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Many new packaging products suffer because the product development team does not account for all of the unforeseen expenses of bringing a product to market. Typically, they focus on the actual costs of developing the physical product and the product’s packaging. Unfortunately, failure to recognize the “other” results in reduced profits.
What is the Real Cost of Choosing the Wrong Partner?It is important to look beyond the actual costs you spend with your current packaging partner. Are you aware of the actual cost of the packaging development phase is? Not Working with an experienced packaging solutions provider on going with the cheapest quote is the mistake. Ignoring industry experience and award-winning packaging and choosing to go with stale ideas instead.
When evaluating the costs of bringing a product to market, it is imperative to look beyond the balance sheet or the budget. You must evaluate packaging industry experience, packaging innovation, creative packaging designs, and the packaging solution provider records of success.
The “Other” Costs of Bringing a Product to Market
Working with an experienced packaging solutions provider can help you understand “other” costs that are often overlooked with the excitement of bringing a product to market. The range of possibilities for “other” costs can be difficult to account for, and it is sometimes best to be a little liberal when assigning potential “other” costs. If you overestimate some costs, you can roll over the excess to supplement expenses that you did not account for. Here are a few “other” costs to consider when bringing a product to market:
- Retail Friendly: More often than not, big box retail chains charge a supplemental fee if they are unable to place a minimum amount of your product on their shelves. An experienced packaging solutions provider will know this and can design packaging that fits in the allotted space for your product that the retail store has set aside for you.
- Transportation Costs: Once your packaging has been manufactured it has to be shipped to the filling plant. You must consider logistics when selecting a packaging solutions provider. Was your packaging designed to be shipped easily? Do they have a shipping dock? Did they take into consideration the packaging shape, size, and substrate composition for shipping? Are they located near ports, major highways, or railway lines?
- Labor Cost: When bringing a product to market it is important to consider labor costs. Who is responsible for assembling the packaging? Can your packaging be assembled at the printing facility? A packaging solutions provider that can assemble your packaging at their location can save you significant amounts of money on shipping and handling costs.
- Shipping & Receiving Limitations: It is critical that you find out before you ship any limitations in your distribution strategy and partners. More often than not, a receiving point in your distribution chain has some restrictions or guidelines on the types of inbound shipments they receive. Can they accept pallets? Can they double stack pallets? What are their receiving hours? An experienced packaging solutions provider can assist with your distribution strategy, so there are no surprises once it ships.
- Eco-Friendly Packaging: Eco-friendly packaging is a popular option for brands. It is important to consider the additional costs of going green.
Imagination Accomplished
When bringing a product to market that are a plethora of other costs that need to be evaluated. Each industry is different and has different costs associated with it. Rex 3 can help you evaluate these costs. Quality packaging starts with choosing the right packaging solutions provider, and everything else will fall into place. At Rex 3, we say “Imagination Accomplished” because we create award-winning print and packaging pieces with our clients. If you are updating existing packaging or are looking to bring a new product to market, Rex 3 can help.
