Inventing a new food brand or product is a lot of work. Unfortunately, those blood, sweat, and tears don't end when the ingredients come together -- designing the product packaging is the other half of the equation.
Regardless of how great the product tastes, looks, or smells, it's the packaging that draws new customers in and encourages them to buy it off the shelves.
To assure your team designs the best food product packaging, it can be extremely beneficial to conduct market research. With this approach, you can speak to or survey target consumers to learn what design options they prefer, their likes, dislikes, suggestions, and more.
Keep reading to learn about a recent case study our market research company conducted on behalf of a food brand that wanted to gather feedback for various product packaging designs.
Challenges of Designing New Product Packaging
Our client is launching a new brand and wanted to test 4 package designs in two formats.
This brand launch is unique in that the primary target is a specific area of the store where there are no traditional shelf set planograms.
As a result, the brands and their products that are merchandised in this area vary. They typically change what is displayed in this area of the store on semi-permanent display racks or shelving along the outer aisle near the produce area.
Being that the product is not permanently displayed at the same location of the store, it was important to the brand that they had a product design that stood out to customers to make them engage with the product.
Approach: Conduct a Product Packaging Survey with Consumers
Based on the needs of the food brand, our consumer packaged goods market research firm recommended conducting an online survey to compare and contrast different packaging options.
The objectives of the packaging test survey included:
- Which packaging format & design delivers best with consumers
- What positioning or tagline is most appealing
- What logo is preferred
- Whether the client differentiates from the competition
The methodology of the packaging test survey included gathering 1,000 survey completes from a general, national population.
The survey took 13 minutes to complete and had 50 questions per respondent. Therefore, in total, the survey included 135 questions due to the monadic paths.
Additionally, there were several sampling criteria respondents needed to meet in order to complete the survey including industry screen, past purchasing habits, and future purchasing habits.
Example Survey Questions When Testing Package Design
Below are example survey questions that could be used to test packaging in an online survey. These questions can be customized to the unique needs of the project’s objectives.
Note: A specific sample size for each sequence will be shown. The client package stim will be shown with up to 5 competitors on the shelf set. Each respondent was randomly shown 1 of the 4 max diff sequences.
Wondering why we used MaxDiff? Learn more about how to use MaxDiff.
Sequence #1 Example
1. Please review the packaging below. Which of the following do you prefer the most? Select one.
Note: Please focus solely on the packaging of the product (i.e., the look and feel of the product) rather than the type of product.
- [Client design 1]
- [Competitor 1]
- [Competitor 2]
- [Competitor 3]
- [Competitor 4]
- [Competitor 5]
2. [Show options not selected] Which of the following do you prefer the least? Select one.
Note: Please focus solely on the packaging of the product (i.e., the look and feel of the product) rather than the type of product.
- [Client design 1]
- [Competitor 1]
- [Competitor 2]
- [Competitor 3]
- [Competitor 4]
- [Competitor 5]
3. For the packaging that you preferred the most, how likely are you to purchase it? Select a rating.
4. For the packaging that you preferred the most, how well does it communicate the following attributes? Select one for each.
Client Only MaxDiff Sequence Example
1. Please review the packaging below. Which of the following do you prefer the most? Select one.
Note: Please focus solely on the packaging of the product (i.e., the look and feel of the product) rather than the type of product.
- [Client design 1]
- [Client design 2]
- [Client design 3]
2. Please review the packaging below and share what you like or dislike most about it. Click on a part of the image to provide feedback on that area. Then select ‘Like’ or ‘Dislike,’ enter any comments, and hit ‘Save’ when done. Select another point on the image to share additional feedback. [Programmer note: 20-second timer on page]
Note: Please focus solely on the packaging of the product (i.e., the look and feel of the product) rather than the type of product.
- [Show image liked most]
3. [Show options not selected] Which of the following do you prefer the least? Select one. [Programmer note: Randomize]
Note: Please focus solely on the packaging of the product (i.e., the look and feel of the product) rather than the type of product.
- [Client design 1]
- [Client design 2]
- [Client design 3]
4. Please review the packaging below and share what you like or dislike most about it. Click on a part of the image to provide feedback on that area. Then select ‘Like’ or ‘Dislike,’ enter any comments, and hit ‘Save’ when done. Select another point on the image to share additional feedback. [Programmer note: 20-second timer on page]
Note: Please focus solely on the packaging of the product (i.e., the look and feel of the product) rather than the type of product.
- [Show image liked most]
Survey Findings from Testing the Product Packaging
The report included an overview of the project, an executive summary, and detailed findings.
The executive summary featured key takeaways from the test packaging online survey, details about which packaging type performed the best, and potential considerations to update the packaging before it is presented in the market.
Find the Best Product Packaging with Drive Research
Drive Research is a full-service market research firm that specializes in the consumer package goods space. Our team of certified professionals has experience conducting relevant services such as product packaging surveys, ad concept testing, focus groups, and more.
To learn more about our services, contact Drive Research today.
- Message us on our website
- Email us at [email protected]
- Call us at 888-725-DATA
- Text us at 315-303-2040
Emily Taylor
As a Senior Research Analyst, Emily is approaching a decade of experience in the market research industry and loves to challenge the status quo. She is a certified VoC professional with a passion for storytelling.
Learn more about Emily, here.
