Beyond selling their products and making a profit, brand owners find a great sense of purpose in adding more value to their customers and the society at large. Nothing does this job better than structural packaging. The best brands are the ones that always understand the important role of structural packaging. It plays in boosting its market position, visibility, and creating value in the lives of their customers. So beware of the structural packaging mistakes.
Brand owners want their packaging to be more than just that- packaging. They want their packaging structure to tell their story and to leave a positive lasting impression. It is not on just the individual consumers but their environment and economy also. For example, some brands have through their packaging, provided means to enhance economic, environment and social stability.
More than ever before, brands are increasingly looking up to design agencies for their structural packaging projects. While this is a good thing, brands need to be careful while choosing agencies to work with. There are a lot of complexities involved in structural packaging that if not handled with care, may frustrate the project and give rise to losses that would have easily been avoided if due care, expertise, and skill were utilized.
For example, when it comes to 3D capableness, many brands assume that the ability for an agency to successfully handle 2D branding translates to an ability to handle 3D too. Unfortunately, they soon come to realize that 3D branding require much more skill and expertise than they anticipated after the damage has already been done.
To avoid these terrible situations from occurring, below are six of the very common mistakes brand owners and agencies alike make while working on some structural packaging projects and avoid structural packaging mistakes.
1. Underestimating the complexities involved in structural
One common mistake branding agencies make is underestimating the difficulties involved in 3D projects and as a result, leaving the projects in the hands of freelancers.
Freelancers are not always the best hands for all aspects of 3D projects and because the best 3D freelancers are usually difficult to book due to their tight schedules, agencies may have to opt for the less experienced ones who may not end up doing the perfect job.
Agencies who have no choice but to use freelancers should ensure that the necessary arrangements are made as early as possible and that these freelancers work only as important supports in the project team.
2. Using 2D companies to handle 3D Projects
Many agencies describe themselves as “multi-disciplinary” when in fact, all they specialize in is 2D alone. As a result, they end up deceiving brands to let them in on their 3D projects when they don’t have the requisite structure and expertise for it, leading to project failures. Brands should employ due diligence in ensuring that they only hand their 3D projects to companies that have the capacity to handle them instead of relying solely on the presentations of the design agencies.
3. Neglecting the importance of transparency in communication when working on projects
Transparency in two-way communication is very important especially with 3D structural packaging projects.
To achieve the best results, promote loyalty and trust, and to ensure that the result is exactly what was intended, all parties involved must ensure that communicator lines are kept open and transparent and that there is constant liaison between all parties from start to finish.
4. Skipping the gun
Agencies may present visual representations that are so good and high in quality, that clients may be so excited and assume that these representations should go into production straight away. Clients should understand that the visual representations, no matter how good, still need to pass through complex processes before final production.
5. Confusing top graphics design agencies with 3D
Clients should understand that there is no “one size fits all” approach to 3D projects. Not all top graphic design agencies have the necessary skill and expertise to work on 3D projects. Clients should beware.
6. Comparing 3D project timelines and designs with those of 2D
3D project timelines and designs are by far more complex than that of 2D. Clients and agencies should avoid assuming they are the same in order to achieve lasting success in their 3D structural packaging projects.