--- title: How Can Product Packaging Hurt Your CPG Brand? description: The wrong initial design or poorly-planned changes can be a gamble for CPG brands. Here are some ways product packaging can hurt your brand. image: https://mediashower.com/img/E642AC2C-5304-11EB-9D3F-5D0FBA7A869C/bigstock-Design-Your-Own-Box-Little-Gi-403018262_600x.jpg --- [![PKG Packaging](https://www.pkgbranding.com/hubfs/PKG%20Jan20%20-%20assets/pkg-logo.png) ](https://www.pkgbranding.com/) [![Hangar12](https://www.pkgbranding.com/hubfs/Hanger%20Image/Hanger-12.webp) ](https://www.hangar-12.com/) [312.870.9101](tel:+1.312.870.9101) # Consumer First Insights ## How Can Product Packaging Hurt Your CPG Brand? Written by Kevin Keating at PKG ![Girl holding a present.](https://mediashower.com/img/E642AC2C-5304-11EB-9D3F-5D0FBA7A869C/bigstock-Design-Your-Own-Box-Little-Gi-403018262_600x.jpg) CPG packaging is risky; pick the wrong design, and you could harm rather than help your brand. It’s a tough image to get right; too many claims on your packaging that don’t match up to what’s inside, and you’ll lose customers. But that’s just one issue that could trip you up. Here are some ways poor CPG packaging could hurt your brand. **CPG Packaging Mistakes to Typically Avoid** The first mistake you can make is to look dated. This is an easy CPG packaging mistake simply because consumer trends change as quickly as the digital technologies they frequent. If your product is fresh and modern, the packaging should reflect that.  Looking outdated can also make you look out of touch with the realities of the market you’re in. CPG packaging designers walk a fine line between vintage/retro or even hipster and out-of-date. If you haven’t updated your product packaging in the last five years, do some research to see if this consistency attracts customers or turns them away. The flip side of looking too retro is to look too desperate or bold. Does the packaging match what is inside, or is it screaming something the product isn’t? Too many vibrant colors or too many bold fonts can make you look more desperate than enticing.  Be careful, too, because your CPG packaging can make the product seem out of the price range of your target audience. Packaging that looks too rich or decadent when the product price is low, could turn consumers away before they even look at the sticker. Does the CPG packaging design match the product and the price your target audience is willing to pay? **Avoiding Common CPG Packaging Pitfalls** CPG packaging designers must establish testing processes that take all of these potential pitfalls into account. Packaging design research must look carefully at the environment and the competitive marketplace and by listening carefully to what their customers want. This could include: - Looking closely at sales trends. For example, what packaging works to entice shoppers to buy more? How does each design impact the units sold and the percentage of buying audiences? - Shelf presence, even on a virtual screen, still matters. Considering what designs can break through a crowded shelving unit while still having good screen impact is critical to today’s CPG packaging designs. If you can’t find the product, you can’t sell it.  - The aesthetics of CPG packaging these days is moving more toward sustainability than ever before. - With so many consumers opting for an e-commerce touchless shop, creating an experience as part of the package receipt process will also build customer loyalty. ![Brand chocolate.](https://mediashower.com/img/E642AC2C-5304-11EB-9D3F-5D0FBA7A869C/bigstock-Chocolate-Bar-And-Packaging-On-394269572_600x.jpg) There is a risk inherent in any change to CPG packaging. Every brand manager, designer, and product evangelist understands this. Assessing your options within the parameters of what consumers want is a great exercise to keep your brand fresh. PKG Brand Design is always on the forefront of new CPG branding and packaging initiatives; please [subscribe to our blog ](https://www.pkgbranding.com/subscribe-to-the-pkg-blog)for the latest package design industry news!   - [Facebook Share ](https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.pkgbranding.com%2Fblog%2Fhow-can-product-packaging-hurt-your-cpg-brand) - [Twitter Share ](https://twitter.com/home?status=How+Can+Product+Packaging+Hurt+Your+CPG+Brand%3F%20https%3A%2F%2Fwww.pkgbranding.com%2Fblog%2Fhow-can-product-packaging-hurt-your-cpg-brand) - [LinkedIn Share ](https://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.pkgbranding.com%2Fblog%2Fhow-can-product-packaging-hurt-your-cpg-brand&title=How%20Can%20Product%20Packaging%20Hurt%20Your%20CPG%20Brand%3F&summary=The+wrong+initial+design+or+poorly-planned+changes+can+be+a+gamble+for+CPG+brands.