In an effort to make the packaging unique or different some times the marketing department makes a miscalculation. What appears to be clever packaging design turns into packaging disaster and the worst part of all the error is not discovered until its too late. Once the packaging is “out there” it’s fair game for critics and naysayers.

What companies fail to do is get an outside opinion, they don’t see the fatal flaw because they are just too close to the project. I’ve seen many examples of this in other mediums. The one that stands out clearly in my mind is an annual report with the CEO on the cover with his fly open and his shirt sticking out of it. It was overlooked by everyone too during the proofing process and thousands were printed that had to be recalled.

When your packaging is exposed to a much larger audience a seemingly small error can become a catastrophe. With the growth of social media it can become a tidal wave of unfavorable publicity with thousands of eyes on your packaging in a negative light.

Here are 5 things you should always do before you sign off on your packaging.

1. Be sure and check your packaging over thoroughly;
2. Look carefully at all the images for potential problems or bad images;
3. Check how the type appears on the package;
4. See if any subtle messages might be conveyed through the images or the words in unexpected ways.
5. Think about your verbiage, could someone be offended by it?

Because of some many such incidents I recommend you get an outside opinion before you launch even if it’s hiring someone for an hour to give the packaging a quick once over with fresh eyes.

If you really need help PackagingLaunch.com gives you access to 9 experts who will give their expert opinions about your product packaging. Learn more about what PackagingLaunch.com offers!

It’s a tangle of packaging information out there and what you don’t know CAN get you into trouble. (Just look at of all the news stories that deal with problem packaging.) In fact, your product may never see it to the retail shelf if you don’t package your product right the first time.

The consumer is a moving target and what they want today they may not want tomorrow. Combine that with external factors and you have a constantly changing flow of variables that will impact the outcome of your product.

Take for example in any given week you could have factors that will sway the consumer opinion or a marketing and branding campaign of a product similar to yours gone bad.

Here is a good example:
Anheuser Busch recently launched a packaging campaign.The Bud Light promotion involved 27 different color combinations of school logos emblazoned on the beer cans as special school promotion. This branded packaging idea seems like a great concept but what they didn’t count on was consumer backlash over underage drinking. Now this packaging is in the limelight (unfavorably) that is. The same thing could happen to your product packaging without the right advice.

So stay tuned to the latest packaging tips, trends, technologies and insights that will help you make your packaging launch a unqualified success.

If you are ready I’d love to help you launch your packaging in front of the biggest network of consumer packaging experts who follow PackagingLaunch.com. Be sure and check back every week to see the latest insights in building your packaging brand and your business.

Our Margarita Beach Spa Pedicure collection is packaged for retail, as pictured, and in bulk for wholesale. The retail packaging includes: an eight ounce and two ounce HDPE frosted bottle and natural disk top for lotion; a four ounce double wall, straight based frosted PP/PS jar with lid liner and a natural, straight edge cap for the mask, scrub, and butter; and a sixteen ounce clear PET jar with a natural 22 ml polypropylene scoop and natural, straight edge cap for the foot soak powder.

Our Website: www.wildwoozle.com

BOD 2 O Natural Spring Water comes from within the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. The spring flows from the Knox Aquifer which is the largest source of natural spring water in the Eastern United States. BOD 2 O Natural Spring Water never sees the light of day. Buried beneath rock formations before surfacing in the containment building, this quarantines any type of contaminations from outside influences. BOD 2 O Natural Spring Water is protected by a multi-barrier approach, which includes steps such as source protection and monitoring, and treatment such as micron filtration, ultra-violet disinfection, and ozonation. We utilize ozone instead of chlorine because it leaves no residual and it does not cause a taste or odor problem.. Ozone is oxygen which is bubbled through water just before it goes into a clean, sanitized bottle. Within a few hours after the bottle has been filled and capped, the ozone dissipates or converts back to the same form of oxygen that we breathe. BOD 2 O Natural Spring Water is Body Approved.

Bevnet Review: www.bevnet.com/reviews/bod2o/

Birdy Botanicals is a premium organic skin care line at affordable prices. My products are very high in percentage of natural and organic ingredients. You can actually understand the ingredients on the label.

I have created a 3-in-1 line of 4 products so each product has multiple uses. My products are very gentle and effective on all skin types including mature and sensitive skin.

My challenge is to get across the multiple uses of each product so the consumer can quickly grasp the diversity of the product.

My products have a light-hearted fun approach. I recognize that most skin care products have very clinical packaging and consumers equate this with effectiveness. I would like to convey the effectiveness of the products and not have to succumb to the clinical look. I have chosen a fun bright palette that will pop when a consumer sees it on the shelf.

I have packaging limitations I must contend with. I am a “green” business that uses all recyclable containers and eliminates any excess packaging. I am currently a very small but growing business. I do not have the budget for custom or screen-printed containers. I must use stock packaging which is limited in variety of shape and I must currently use professionally printed water/oil proof earth-friendly labels.

I am currently aware of the issue with the 3-in-1 Antioxidant Lotion and how the product name is not fully visible without turning the bottle.

I currently sell directly to customers through my website and as a vendor at shows. I am interested in making the package friendly for retailers as a next step.

Our Website: www.birdybotanicals.com

Our packaging is purposely kept to a minimum. We are striving for an upscale apothecary image with only 2 colors on our clear labels, green and black. The jars and caps are thick walled natural clarified polypropylene 89/400 for both the 8 oz and 6 oz sizes. The bottles are modified boston rounds in natural HDPE with natural disc caps. Lip care is a natural polypropylene twist tube with a clear label. The soap boxes are gloss white and we add white labels on either end. We are most interested in revamping our soap packaging to upgrade the look.

Our Website: www.bidwellbotanicals.com

The soap bar is in perforated shrink wrap for easy opening with open ends for easy sniffing. Corrugated cardboard, which comes in a roll, is cut and wrapped around the soap bar and secured with a glue dot. Raffia ribbon is tied around the package. A charm is tied to the hangtag with thick thread and then the hangtag is secured to the package with the raffia that is tied around the package.

Our Website: www.mysticmomentsonline.com

“Shoebby” is a patented collapsible clear storage box. Our unique crystal clear plastic and foldable feature makes our product stand out from the competition.
Our mission is not only to market our product as an ordinarily / storage product but also go into packaging women’s shoes. Our transparent, drawer design with portable handle eliminates the use of paper shoe box and purchasing additional see thru plastic organizer for shoes.

Our Website: www.shoebby.com

Created by a mom, StinkyKids celebrates the little stinKer in all of us!! StinkyKids is a brand built around a community of 10 diverse characters, sharing the philosophy of being a little stinKer, making right choices and spreading their motto ‘Always Be A Leader Of Good’. Backed by our motto, StinkyKids donates 10% of its profits towards the fight against cancer.

StinkyKids is a premium brand with products made from high quality materials. Currently, all StinkyKids Brand apparel is 100% cotton and made in the USA. All products have a ‘take away’ and feature the popular StinkyKids logo and motto ‘Always Be A Leader Of Good’. All products come with a matching trading card and book mark.

Collect them all as you will Love the StinkyKids..They’re so stinKin’ cute!!

Our Website: www.stinkykids.com

Choose from 30 or 60 pieces of buttery soft caramel available in six all-natural flavors elegantly arranged in a keepsake basket. Each delectable piece comes wrapped in a colored vellum “fortune” with a quote of wise words inside from sages ranging from Gandhi to Maya Angelou. The striking basket is hand-woven from the leaf of the Pandan tree, a completely renewable resource.

Our Website: www.goodkarmal.com