Getting the Most out of Your Packaging

Most of you probably didn't start your business andintegral part of their business plan.
immediately think about packaging. You focused allThey looked at all the household cleaning product
your energy on your product, trying different formulascurrently available and decided that the packaging of
to make it better. Then once you were happy withthese products, while functional, was boring and
your end product, you had to concern yourself withuniform. In the supermarket there was row upon row
how to make it in larger quantities. Then suddenly youof these products with identically shaped bottles
realized you needed some kind of packaging for yourdifferentiated only by their labels. What they wanted to
products. If this sounds like you, you are not alone.do was create packaging that you didn't need to hide
Packaging is one of the biggest challenges for anyonein the cupboard; that you could happily display in your
selling retail products.kitchen or bathroom like a home accessory. The
Let's start with a couple of packaging success stories.packaging for every one of their more than 100
Sometimes you can learn a lot by looking outside yourproducts has been designed to be beautiful as well as
own industry, so my first success story comes fromfunctional.
the wine industry. The wine industry is large with tensMethod Products has been successful because they
of thousands of companies competing for ourfocused on the packaging as much or even more than
attention with hundreds of thousands of products. It isthe actual product. Their designs have won many
very difficult for a newcomer to make a successfulawards, and they have been featured in national
business, let alone become the number one winemagazines such as TIME, Family Circle, Redbook and
brand. A few years ago most people would haveReader's Digest (and that is just a partial list from this
thought it impossible.year!). They have grown from zero to over $40 million
Well I am here to tell you that the #1 wine brand in thisin sales in just six years. If you are serious about
country did not exist here just six short years ago. Igetting your products into retail stores I urge you walk
am talking about Yellow Tail wines from Australia, andinto a Target or Costco and look at the range of
they have turned the wine industry on its head. YellowMethod Products.
Tail Shiraz is the number one selling red wine inSo what can we learn from these two highly
America, Yellow Tail Chardonnay is the number twosuccessful retail companies? I see five common
chardonnay, and many of its other varieties are in theelements that have helped make these companies
top five in their category. How is this phenomenalsuccessful that anyone can incorporate into their
success possible from a brand that did not exist in thispackaging:
country just six years ago?1. Focus on your packaging - spend as much time and
Well first, you need a good product at a reasonablemoney on it as you can afford
price, that almost goes without saying. Most Yellow2. Keep your look and feel of your packaging
Tail wines retail for less than $8 and they are qualityconsistent across all your product lines
wines that appeal to a broad range of consumers. But3. Just a color change is often enough to distinguish
to initially cut through the clutter at the liquor store theybetween flavors within the same product line
needed great packaging. All of their wines carry the4. Simple will usually work better than a complex and
same base label - an aboriginal style drawing of abusy design
brightly colored kangaroo on a black background.5. Look at what your competition is doing and be
There are also different brightly colored labels on thedifferent
bottle depending on the variety of wine. But the labelingWhether you like it or not people are going to judge
is consistent across all their product lines and all ofyour product by its packaging. If you are currently
Yellow Tail packaging carries this same striking pictureprinting your own labels on your inkjet printer, there is
of the kangaroo - even their delivery trucks. Next timenothing wrong with that, but you will find it difficult to
you are in the liquor store just casually walk down thecompete in a retail store. If you want to go to the next
aisles and you will see that their packaging really has alevel, unless you have a talent for package design, you
strong visual impact.will need to invest in the services of a professional. A
There is a similar success story, although perhaps notgood starting point is often moving from do-it-yourself
quite as dramatic, in the soap making industry. Adamlabels to a professionally printed label, this alone can
Lowry and Eric Ryan were a couple oftransform the look of your products.
twenty-something entrepreneurs with little experienceI am sure you put your heart and soul into the creation
when they decided to launch a household cleaningof your products. Your customers love it and you are
products company back in 2000. They wanted toprobably very proud of what you have created. But I
create cleaning products that were non-toxic and usedencourage you to put some of that energy into your
natural ingredients, but they knew it would be far morepackaging design. Get the most out of your packaging
expensive to do that. So they decided they wereby making it a priority in your business. If your
going to create an expensive premium brand in thepackaging stays as an afterthought, a necessary evil,
cleaning products category. They called their companythen the success of your product will never reach its
Method Products and they decided from the veryfull potential. Your products certainly deserve the very
outset that package design was going to be anbest packaging you can afford.