+Here+are+some+ways+product+packaging+can+hurt+your+brand.&source=) - [Email Share ](mailto:?subject=How%20Can%20Product%20Packaging%20Hurt%20Your%20CPG%20Brand%3F&body=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.pkgbranding.com%2Fblog%2Fhow-can-product-packaging-hurt-your-cpg-brand) ### Topics - [cpg packaging](https://www.pkgbranding.com/blog/topic/cpg-packaging), - [branding](https://www.pkgbranding.com/blog/topic/branding) ### Related Posts [![Turning Heads, Filling Carts: How Effective Packaging Fuels Sales](https://www.pkgbranding.com/hubfs/how%20effective%20packaging%20fuels%20sales.jpg) Turning Heads, Filling Carts: How Effective Packaging Fuels Sales Kevin Keating at PKG ](https://www.pkgbranding.com/blog/effective-packaging) [![Six of the Latest Technology Innovations in Packaging](https://www.pkgbranding.com/hubfs/latest%20packaging%20technology%20innovations.jpg) Six of the Latest Technology Innovations in Packaging Kevin Keating at PKG ](https://www.pkgbranding.com/blog/packaging-technology-innovations) [![Why Custom Packaging is Your Untapped Advantage in a Crowded Market](https://www.pkgbranding.com/hubfs/custom%20packaging%20is%20your%20untapped%20advantage%20in%20a%20crowded%20market.jpg) Why Custom Packaging is Your Untapped Advantage in a Crowded Market Kevin Keating at PKG ](https://www.pkgbranding.com/blog/custom-packaging) ### Subscribe Now! ### Subscribe Now!     **Awarded Top 50** **Package Design ****Blog**   [![Packaging-Design-transparent_216px](https://blog-cdn.feedspot.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Packaging-Design-transparent_216px.png)](http://blog.feedspot.com/packaging_design_blogs/) - [How Multisensory Packaging Impacts Brand Loyalty](https://www.pkgbranding.com/blog/multisensory-packaging-impacts-brand-loyalty) - [7 Emotional Triggers That Drive Packaging Success](https://www.pkgbranding.com/blog/emotional-triggers-packaging-success) - [How Social Media Listening Improves Packaging Design](https://www.pkgbranding.com/blog/social-media-listening-improves-packaging-design) - [11 Examples of Functional Packaging Features](https://www.pkgbranding.com/blog/functional-packaging-features-examples) - [Competitor Analysis for Shelf Differentiation](https://www.pkgbranding.com/blog/competitor-analysis-for-shelf-differentiation) - [Typography Checklist for Packaging](https://www.pkgbranding.com/blog/typography-checklist-packaging) - [Top Biodegradable Packaging Myths Consumers Believe](https://www.pkgbranding.com/blog/biodegradable-packaging-myths-consumers-believe) - [Macro Photography for Food Packaging Design](https://www.pkgbranding.com/blog/macro-photography-food-packaging-design) - [Glass Packaging Benefits for CPG Brands](https://www.pkgbranding.com/blog/glass-packaging-benefits-cpg-brands) - [Pet Food Packaging: FDA Rules to Know](https://www.pkgbranding.com/blog/pet-food-packaging-fda-rules) ![Best package design agencies](https://www.pkgbranding.com/hubfs/badge-package-design-agencies.svg)   Recognized as a Top Package Design Agency on [DesignRush](https://www.designrush.com/agency/package-design) PKG BRAND DESIGN 2045 W Grand Ave, STE B-27332 Chicago, IL 60612-1576 [312.870.9101](tel:+1.312.870.9101) ![PKG Best Packaging Design Agency in Chicago](https://www.pkgbranding.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Screenshot%202025-09-22%20at%2010.33.31%20PM.png?width=722&height=284&name=Screenshot%202025-09-22%20at%2010.33.31%20PM.png) [Request a Free Consultation](https://www.pkgbranding.com/request-a-consultation) [![A Hangar 12 Agency](https://www.pkgbranding.com/hubfs/assets/dev/img/a-hangar12-agency-logo-transparent.png)](https://www.hangar-12.com/) © 2026 PKG Brand Design. All Rights Reserved ![linkedin](https://dc.ads.linkedin.com/collect/?pid=315946&fmt=gif) ```json { "@context" : "http://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Kevin Keating at PKG" }, "dateModified" : "December 31, 2024, 11:28:28 AM", "datePublished" : "2021-02-10 22:47:43", "description" : "The wrong initial design or poorly-planned changes can be a gamble for CPG brands. Here are some ways product packaging can hurt your brand.", "headline" : "How Can Product Packaging Hurt Your CPG Brand?", "image" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://mediashower.com/img/E642AC2C-5304-11EB-9D3F-5D0FBA7A869C/bigstock-Design-Your-Own-Box-Little-Gi-403018262_600x.jpg" }, "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://cdn2.hubspot.net/hubfs/537000/PKG-1.png" }, "name" : "PKG Brand Design" } } ```