When was the last time your business reevaluated your packaging design? And when you think back, have your products, target market, or business model changed since then?
Manufacturers are often reluctant to commit to a full redesign, for a variety of reasons, but the damage that faulty, lackluster, or misleading packaging can do to your brand is infinite. If these problems go on undiagnosed, your sales could take a hit. Massive recalls, bad publicity, and loss of market share might not be far behind.
Below we’ve outlined the 4 common misconceptions we see holding manufacturers back from packaging innovation.
It costs too much.
Cost is the number one concern we see when discussing a packaging redesign. Developing new packaging for your product(s) can’t be cheap, right? You have to pay for the graphic design, shop around for the right vendor, and maybe even invest in higher-end materials.
But be careful of assuming that these costs are greater than the impact that faulty packaging could already be having on your business. Quantify the problems you’re seeing, such as an increased rate of returns due to damaged products, and see how they compare.
It’s easier to stick with what we know.
In the manufacturing world, change is never simple, especially when it comes to reconfiguring the shape, style, or materials of your packaging. But once you’ve calculated the economic impact that defective packaging may be having on your business, there’s a good chance you’ll see it’s worth the effort.
Don’t forget, if your packaging is fine, you might not be seeing such a negative impact, but that doesn’t mean you’re not missing out on opportunities for improvement that could land you a larger share of the market.
We can’t split from our current vendor.
Sometimes it can be hard to walk away from vendors that you’ve worked with for many years. Perhaps you’ve developed a personal relationship with your rep and they’ve gotten you through some tight spots in the past. However, they have a responsibility to meet your needs, and if they aren’t, you might have to make some tough decisions.
Shopping around for new vendors is also a fairly low-commitment part of the process to test the waters with.
We’re not aware of enough pain points to validate the change.
We hear this one all the time: “If it isn’t broken, don’t fix it.” But…what if it is broken and no one has taken the time to assess all the angles?
You have a lot of responsibilities on your plate, and as long as you have packaging in stock, operations can (ideally) move forward. Although, you should periodically review your packaging for pain points. If you’re seeing that returns, unhappy customers, poor reviews, and lower sales are having a significant impact on your margins, it’s time to bite the bullet.
Meet Lawrence Paper Company
When it comes to design, packaging and fulfillment of your valuable products, Lawrence Paper Company offers innovative, custom designs in boxes that protect and promote from the loading dock to the shopping cart.
Lawrence Paper Company quality comes in any quantity. That’s right, any and all. From a single box to millions and more, we can deliver any number of units – quickly and economically.
