Rethink Package Design
Death, taxes and … packaging changes. It seems one constant in the consumer goods industry is the ever-changing packaging landscape. As brands look to communicate ‘new’ and ‘better’, they inevitably touch the packaging for redesigns, refreshes and re-launches. Here, Brian Carboni, Global Marketing Director of CPG and Retail Industry for Dassault Systemes, explains how to effectively rethink this process.
What are some of the key areas that can slow down the packaging design process?
Carboni: The inherent issue with packaging is that the ecosystem that is involved in packaging changes is very complex. Package design efforts can be scattered across multiple internal departments and external agencies using differing systems. This complexity leads to rework, delays, higher costs, quality issues and, in some cases, recalls. Often, it takes two days or more to get updated information to an entire team. In many cases, people continue to work with differing information or dated versions of documents and the process can get bogged down. It’s no surprise that the focus on what’s right for the consumer can get deprioritized, and costs quickly escalate as the need to launch begins to outweigh the need to get it right. Mistakes in the packaging design process are costly and, unfortunately, quite common. It’s a frightening statistic that 50 percent of packaging initiatives actually perform worse than what was replaced.
What can a competitive advantage in this area do for a company?
Carboni: Companies that can remove complexity from the packaging ecosystem will experience a wide spectrum of wins. By maintaining focus on the consumer and developing packaging, which delights the consumer with better value communication, velocity at shelf can increase along with brand loyalty. With speed and collaboration between Design Agencies, Packaging Suppliers and Artwork Studios, companies can create breakthrough designs and, importantly, can create designs that can be rapidly adapted to meet local markets across the globe. When you continue to get packaging right the first time, confidence with retailers grows and puts your brand in a position for continued wins in the future.
How will the industry evolve to rethink packaging?
Carboni: If you can imagine the different systems within the packaging ecosystem represented by different colored electrical cords, you can get a picture of a multi-colored jumble of cords being connected with multiple adapters and plugged into different outlets. When people are not all collaborating with the same information, the odds of making a mistake are increased. In an effort to make fewer mistakes and launch new packaging more swiftly, the consumer goods Industry will look to technology to assist in streamlining the packaging design process. External trends will also apply pressure to this shift as well. Consumers seem to have reached a tipping point with respect to personal health awareness and now are seeking ‘healthy’ in non-traditional categories such as food, beauty, wearables, home and technology. Companies will show the consumer how their products and packaging can help them in an effort to live more sustainable lives.