In a saturated market, packaging can make the difference between a product that drives sales and one that stays on the shelves. Besides ensuring product protection, the right packaging also captures consumer attention and communicates brand values.

Testing packaging before launch allows you to showcase various designs internally or to your target audience, gathering feedback to determine which one is the most appealing and likely to succeed.

Keep reading to discover how to choose the right packaging for your product through the packaging test and why Packly is the ideal solution for your packaging needs.

Why it’s crucial to choose the perfect packaging for your product

A well-designed packaging can differentiate your product from the competition and positively influence customer purchasing decisions.

This is why it is crucial to test your product’s packaging before launching it on the market. Before proceeding with the analysis, let’s see which factors to consider when choosing the right packaging.

Boxes in different colours of Kellogg's cereals

Factors to consider when choosing the packaging

  • Product Type: Fragile items, food, cosmetics, or electronics require specific materials and designs for protection and preservation.
  • Market Target: Packaging that reflects audience values improves product perception and increases sales; market research and surveys help customize packaging.
  • Sustainability: Consumers prefer recyclable or biodegradable materials. Sustainable packaging enhances the brand image while reducing the environmental impact.
  • Aesthetics: Packaging design influences product perception. An attractive box catches attention and stimulates interest.
  • Functionality: Functional packaging protects the product and enhances user experience. The right box model simplifies filling, storage, and logistics, increasing efficiency.
  • Budget: Balancing quality and cost is essential, ensuring a competitive price without compromising on materials and design.”

How to choose the winning box: packaging test

Packaging testing allows you to evaluate different designs and materials before deciding which one to adopt on a large scale. This process helps identify potential issues, improve the aesthetics and functionality of the packaging, and gather valuable feedback from customers.

Colour analysis for packaging testing

Why test packaging?

Packaging is the first point of contact with the customer and conveys a lot of information. Testing it allows you to analyze the entire customer journey and choose the optimal combination of elements to meet customer needs, positively influencing purchase decisions and ensuring it reflects the brand values.

Let’s look at the benefits of testing your product.

  • Increased Conversions: According to a VWO (Visual Website Optimizer) survey, companies that adopt A/B testing can increase conversion rates by about 50%. This means almost half of the companies see a significant improvement in sales or desired actions after implementing A/B tests.
  • Data-Driven Decisions: The same VWO report showed that companies using A/B testing make marketing decisions based on data rather than intuition or opinions, with 71% of marketers using A/B test results to inform future marketing strategies.
  • Continuous Optimization: Companies that regularly implement A/B testing report continuous improvement in key performance metrics such as time on site, number of pages visited, and cart abandonment rate.
A woman chooses a product from a shelf
Image by freepik
  • Sales Increase: A case study analyzed by FasterCapital showed that using A/B testing in a customer acquisition strategy led to a 300% increase in sales. This example demonstrates how A/B testing can significantly impact sales and return on investment.
  • Long-Term Cost Reduction: Well-conducted tests prevent costly post-launch errors, saving time and resources. Although it requires an initial time investment, it avoids additional costs for correcting mistakes.
  • Verification of Product Positioning: Testing helps check how the target customer perceives relevance and verifies if the product’s positioning matches the desired one relative to the buyer persona and competition.

How to conduct a packaging test

To create effective packaging that protects the product and meets market demands, there are several steps to follow. Such as creating prototypes of your boxes using online packaging platforms like Packly, gathering feedback from your business team, testing with selected customers to analyze brand perception, and finally evaluating the feedback to make adjustments and improve the final design.

Two boxes subjected to a/b test packaging
Image by macrovector on Freepika

A/B Testing

One of the most effective strategies for testing packaging is A/B testing. This method involves creating two versions of the design (A and B) that differ by only one specific element, such as color, typography, or material, and testing both versions in the market.

It is essential to modify only one variable at a time to understand which version works better and why. A/B testing can be conducted before product launch or as a live market test.

The 3 fundamentals of a good A/B packaging test:

  1. Limited Choice: Select 3 or 4 packaging options focusing on key elements not too similar to each other.
  2. Measurable Objectives: Define key performance indicators (KPIs) to evaluate performance, with questions like “Is the packaging appealing to potential consumers?”, “Is it easy to recognize?”, “Does it reflect audience needs?”, and “Does it stand out from the competition?”.
  3. Reusable Data: Reach a diverse and relevant audience, collect numerical data, and keep statistics handy.

Why choose Packly for your product packaging

At this point, after completing the necessary tests and evaluations, you will have the winning box for your product.

It may seem like a long and complex process, but with Packly, everything becomes simpler, as we can guide you through all the steps: from creating your packaging to printing a few units for A/B testing, to large-scale orders. Significantly reducing time to market.

A black box and a white box for a bath product

Print a few pieces for your A/B test

Packly offers the possibility of printing a limited number of packaging, perfect for conducting A/B tests both internally and with a selected audience.

This way, you can gather valuable feedback and make the necessary design changes to your packaging, ensuring it is optimal before proceeding with a larger production order. This approach allows you to avoid costly mistakes and ensure the final product meets market expectations.

Large scale orders

When you have identified the perfect packaging, Packly allows you to seamlessly transition to large volume orders. Thanks to the efficiency of large-scale production, you can benefit from significant cost savings.

This ensures that every piece produced maintains a high standard of quality and uniformity, allowing you to present a professional and consistent image to your customers.

Customization and time to market

If you want to create unique packaging that fully reflects your brand identity, with Packly, you have access to cutting-edge solutions and a wide range of customizable options that allow you to create a distinctive packaging perfectly aligned with your brand image.

Additionally, thanks to the optimized processes and advanced technologies of our platform, we can accelerate all the stages of packaging development and production, reducing waiting times and simplifying logistics.

Boxes of different colours of packaging for socks

Certified and sustainable partner

Choosing Packly as your partner means relying on a company that possesses important certifications such as FSC™, ISO 14001, and BRC Packaging Materials.

These certifications ensure that the materials used come from responsibly managed forests, that production processes comply with strict environmental standards and that the safety and quality of the packaging are constantly monitored.

In this way, you will also improve your brand image, associating it with sustainability and social responsibility values.

Find and test your packaging with us

Once you have chosen the perfect packaging through accurate testing, it is important to continue improving and adapting your strategies based on market changes.

With Packly, you can perform A/B tests on your packaging, proceed with large-scale production, further customize the design, and ensure that every phase of the process aligns with your sustainability and quality goals. Discover how to choose the winning packaging for your product which will help you increase conversions and sales.