When is the time right to update your packaging?

POSTED BY: Steve Grunert

When is the time right to update your packaging?

7th Mar, 2019

When is the time right to update your packaging?

Keeping your packaging fresh and up to date will keep your brand where you want it to be. Seen, purchased and loved by your target audience. And as you probably know by now, you may currently be the brand leader but it’s only a matter of time before your competitors are nipping at your heels. So, if your competitor has just refreshed, and you want to get a step ahead, how long will it be before your refresh is on the shelf? If you are already “on to it” then you have nothing major to worry about, your brand refresh is just around the corner. But if you are caught napping, it could be a while before you brand can reclaim its spot at the top, and what damage will be done in that time? Will your loyal followers have jumped ship by then and the boat has sailed long into the horizon?

It’s worth considering that while a packaging project could turn around as quickly as a few months, in reality it could be much longer. By the time a brand does design concepts, focus group research, amends the designs with focus group feedback in mind and then goes through the approval process and print – you’re looking at an average of 12-18 months.

So, is the time right to refresh your brand?

Taking this is into consideration, if your brand has recently refreshed in the past 6-12 months, while you may currently be in a good place it is time to starting thinking about your next refresh. If it’s 12-18 months ago, it’s time to take action and get the design process started. And if it is more than 18 months, alarm bells should be ringing. It is time to act promptly before your brand starts looking tired and literally, you are left sitting on the shelf.

It’s also worth considering top brands will always tend to refresh their brand every 18 months, so with a 12-18 month design turnaround in mind, this means that top brands are constantly in a state of being refreshed. That is, as soon as they launch their brand refresh, they are nearly immediately commencing work on their next stage of brand refresh and so the cycle continues. If your brand is to be a top contender it is important to keep your competitors’ habits in mind.

Taking all of this into account, if you are wondering when is the best time to to update your suite of packaging, the answer is most probably “now!”

Steve Grunert, Creative Director.

Steve has a wealth of experience working some of Ireland’s most successful brands such as Flahavan’s, Barry’s Tea, Glenisk, Franciscan Well Brewery, Irish Pride, The Jelly Bean Factory and Aldi Supermarkets to name but a few. His love of all things food has helped him guide clients to the right packaging solutions, helping them to find their own distinct point of difference on shelf. If he’s not slaving away the latest packaging solution he’ll be out the back, firing up the barbeque and feeding the Neworld troops full of gourmet delights!