Overview
You’ve developed a formula that pet owners will love. You’ve sourced quality ingredients, nailed down the claims, and you’re clear on what sets your pet supplement apart. But now comes the more challenging part: translating all of that into packaging design that drives purchase. In a category where pet food and supplements blur the lines between wellness and emotion, pet supplements packaging design has to work harder.
Your packaging design must educate and reassure. It must cut through clutter and still feel personal. And above all, it must convert, whether the buyer is in-store or scrolling online. That kind of package design is a strategic process built around how pet owners make decisions in real-time.
This article lays out that process. You’ll learn what separates high-performing pet product packaging from everything else on the shelf, and how a well-executed packaging solution can elevate your supplement from functional to essential. If you’re ready to build pet product packaging that delivers measurable results, you’re in the right place.
Designing for the pet parent.
Designing for the pet parent means understanding you’re speaking to two decision-makers in one: the caretaker who needs evidence and the companion who wants to feel good about their choice.
Pet parents expect their pet supplements to follow the same cues as human dietary supplements, offering clear benefits, a clean label design, and trustworthy graphic design. Innovative brands understand that pet food packaging must connect emotionally while substantiating its claims with functional proof points.
In the pet industry, trends in categories such as pet food product design typically follow human food packaging by about five years. That means your dog food or supplement should look credible enough for a person to take. With the rise of Amazon-first launches, packaging solutions must perform effectively with and without requiring shelf presence, especially for small, ship-friendly items like pills.
Your pet product packaging must do the heavy lifting for your brand: feature purposeful benefit claims, own your logo design, and signal quality instantly.
Visual hierarchy drives clarity and conversion.
Visual hierarchy is what distinguishes excellent packaging from merely visually appealing packaging. In pet supplement packaging design, clean design isn’t enough; it’s the strategic layout of design elements that drives conversion. Pet care shoppers, whether buying treats, cat food, or supplements, scan shelves fast. Your layout needs to match that behavior, not internal brand preferences.
Pet owners must understand what the product is, what it does, and why they should trust it. That means leading with your strongest ingredient or claim, supported by visual cues tailored to the expectations of a pet food brand. Whether you’re designing for dogs or cats, the right packaging must deliver clarity before emotion.
Utilize packaging tips such as benefit-first headlines, clear icons, and legible typography to guide the viewer’s eye. Excellent packaging doesn’t just look sustainable, it earns trust through function. Innovative pet brands utilize visual hierarchy to capture attention, establish trust, and ultimately drive sales from shelf to cart.
The packaging form is part of the product.
Packaging form is a part of the product experience. For a pet supplement brand, structural design directly influences how consumers perceive value, usability, and quality. A well-designed blister pack for vitamins can signal precision and hygiene, while a resealable pouch for pet treats adds convenience that pet lovers notice.
The perfect packaging begins by aligning the product format and packaging material early in the development process. Whether it’s single-serve powders, capsules, or chews, the packaging must fit how the product is used, shipped, and displayed. Especially in DTC models, hand feel and opening experience are as critical as in-store shelf presence.
For pet brands competing in a premium space, sustainable packaging reinforces trust. But sustainability must meet structural practicality. The correct design elements, rigid lids, tactile finishes, and clear dispensers elevate perception. The packaging form becomes a silent brand ambassador, shaping the consumer’s experience long after the initial impression is made.
Ingredient quality must be clear and credible.
In pet supplement packaging design, ingredient quality must be more than a visual afterthought; it’s a critical component in building trust. Pet lovers expect transparency. Smart pet supplement brands show ingredients with purpose, not as generic decoration. Every visual should directly link to a specific benefit or performance outcome. Consider turmeric for joint support or omega-3 oils for coat health, as demonstrated and supported by on-pack RTDs.
