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Why Packaging is Important in Product Planning

Product packaging is something people typically don’t think about when making daily purchases, yet it has profound implications for both manufacturers and consumers.

A great product package design does much more than just store and protect the product. Failure to have quality package production at a company’s disposal can lead to suffering profit margins and poor customer satisfaction.

Incorporating product packaging services into the product planning process will not only increase total sales but will also increase customer value by positively influencing purchase decisions. Why is packaging important in product planning?

1. Design

Product package design can directly influence consumers’ perceptions of a product, making it succeed or fail. Packaging materials, uses of color, size, and shape, and even the weight of packages are all contributing factors that make products stand out among their competitors.

Companies like Apple have perfected the brand packaging experience by making it a special event unto itself, which has given rise to the “unboxing” movement on social media.

Marketing researchers need to survey the target market to determine the best way to create high-quality packaging; otherwise, the product launch plan will fail.

2. Quality

When you receive a package, have you ever been disappointed or frustrated because the packaging is of poor quality and ruins the product inside?

To create high-quality product packaging, the package itself becomes part of the final product. This also includes the secondary and tertiary packages within that contain multiple parts of the product.

Packaging materials can reflect a manufacturing company’s values and serve as its “stamp of quality” on a product. When the package is cheaply made and easily damaged, it not only ruins the product inside but also the consumer’s perception of the manufacturer.

Good product packaging requirements include all information and labels on the packaging, the packaging’s storage capabilities, and the composition of the materials used.

3. Efficiency

Product packaging companies must have cost-efficient processes to produce their many packaging variations, whether single-product, industrial, or custom.

Managing internal material production flow and packing logistics is critical to sorting and handling raw materials, assembling packages, and disposing of all waste products.

Streamlining processes can reduce the cost of product creation and shipping, giving your company a competitive edge in the market.

4. Environmental

As well as streamlining package assembly processes, product packaging services must also consider environmental concerns when organizing their waste-reduction efforts.

This includes recycling waste from product packaging and reusing those materials to achieve maximum cost savings.

An environmentally friendly product packaging company will strive to create the highest-quality packaging with the least amount of material necessary. Also, most companies are required to have ISO 14001 certification for their production and operations.

Here at NewStream, we hold ISO 14001 certification in-house, demonstrating our commitment to green practices in our work environment.

5. Distribution

Product planning should also account for the product’s distribution and how specialized packaging affects shipping processes. This can be done in-house or outsourced to an external logistics center.

The product package design should allow it to be easily moved, lifted, stored, stacked, and stowed on pallets or cargo units. A simple design shape maximizes storage capacity, allowing more units to be stored, saving space and reducing costs. Larger packages, such as industrial product packaging, should be easy to carry by hand or to transport on a forklift.

For many businesses, product packaging is the hardest part to nail down in the product planning process because of its high price tag and propensity to create excess waste.

Research has shown, however, that investing in advanced packaging strategies and technologies vastly improves both operational processes and customer relations.

How can NewStream Improve Your Packaging?

At NewStream Enterprises, LLC, we not only think outside the box, but we also make our own boxes.

By having our own box machine, we can create custom on-demand boxes, eliminating unnecessary fillers and increasing cost efficiency for our customers. Additionally, in our in-house cardboard shop, we can create custom packaging for heavy-duty products such as engines, suspension, and drivetrain components.

Our in-house engineering provides customized kitting and packaging solutions with customer branding in mind to meet customer requirements and expectations, as well as ensure our compliance with Quality Management Commitment ISO 9001:2015 and Environmental Management System 14001:2015.