The ONLY Guide to Quickly make your Nutraceutical Packaging Stand Out

In the past few years, Nutraceutical Industry has BOOMED.

Consumers have become more concerned about rising medical costs, a healthy lifestyle, and a desire for wellness. These are just a few factors in the rise of the Nutraceutical Industry and why millions and billions of rupees are spent on dietary supplements, vitamin tablets, and nutritional products every year.

A study done by Assocham and RNCOS states that the nutraceutical industry in India is poised to grow to $8.5 billion by 2022 from $8.5 million in 2015

Nutraceutical products have typically a higher price point. And, customers are willing to pay that price when it comes to health and wellness. However, the customer’s purchase decision would not only depend on the product but on the Credibility of the Company as well as its packaging too.

Brand owners cannot assume that if they develop new products and in new formats, it would help them attract customers and increase their sales.

NOP. THAT’S NOT TRUE.

It’s not an easy task. Then how can brands beat their competition and make their mark in the industry?

As new and new products are coming to the market every day, how can brand owners make their products stand out on the shelf?

How can Nutra companies in this overcrowded market see what their customer wants?

In what ways can brand owners increase their customers’ experience and their loyalty so that the customer purchases their products instead of several other products on the shelf and buy them again and again and again..!! All these are very important questions. And, WE HAVE ANSWERS.

It all starts with a Packaging Partner

That’s True!

You need a Packaging company that understands the ins and outs of the industry, knows the current trend, understands the challenges faced by the brand owners as well as the consumer.

Why did Nutraceutical Industry rise suddenly?

Every generation of a person in one way or another consumes nutraceutical products in their lives, obviously for different needs and reasons. However, understanding those needs and reasons is very important. In order to develop new products, it is important for brands to know what is driving the consumer towards nutraceuticals. Then only they would be able to improve their products and position them correctly.

If we look at Baby Boomers, due to the increase in healthcare costs, they are taking proactive care and have started taking vitamin and dietary supplements for long-term issues such as heart health, bone health, and stamina.

Gen X on the other hand is taking vitamin and dietary supplements for short-term issues such as better concentration, sexual health, sleep issues, and beauty issues. There is still plenty of opportunity for growth in the beauty segment. Many nutraceutical companies are introducing vitamin tablets with infused Collagen and several other innovative products. The best example of a company with innovative supplements is Goli.

Now coming to Millenials, they can be said as the largest consumer segment in the Nutraceutical industry. In most of the Developed countries, 7 people out of 10 take regular supplements. Additionally, the average use of supplements by millennials grew 36% and is continuously growing. It has been seen that Millenials are health freaks, they care about their health. That is why most of them work out regularly and take protein powder and supplements on a daily basis.

Many Nutraceutical companies are responding to this rising trend by developing unique products and formats to capture customers’ attention at the shelf and making sure that they stay loyal to their companies.

Getting the Right Packaging

In this crowded market, only packaging can help your brand stand out and be one step ahead of competitors. Packaging can help meet customers' needs, enhance the customer experience, differentiate your product from competitors and increase brand loyalty.

Let me give you one of my personal examples. When I went to Australia for 3 years, I used to eat honey every day of a particular brand. Whenever I went to buy honey in that supermarket, I used to purchase that particular brand only, even though there were tons of options. You must be wondering if the honey would have some special health benefits, or it would be cheaper, or it was natural. NO. IT WAS JUST A NORMAL HONEY, NOTHING FANCY. I used to buy that brand because of their packaging, especially their CAP. The cap was designed in such a way that it helped me take out the honey without any mess or spillage. Because of that packaging, because of that cap, I became their loyal customer.

To get the correct packaging, companies need to find a packaging partner who understands the industry and the market and has the correct experience to help you guide through. Just a few considerations:

Differentiation

Smart packaging must be able to differentiate itself from a sea of other brands on the shelf. A better way to do this is to opt for Custom Packaging which will help to differentiate your product and add convenience as well as value.

