CPG packaging design agency

All of SmashBrand’s packaging design services follow our proprietary Path To Performance™ process, ensuring a strategic and results-driven approach to every project. Costs to work with our strategic packaging and branding agency can range from $25,000 to $500,000 for most projects, depending on the scope and complexity of the work required. This process has proven effective across various industries, as evidenced by our work as a packaging design company for brands like Red Gold, where we identified a distinct market niche that resulted in a remarkable increase in sales velocity.

When you work with SmashBrand, with a dedicated team with a unique blend of expertise and innovation unlike other branding and packaging companies. Our integrated and iterative Path To Performance™ process ensures exceptional design outcomes by combining the strategic insights of former Fortune 100 brand managers, the creative expertise of top design house directors, and stage gate validation from our in-house consumer testing specialists. This collaborative synergy positions us as the best packaging design agency for brands looking to stand out in the crowded CPG retail market.

Yes, we can showcase a variety of successful packaging design case studies from other brands within your industry. Our portfolio includes a range of projects where we’ve leveraged our data-driven approach, strategic brand positioning, and iterative testing to create impactful packaging solutions that resonate with target audiences and drive brand success. Brands that permit us to share our work can be found on the results page of our website. Additional examples may be available so inquire if you would like examples from your specific industry or category.

Our design philosophy at SmashBrand is deeply rooted in a data-driven process that emphasizes strategic brand positioning and iterative testing to ensure optimal purchase intent and maximum shelf impact. By gathering data and analyzing critical aspects of the consumer category and competition, we lay a solid foundation for understanding and uncovering insights that drive strategy. Our iterative approach, which includes multiple rounds of concept designs and consumer testing, ensures that your brand’s offerings are optimized and poised to succeed on shelf. This methodology integrates all accumulated learning and expertise into a clear, concise, and actionable brand positioning statement, ensuring that the design not only reflects your brand’s essence but also resonates with your target audience, reinforcing your brand strategy.

At SmashBrand, our design philosophy is rooted in balancing aesthetics with functionality through a strategic and data-driven process. Once brand positioning is complete, our design approach begins by developing and testing product messaging with our PREformance™ PackWords test, ensuring that the packaging design effectively communicates the brands position. We then transition to the design phase, carefully retaining white space for both messages and design elements, allowing them to resonate deeply with consumers and enhance the overall packaging effectiveness. Our approach is not common even amongst other top packaging design companies.

Your packaging design project at SmashBrand will be spearheaded by a highly skilled and interdisciplinary team, ensuring a rich blend of creativity, strategy, and market insight. This team includes: Experienced brand development lead with deep experience as CPG brand manager with a deep understanding of market dynamics and consumer behavior Creative director with a background in leading high-impact design initiatives who also serves as your dedicated packaging designer who brings your brand’s vision to life on the shelf A project manager who ensures seamless execution and alignment with your objectives. Our collaborative approach leverages each member’s expertise to deliver packaging solutions that resonate with consumers and drive brand success. A seasoned Consumer Research Specialist, proficient in unveiling consumer insights through tailored studies with targeted groups, ensuring your product’s alignment with market needs and enhancing adoption rates. Other SmashBrand team members will work on your project but these will be your direct points of contact.

Our process for iterations and feedback on designs is centered around a stage gate approach, involving multiple rounds of design and consumer testing to confirm the best way to move forward in the design process. This ensures that the product design is not only aesthetically pleasing but also optimized to win at the shelf. Feedback is continuously integrated throughout the process, allowing for adjustments and refinements to align with your brand’s identity and market needs.

SmashBrand is best known as a CPG packaging design agency which includes the FMCG and CDG (consumer durable goods) sectors. In FMCG we are recognized as a leading food packaging design agency and beverage packaging design agency. In CDG we have a proven track record for household, automotive, packaged apparel products. Our team’s expertise is tailored to meet the unique demands of these industries, ensuring our packaging designs not only capture attention but also resonate deeply with the target audience, driving engagement and sales for brands in the fast-paced consumer goods market, selling through retail channels.

Our Path to Performance™ process is built to help DTC brands succeed at both omnichannel digital and retail. Our integrated strategy, design, and consumer testing framework ensures your packaging drives conversion in real-world shelf conditions. We’ve helped fast-growing DTC brands like Earth Breeze & Ollie transition into retail by optimizing their pack for impact, engagement, and measurable sales lift. And because ecommerce is still part of the journey, we also create digital assets that tell your brand’s story and elevate performance across online channels.

