Making my own invention at home

If your company has been creating a new product, a lot of time will have been spent ensuring that the product does what it should and that there aren't any unexpected side effects. Once you are satisfied that the product is perfect, you must decide how to present it to your customers. A great product is useless if no one buys it, so getting the packaging right is essential.

What is the purpose of packaging?

It's common to think of packaging as just a container used to hold the product until it has been consumed, but the packaging does much more than that. You must work with a plastic packaging manufacturer to find a packaging solution that not only keeps your product safe but also tells your customers what the product is and why they should buy it. There are probably numerous products similar to yours, and you must use your product packaging to stand out on the shelf and promote your product so that the customer will buy from you rather than a competitor.

What should the packaging look like?

A plastic packaging manufacturer can create almost any type of packaging that you might need, but there will always be factors that constrain your choice. You could have a bottle moulded from PET, HDPE, or PCR, but what size and shape of packaging do you need? You want a bottle that will contain a sufficient amount of your product, whether it is a drink, sunscreen, or engine oil, but what grade of plastic is required? You must decide not only on the size of the bottle, but also the thickness of the container, and what type of cap or lid it will need. Your plastic packaging manufacturer will be able to show you their standard range of caps or create a unique solution for you. Other factors that must guide your choice include how easy the bottle will be to transport and whether it will fit easily onto the shelves in the retail outlet.

Is a suitable bottle already available?

Creating a bespoke solution has advantages, but there are many times that a good packaging solution will already exist. Talk to your plastic packaging manufacturer and see what products they have in their standard range. It's probable that they already have a design for a bottle that is ideal for your needs. By adjusting the labelling and colours on an existing design to suit your needs, you can often get a cheaper and equally effective solution.