However, in today’s market just standing out from your competitors is not enough. No doubt packaging should be designed in such a way that it can grab customers attention, however, it should also connect to your overall brand, so that your loyal customers can recognise it very easily on the crowded shelf.

Packaging Functionality

Brand owners should make sure that they don’t compromise on packaging functionality, as it is a very crucial element. While designing packaging, brands should not just focus on customer experience, they should also look after production efficiency and line speeds.

In today’s market, packaging cannot be the same for all products. Packages that worked well for pills and tablets, may not be suitable for gummies or supplement powder. For example, tablets can be suitable in a narrow mouth bottle, however, gummies require a wider mouth bottle, so that customers can take it out easily. Additionally, it can also impact line speed as filling machines require a bigger mouth bottle to fill gummies conveniently. These types of considerations should be taken care of while designing packaging.

Regulations

In the Nutraceutical markets, regulations are increasing every day. And, a right packaging partner should be aware of these regulations, so that they can guide their customers regarding the compliance requirements. Is the label size perfect? Does the product require a dual-column of nutritional information for multiple servings? How to manage label space limitations? Your packaging partner should know how to address all these questions.

Rise of E-Commerce

After E-Commerce gained its popularity, there was a sudden increase in the sales of multivitamins, supplement powders, and dietary supplement purchases. It is still easy for brand owners to differentiate their product in the store where the customer can hold, touch, and feel their product. However, what shall the brand do when it comes to e-commerce?

In this scenario, a visually appealing design of your packaging would help. Once the customer is attracted to your product, orders it, wait for it to arrive, find it at their door, open the box, and voilà!

It needs to be perfectly packaged, look good, and most importantly it should look appealing, the same way as it was looking in the online store. If the customer does not get what he expected, then you lose that customer forever.

Location

Understanding where the product will be sold is a key component to creating packaging that will stand out. Generally, nutraceutical products are found in:

1. Gym
2. Spas
3. Nutritional Stores
4. Online Stores
5. Health and Natural Food Stores

Brands should focus on these demographics and buyer trends. Packaging should be designed to attract specific customers based on their nutritional concerns or the generation in which they fall. Whatever location you choose to sell your products in, keep in mind that your packaging should match the customer’s expectations for maximized potential.

Sustainability

This factor is often ignored while designing packaging. Brands should look for sustainable packaging that will attract customers. However, many times brands often ignore how it would affect their product quality if they choose a particular packaging. For instance, many brands are considering paper tube containers to pack their supplement powder. However, what they don’t know is that their product won’t stay fresh for a longer period of time. It will attract oxygen and moisture which will degrade their product shelf life.

Lately, many brands are shifting to multi-layer Stand Up Pouches with a notion that the amount of plastic used is lesser compared to HDPE and PET bottles. However, what they don’t know is that multilayer stand-up bags are non-recyclable. Recycling companies cannot delaminate those layers and thus that bag cannot be degraded or recycled for the next 500 years. Comparatively, in HDPE and PET bottles, the amount of plastic used is more, but the good part is that they can be EASILY RECYCLED. Thus, brands should look for sustainable options to attract customers.

Consumer Acceptance

It is very important to consider consumer compliance while designing packaging. Is the tablet easily accessible? Does the protein powder arrive with a Scoop that would help the customer to take it in a proper dosage? Is the neck size of the bottle too narrow to take out products easily? All these small-small things should be taken care of in order to increase customer satisfaction.

Conclusion

Nutraceutical brands can easily attract loyal customers through packaging functionality that meets consumer preferences and enhances the consumer experience. All they need to do is find a smart packaging partner who has a comprehensive understanding of your industry and can help you select the correct packaging. Developing the right packaging, the right way, at the right place, at the right cost, and on-time allows you to stay focused on your product and helps you get more sales on the shelf.

Let us know in the comments how else would you like your Packaging Partner to help you in order to make your Nutraceutical Packaging stand out?

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