When you are running a small business your products must work twice as hard to stand out against those products from larger companies with a similarly large marketing budget. The good news is that you don’t have to suffer – you can design effective, eye-catching packaging whatever size business you have. Your innovation and creativity will help your products stand out on the shelves against even the largest multinationals. Try these tips for starters:
- Be Authentic
One of the greatest advantages small businesses have over larger companies is authenticity. You can create your own niche brand and really focus on what makes you stand out above all others, even when you are marketing a similar product to other people. So, your packaging design must be similarly authentic in order to project your brand. Make your product memorable by designing a different type of packaging, something unique and entirely original. Look at what is already on the shelves and see what you can do to get inspiration from unique sources and produce packaging that is above average.
- Go Green
Consumers are increasingly concerned about looking after the environment and buying products that are responsibly produced. You can make the most of this by looking at your package design with the environment in mind. Look at how you can design packaging that entails minimum waste. Look for reusable materials, or recycled and recyclable materials like corrugated or folding carton packaging.
- Design for Shelf Impact
Your customer is never going to see your product on its own, perfectly lit and for a long period of time – it is not a museum exhibit, but one of hundreds of products on the shelves. Therefore you need to design packaging with a view to your product being displayed on the shelf, and work out the best design for impact when displayed in this way – a product that pops out rather than blends in. Of course, if you know that your product will be displayed singly in a high-end store then this will not be so relevant to you, for shelf impact is a vital component of package design for everyone else.
- Be Creative
Don’t be afraid to think outside the box and design that box with some flair and imagination. You want people to know that your product is well-designed, well-produced and completely suited to their lifestyle and the packaging can show this very well. Look for quirky, high quality packaging ideas that show you put imagination and care into every aspect of your products.
Image courtesy of Stuart Miles/ FreeDigitalPhotos.net
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