Five packaging "must-knows"

Here are 5 vital things you need to know as you start on your journey that packages your product to sell:

1. You can't have a product without a package. Just think about potato chips and eggs for example. How could you sell them unbroken and undamaged without a package?
2. The package could cost more than what is inside. The rule of thumb is that the package should be 8-15% of the total cost on average. 10% of every dollar spent at retail is directly attributable to packaging.
3. Your package has to sell the product not just protect it. The average consumer spends just 2.6 seconds making a decision whether to pick up your product or not. So your packaging better be on target to the right audience with the right message.
4. Most packaging materials suppliers like large quantity orders. It’s hard to find a supplier for small quantities. The double edged sword is that you don’t have large orders when getting started.
5. Packaging trends and innovations can influence whether your product will ever get onto the store's shelf. The secret is in knowing what is going to be the "issue" of the future or what might be mandated as a "must have" in your product packaging.
   

Adapted from webpackaging.com