How data-driven package design mitigates the risks of rebranding and boosts ROI.

Rebranding always comes with risks, especially when it comes to updating your CPG pack. The wrong moves could lose you brand equity, confuse your customers, and — ultimately — negatively impact your bottom line.

However, there are also risks associated with keeping your CPG brand and packaging the same. When the market tells you it’s time for a change, failing to take action could result in being outpaced by your competition in big and small ways. 

With so much at stake, how can you avoid making a costly mistake that takes your brand in the wrong direction while also overcoming the analysis paralysis that tempts you to do nothing?

Here’s how you can know for sure your rebrand will deliver the ROI you need.

When to refresh or rebrand your CPG pack.

Although a rebrand may encompass more than product packaging adjustments, the CPG pack plays a crucial role in determining your rebrand’s success. Further, many of the signs that it’s time for a rebrand can be traced back to your current pack. 

After all, your package is not just a vessel for your product — it’s your brand’s most powerful ambassador on the shelf. It’s the only branded asset or advertising collateral that every single customer sees and touches. And when a CPG pack remains unchanged for too long, it can lead to a cascade of negative consequences: 

• Loss of a competitive edge as rivals launch fresh, eye-catching designs
• Missed opportunities to highlight product improvements or reformulations
• Failure to adapt to new retail environments or shopping channels
• Inability to justify price changes without visual updates
• Gradual decline in sales volume compared to potential growth

Each of these factors contributes to a steady decline in market share. You’re left to watch your brand fade into the background while more dynamic competitors steal the spotlight — and your customers. That’s why it’s critical to pay close attention to the key moments that warrant a packaging update:

• Competitive launches
• Product reformulations
• Expansion into new retail channels
• Significant shifts in pricing strategy
• Decreased sales or not meeting target growth projections 

The break-neck speed of the CPG and FMCG world means that standing still is equivalent to moving backward. Your packaging needs to evolve with your brand, your product, and most importantly, your consumers.

The role packaging plays in protecting rebrand ROI. 

Nielsen reports that only 5% of redesigns actually increase the likelihood of purchase, while 13% perform worse than their predecessors. So once you’ve made the decision to rebrand, you can’t afford to roll the dice and hope for the best. The good news is you don’t have to. 

Yes, getting your packaging design wrong is your biggest rebranding risk because of the role it plays in influencing consumer behavior. But conversely, getting it right is the best way to increase purchase intent and get a measurable market lift. 

In other words, rebranding your CPG pack is the best way to mitigate the risks associated with rebranding — but only if you do it right. The key is to make design decisions based on data rather than guesswork.

Guaranteed results are possible when you know your consumers.

Traditional package design often relies on creative intuition, leading to uncertain outcomes. While creativity is essential, on its own it simply can’t guarantee success. By contrast, data-driven design transforms the rebranding process from a risky gamble into a strategic, evidence-based endeavor. 

SmashBrand’s approach ensures that your packaging not only looks great but also performs at the point of sale. Effective packaging must accomplish four key objectives in the brief moments a shopper interacts with a product:

1. Grab attention and stand out on crowded shelves and capture the shopper’s eye.
2. Communicate purchase drivers by clearly conveying the key benefits and reasons to buy in the category.
3. Create attraction by evoking positive associations and emotional connections with the brand.
4. Drive purchase by inspiring the consumer to choose your product over competitors.

To accomplish these objectives, we tap into the principles of behavioral psychology, including:

• System 1 vs. System 2 thinking. Most purchase decisions are made quickly and intuitively (System 1), rather than through deliberate reasoning (System 2) alone. We design with the goal of triggering positive System 1 responses. 
• Visual hierarchy. Optimizing the placement and prominence of key design and communication elements guides the consumer’s eye and ensures critical information is absorbed quickly. Knowing where to place design elements and key pieces of information is crucial to reaching consumers in the critical 5-50 seconds at the shelf.
• Emotional impact. Designs should evoke specific emotions that align with your brand’s positioning and resonate with target consumers. It’s about reaching the heart, not just the head.
• Choice architecture. No product lives in a vacuum. To grab attention, consider how packaging influences decision-making within the context of the entire product category.

Understanding these consumer behavior influencers is a fundamental part of designing CPG packs that win. And testing against these elements is the secret sauce that enables SmashBrand to guarantee results.

Testing: The foundation of data-driven package design.

The heart of SmashBrand’s methodology is our iterative design process. Rather than presenting a single, finished concept to clients, we develop multiple design directions and refine them based on continuous feedback and testing. This mitigates risk by identifying potential issues early and addressing them proactively, rather than discovering them post-launch when the stakes are much higher.

Our testing process includes:

• Category Baseline Testing. This involves evaluating your current packaging against key category purchase drivers and competitors’ within the competitive landscape, identifying key opportunities for growth.
• Design Diagnostic Testing. Through in-depth analysis of selected concepts, we explore their strengths and weaknesses while identifying areas for improvement and optimization.
• Pack Words Claims Testing. This type of testing is geared toward measuring the relative importance and impact of different front-of-pack claims. The goal is to develop a messaging hierarchy that maximizes consumer appeal and drives purchase decisions.
• Purchase Intent Testing. At this stage, we simulate a retail environment to assess how the design performs in relation to its competitors at the shelf to determine how likely consumers are to buy.
• And more. (Take a closer look at our testing process here).

This stage-gate process allows for continual refinement of designs based on consumer feedback, maximizing the chances of in-market success.

Embark on your CPG rebrand with confidence

Your CPG packaging is your brand’s most powerful asset. So if you’re seeing signs that it’s time for a rebrand or design refresh, don’t let fear of change hold you back. 

The opportunity to refresh, revitalize, and reimagine your packaging comes with significant benefits. However, to make your rebrand the success story you want it to be, you need a design partner that makes decisions based on data, not creative inspiration alone.

With SmashBrand at your side, you can make informed decisions that mitigate risk and deliver results, ensuring your brand not only survives but thrives.

We guarantee it.

So let’s talk.