A recession puts your finances and business at risk. All costs are impacted, including those associated with your product and its packaging.

Even during a recession, consumers still purchase products. Continuing to create enticing CPG packaging is crucial to standing out amongst the competition. Here are some ways you can save money during a recession while still offering a unique packaging design.

Create a Lifestyle Experience

During a recession, many consumers can’t take part in certain lifestyle experiences like vacations or days at the spa. As an alternative, offer the experience to them by packaging your products as such.

Use words, for example, that describe spa-like experiences or vacations in the comfort of their own homes. The key is connecting products to desired experiences on your CPG packaging in ways that directly engage consumers.

Provide Additional Value

Consumers are paying attention. As CPG packaging becomes smaller, they're taking note and, in some cases, searching for alternatives.

A recession is the perfect time to offer consumers more at the same costs. When planning packaging design, keep the size the same or make it a bit larger. Provide incentives with the product to add to what the consumer gets. An example of this would be to offer more product for the same price, such as 20% Bonus Pack.

Repurpose Your Packaging

Repurposing your CPG packaging adds value to it and your brand. Using refillable containers helps consumers save money because they can buy the product in its packaging the first time, then spend a fraction of the cost refilling it in the future. If the product is not refillable, that same packaging can be given another use.

Create a Strategy

As with every other aspect of product design, you need a CPG packaging strategy. This ensures you keep packaging design at the forefront of product planning, so it continues to add value to your brand.

Think quality, not quantity. According to Bpak, 63% of consumers value the CPG packaging more than the product itself when viewing it on store shelves. Giving them a quality packaging design helps them make more informed decisions about your brand.

A recession can result in cost cuts. Putting a packaging design strategy in place will help reduce your chances of a decrease in funding for CPG packaging.

Choose Materials Carefully

The cost of materials varies widely. The packaging design you choose will depend on several factors including product type and brand values. For instance, sustainable CPG packaging materials may be more costly than other options, but consumers expecting sustainability from a brand will not respond favorably to switches to materials that aren't environmentally friendly.

The packaging design materials you choose impact how consumers feel about your brand. They should protect the product, be functional, and tell a story about your brand.

Conclusion

Consumers pay attention to packaging design. As Johnsbyrne.com reported in 2019, 81% of consumers tried a new product because the CPG packaging got their attention. That’s why it's important to keep your packaging strategy at the forefront of all branding discussions and product planning.

PKG Brand Design is always at the forefront of new CPG branding and packaging initiatives. Subscribe to our blog for the latest package design industry news!