A brand marketer's guide to product packaging testing

Packaging can be the difference between a product that flies off the shelves and one that gets ignored.

Early-stage packaging testing is a smart way to fine-tune your packaging design, making sure it grabs attention and clearly communicates your product’s benefits in a way that resonates with your audience.

In this guide, we'll will walk you through the importance of testing a packaging concept, and how to do so to accurately measure the effectiveness of your packaging strategy.

What is product packaging testing?

Product packaging testing is the process of evaluating how effectively your packaging design catches attention, conveys the product’s benefits, and aligns with your brand identity.

With this type of testing, you can get a better idea of how well your packaging materials resonate with your target audience and how they stand out on the shelf.

Why early-stage product packaging is important

Testing your product packaging early can save you time, money, and frustration. At the heart of this process is the packaging concept—a visual and textual representation of your design that highlights its appearance, functionality, and messaging.

By gathering feedback during the design phase, you can fine-tune your product packaging to better resonate with your target market before final production begins.

This not only helps you avoid costly redesigns down the line but also ensures your packaging aligns with your goals and improves your product’s marketability.

For example, if your audience is interested in eco-friendly products, testing early can help you confirm that your packaging is effectively communicating environmental sustainability.

Let’s take a closer look at how this early-stage testing process works.

How does packaging concept testing work?

Packaging concept testing focuses on assessing how well the design of your packaging materials performs across several key areas:

• Grabbing attention: Does the design stand out on the shelf?
• Showcasing benefits: Are the product’s benefits clear and compelling enough to consumers?
• Aligning with brand identity: Does the packaging reflect the values, tone, and aesthetics of your brand identity?

Let’s say you’re launching a new premium dog food. During the concept testing phase, you’d be evaluating the packaging’s ability to communicate key messages such as grain-free or natural ingredients.

You’d also be testing if the overall design conveys trust and quality which is critical in the pet food category.

In addition, you can look at whether the design appeals to pet owners by conveying a healthy, high-quality image that aligns with your brand identity.

What do the results look like?

Once packaging testing is complete, the results should provide some valuable insights that can help guide your decision-making when finalizing the package design.

With Behavio's testing platform, you'll get feedback on four essential components of your packaging design:

• Category fit: How well the concept fits your product category.
• Message clarity: Whether the product’s key messages (or benefits) are communicated clearly.
• Branding: How well respondents recognized your brand in the packaging concept.
• Emotion: Whether or not viewers like the packaging concept.

With these metrics, you can make sure your product packaging hits the mark before it hits the shelves.

How to get the most out of your packaging testing

The closer your packaging design is to the final version, the more accurate the testing will be.

To avoid having to go through several rounds of testing, make sure the brand logo, color scheme, and key messages are included as they would appear on the finished product.

If you plan on comparing multiple packaging options, make sure each design is at a similar stage of development.

For example, you shouldn't compare an early black-and-white sketch with a fully developed, colorful design. This ensures that feedback focuses on the content and effectiveness of the design rather than inconsistencies in the presentation.

Final thoughts

Product packaging is your last chance to win over a customer. It not only catches attention but also conveys key messages and reflects your brand.

When launching anything to the public—whether it’s a TV commercial, a billboard, or product packaging—you should never go in blind.

Early-stage packaging testing helps you understand what consumers are looking for and what will influence their purchasing decisions.

By testing early and gathering data on consumer behavior, you can ensure that your packaging materials both stand out and communicate the right message to your audience.

Remember, investing in thorough testing upfront pays dividends in market performance and consumer satisfaction.

With the right preparation, packaging testing can provide you with the insights needed to create effective packaging and, ultimately, greater success in the market.

So, are you ready to create packaging that makes an impact on your audience? Book a demo and see the benefits of Behavio's testing platform!