As cannabis products are increasingly legalized in different states and subjected to rapidly changing regulations, there are several reasons why an agile packaging development process is crucial to brand success. By definition, "agile" refers to an ability to move quickly and easily.
When it comes to packaging development, agility is required in industries where changes come quickly and with little notice. Agile packaging allows cannabis businesses to quickly adhere to new packaging regulations, helps their brand stand out in a crowded market and gets new product lines to market faster.
1. Building Brand Recognition in a Flooded Market
As more states come online, cannabis marketers will be rushing to brand and advertise product that’ll leave lasting impressions on consumers. To establish market share, it’s important to begin building your loyal following early.
Secondary packaging plays a huge role in developing and reinforcement of your brand image. As the packaging is the first aspect of your product line a consumer or a patient will see, it must clearly convey your brand message and be easy to identify in a crowded dispensary environment. Some tools that packaging designers can use to make your brand stand out include:
- Color. It may be the simplest element, but it's arguably the most important. The human brain is programmed to notice and react to colors on a subconscious level, which is why so many major brands have made one or two colors a central aspect of their brand. Think of Target’s red sign, for example, or the green Starbucks logo or even McDonald’s golden arches. Using a consistent color scheme will build brand recognition before consumers have even had a chance to read your label.
- Unique Structural Packaging Designs. On a shelf full of rectangular boxes with similar dimensions, consider how a pyramid-shaped or octagonal packaging design could stand out. Companies like Apple have added elements to their packaging that create an exciting consumer experience just in the simple act of opening a package; consider an out-of-the-box design to give your product a more exclusive feel. While retaining a vision of the future in their packaging with original designs, businesses can still make sure that each design is consistently childproof and adheres to other regulations, as these requirements can help guide the evolution of the design.
- Texture and Finishing Effects. A premium packaging company should be able to offer a wide range of press and post-press effects, from coatings, varnishes, embossing/debossing and foils that create textures, eye catching visual effects and an overall experience that rivals other luxury consumer products. These print and finishing effects are the primary tools for cannabis companies in delineating flavors, lines, potencies and price points. Ultimately, high-quality packaging tells consumers and patients that your cannabis product is high-quality.
2. Adjusting to New and Changing Regulations
As legal cannabis products are still relatively new, with legalization an ongoing and fluid process, the regulations to which such products are subjected continuously change. Legalization is not a one-time event, but rather an ongoing process as state and local lawmakers decide how to best regulate these products.
Cannabis growers, producers and extractors need to stay aware and up-to-date on any laws that may apply to their products, and should have a plan for implementing necessary changes on a tight timeline.
For example, recent folding carton packaging regulations dictate that packaging must:
- Be opaque to eliminate visibility from the outside.
- Be resealable or closeable or able to re-lock if the cannabis product is multi-serving.
- Be certified to the federal CR testing procedure.
When new regulations are introduced, being among the first brands to hit the shelves in compliance with these new rules will allow your brand to be on the shelves earlier. Unfortunately, how quickly your in-house designers and marketing team can implement changes will make little difference if your packaging company is unable to respond to rapid changes. Time spent waiting for your new, compliant packaging translates into added time your products are off the shelves, and even just a few days can heavily impact your bottom line.
3. Making New Products Stand Out
In the rapidly expanding market for legal cannabis products, it seems like new products are being developed every day. Creativity and innovation are the name of the game in the current cannabis market, with brands competing against each other both to develop new and exciting products, and to get those products onto dispensary shelves quickly. A packaging solutions provider should know how to baseline the customers’ current packaging, listen to their specific vision and pay close attention to the marketing climate and competitive climate.
Michael DiFranco serves as the VP of Marketing at JohnsByrne, a custom packaging and print solutions provider.
Top image courtesy of Adobe Stock
Packaging photos courtesy of JohnsByrne.com
