A/B testing for packaging. Packaging design plays a key role in the sales and recognition of a product. This is why it is crucial to test reception by the target audience.

A/B testing on packaging. Product packaging is above all a powerful lever that influences purchasing behavior. 4 out of 5 people have tried a new product just because they were attracted by the packaging and 1 out of 2 has changed their mind for the same reason. Anyone who has to design the packaging of a new product, or wants to renew it, will certainly prefer getting the reaction of buyers before investing in a definitive solution.

Through A/B testing on packaging you can indeed evaluate customer sentiment and choose the right packaging for a particular item. During the test, different designs are submitted to a target audience, asking for comments on each of them. Typically the questions will be: Which is the most captivating? What is the one you would most likely buy?

Let’s take a closer look at why A/B testing on packaging is important, what the foundations are and what strategies are best for benefiting from consumer feedback.

A/B testing on beauty product packaging
A/B testing on beauty product packaging

The advantages of A/B testing on packaging

Packaging design differentiates your product from competitors and communicates its core values ​​to anyone coming into contact with it: from the shelves of a physical store to an online shop. Thanks to an A/B test, you can in fact adapt the packaging design to the needs and expectations of the people who are likely to buy it.

Redesigned chips packaging after study
Redesigned chips packaging after study

By testing the packaging design you enter the next phase of the release process with four important advantages: 

  1. You will have data to support your choice. It is difficult for anyone to contradict solid numbers. The test is able to prove which packaging design is most appreciated by the target audience, so even the decision makers or any stakeholders will have to adapt.
  2. You will know how to improve existing prototypes. The packaging design scoring the majority of preferences may not be perfect. Accept constructive criticism from the audience to further improve the final outcome.
  3. You will know how different groups react to your design. By filtering your answers, you can certainly get an insight on how groups differing in age, gender, geographic positioning, etc. evaluate your packaging designs.
  4. You can make faster decisions. By gathering frequent data through agile research, you can respond faster to market changes. By conducting independent investigations, for example, you will be able to make immediate decisions, without involving external partners.
A/B test for oregano packaging solution
A/B test for oregano packaging solution

The 3 baselines of a good A/B test for packaging

  1. Limited choice. Firstly, we advise you to make an internal selection and bring to the attention of customers a reduced range of possibilities. In the case of packaging, the ideal scenario is to have 3 or 4 choices tops. Each of these should focus on an element that you believe to be pivotal from a brand perspective. Also they should not look too similar.
  2. Measurable goals. Secondly, it is good to decide what are the actual objectives, technically the key performance indicators, building the foundation of your study. Specifically, we can point out some questions that will help you focus your attention on key aspects:

Appeal: Is the packaging attractive to potential buyers?

Recognition: How easy is it to recognize your product on a shelf or in an online store?

Quality: does your product packaging convey quality?

Relevance: Does the packaging reflect the needs and expectations of your audience?

Uniqueness: Does your packaging differ from the competition?


Audience packaging preference testing on social media
Audience packaging preference testing on social media
  1. Reusable data. Keeping the number of questions low so as not to wear participants out,  you may want to reach a statistically varied and relevant audience. After that, take note of the numerical results and keep the statistics always at hand.
A/B testing for magic eraser packaging
A/B testing for magic eraser packaging

Conclusions

In short: You’d like to carry out a study on the design of a package but the preparation is too complex? Not for Packly! Create the prototypes you need right away, each with its own dedicated graphics. We will print them out and send them to you anywhere in the world, even in single copies.