packaging testing, such as laboratory tests, field tests, surveys, focus groups, and online platforms. You should also follow the best practices and guidelines of packaging testing, such as defining your objectives, selecting your samples, designing your experiments, and analyzing your results.

5 Packaging innovation

A fifth challenge is keeping up with the trends and innovations in packaging that can give you a competitive edge and enhance your customer experience. You need to stay updated on the latest developments and technologies in packaging, such as smart packaging, interactive packaging, personalized packaging, and biodegradable packaging. You should also explore new opportunities and ideas for packaging that can add value, convenience, and functionality to your products. For example, you can use QR codes, NFC tags, or augmented reality to create interactive packaging that connects your customers to your digital channels and offers more information, entertainment, or engagement.

6 Packaging strategy

A final challenge is developing and implementing a packaging strategy that aligns with your business objectives, market conditions, and customer expectations. You need to define your packaging goals, such as increasing sales, reducing costs, improving quality, or enhancing sustainability. You also need to conduct a packaging audit, which involves assessing your current packaging situation, identifying your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats, and benchmarking your performance against your competitors and industry standards. Based on your audit, you can formulate a packaging plan, which outlines your actions, resources, timelines, and metrics for achieving your packaging goals.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?