At SmashBrand, our most significant accomplishments are reflected in the impactful results we achieve for our clients. To witness these achievements firsthand, visit our work page, which features a regularly updated Brand Performance Tracker. This tool vividly illustrates the enhancements in purchase intent across various client categories within the CPG industry, showcasing the tangible benefits of our expertise. Additionally, you’ll find compelling before-and-after visuals of our latest client projects. In the realm of packaging design, SmashBrand has consistently been recognized for excellence, receiving multiple GDUSA Packaging Design Awards annually from 2019 through 2024, the 2018 Health + Wellness Design Awards, and the Horizon Interactive Best of Category award. As recognized thought leaders, SmashBrand contributes to industry publications such as ADWEEK, Packaging Digest, and Snacks Magazine. Our leadership team is also frequently invited to speak on podcasts focusing on branding, marketing, and packaging design.

While SmashBrand specializes in branding and packaging design, we understand the importance of structural packaging in creating distinct packaging solutions. Although we focus on the visual and communicative aspects of packaging design, we can seamlessly collaborate with structural design firms to ensure your packaging is not only visually appealing but also functionally effective. If needed, we’re able to make strategic referrals to reputable structural design companies, ensuring your custom packaging needs are fully met from concept to shelf.

Upon the completion of your packaging design project with SmashBrand, you retain full ownership rights to the final packaging design. When we partner with you as your branding and packaging company, our goal is to empower your brand with standout packaging solutions, after which all intellectual property rights related to the packaging design are transferred to you. This ensures that you have the freedom to use and adapt your packaging as you see fit, further solidifying your brand’s presence in the market.

To ensure that new packaging concepts harmoniously integrate with your existing product portfolio, we leverage insights from our comprehensive brand audits, baseline testing, and other evaluative methodologies. Our experts meticulously assess how each new package, product messaging, and graphic design element complements and enhances your brand’s visual identity across all products. This process involves a detailed evaluation of documentation, brand assets, and market positioning, ensuring that each addition not only stands out on its own but also strengthens the collective impact of your product range. This strategic alignment helps maintain brand cohesion, enhancing your brand’s recognition and appeal in the market.

Yes, our package design process can include logo design as part of the data-driven branding and packaging solution we provide. Our team ensures that the logo and package design are cohesively developed to reflect your brand’s identity and values, elevate future brand recall, and enhance the overall appeal of your product on the shelves.

Yes, as your product packaging design agency, a brand style guide can be included if it is part of the project scope. This guide would serve as a comprehensive “playbook” for your brand, encompassing clear and concise documentation on brand positioning, key messaging, the benefit ladder, brand manifesto, consumer growth target, and other essential materials. This resource is designed to promote strategic consistency across design, advertising, and other aspects of your marketing strategy, ensuring long-term brand consistency as your team members and external agencies evolve over time.

Our Path To Performance™ process begins with a Diagnosis phase, where we gather and analyze data on the category, consumer, and competition. This phase helps us understand the current landscape and identify new insights to inform strategy. Following this, our Trend Assessment uncovers consumer and category insights using secondary sources and primary observations, aiding in the development of a value proposition and brand positioning. Reference the bottom of this page where we have a full list of services. In addition to these brand development services, When required by a client our offerings include a broader spectrum of branding work such as web design, trade show booth design, POP and in-store displays. These additional services complement our core offerings, ensuring a cohesive and comprehensive branding strategy that spans both physical and digital touch-points. As a leading packaging design firm and branding company, we are equipped to handle all aspects of your brand’s visual and strategic presentation.

At SmashBrand, our focus is primarily on the strategic and creative aspects of product branding, specifically within the scope of packaging design and development. While we excel in areas such as brand audits, strategy development, and iterative design processes, we do not engage in brand activation and marketing campaigns. This means services traditionally offered by a creative agency who work on your digital strategy which may include social media marketing, content marketing, web development, and website development, fall outside our direct offerings. Our expertise is concentrated on ensuring your product stands out through compelling packaging and branding, leveraging our deep understanding of consumer behavior and market trends.