Both retail packaging design and e-commerce packaging design require clear and concise communication. In both contexts, white space in packaging design can be your best ally, drawing the eye to key claims without clutter. Graphic designers should strike a balance between emotional warmth and a clean, factual layout. Ingredient credibility is especially vital in formats like blister packs for vitamins, where the clinical look must be softened but not lost.
If positioning research suggests it, consider utilizing packaging material choices, such as biodegradable materials or soft-touch finishes, to convey a sense of quality and sustainability. The perfect packaging tells a story of trust and care, rooted in real ingredients and real performance. In a world of rising pet ownership, credibility converts.
Premium packaging follows proven norms.
Premium pet supplement packaging executes proven packaging design norms with precision. Successful pet brands utilize familiar visual cues to establish trust, including muted tones that convey a sense of natural health, bold yet clean typography, and structured layouts that guide the viewer’s eye. These are staples of effective FMCG packaging design and critical when consumer trust is non-negotiable.
Take mushroom-based supplements for dogs and cats (yes this is a thing). They’re trending, but many are sourced from unregulated markets. Given mushrooms’ role as bioaccumulators absorbing toxins and pollutants, your packaging must immediately convey safety and integrity. That means selecting the right types of packaging design, such as bottle packaging design that feels clinical yet accessible, and supporting structural packaging design that adds weight and presence.
Premium packaging design trends emphasize brand fluency over flash. Own a distinctive look, but stay anchored in category expectations. With heightened scrutiny in supplements, especially those like CBD or functional mushrooms, premium isn’t just about aesthetics; it’s about credibility, clarity, and control.
Testing unlocks high-performing designs.
Testing is the foundation of high-performing pet supplement packaging. For any serious pet brand, validation with real consumers is non-negotiable. Here’s how to structure the process step by step:
Start with baseline diagnostics.
Begin by benchmarking your current packaging or that of your competitors. This diagnostic test reveals what’s working and what’s confusing, mapping consumer reactions to your pack’s visuals, structure, and claims.
Run message hierarchy testing.
Test different configurations of headlines, icons, RTBs, and ingredient claims. Identify distinctive claims and elements that hold the most attention, garner trust, and are quickly understood. This informs both copy and layout strategy.
Simulate shelf impact.
Place your packaging in a virtual retail environment against real competitors. Track visibility, shopability, and purchase intent to understand how your design performs in the context where consumers make a purchase.
Iterate based on insights.
Refine your packaging based on the data. Adjust structural design, tweak typography, or reposition claims—all grounded in behavioral feedback, not guesswork.
Revalidate to confirm lift.
Test the revised packaging again to measure improvements in key metrics, such as purchase intent, credibility, and standout. Only then is your packaging truly ready for the shelf.
Avoid the common pitfalls.
Avoiding common pitfalls in pet supplement packaging design involves aligning strategy with consumer behavior rather than relying on internal biases or assumptions. Here’s how to avoid the mistakes that most brands make:
Don’t overemphasize brand at the expense of benefits.
Your logo isn’t the only reason someone buys a pet supplement, but the benefit is. Pet owners scan for functional claims first. If your packaging leads with abstract brand language or identity systems, you risk losing attention before trust is even considered. Build your brand through the benefits, not over them.
Don’t separate product and pack decisions.
Product format and packaging should be developed together. A chewable treat, a vitamin in a blister pack, and a powder pouch each require different structures and messaging approaches tailored to the specific use case, rather than a generic template.
Don’t launch without validation.
Every design decision, claim, layout, and imagery should be tested with real consumers. Without validation, you’re relying on gut feel in a space where trust, clarity, and performance matter most. Testing isn’t a luxury. It’s the cost of doing it right.
Path to Performance™
Taking a results-obsessed approach to CPG package design.
Discover how SmashBrand’s proprietary process, rooted in scientific principles, informed by data, and validated by your target audience, eliminates the guesswork from package design and delivers guaranteed results.
Make packaging a conversion asset.
Packaging is where first impressions happen and where most buying decisions are made. That’s why treating packaging as a growth lever, not a finishing touch, is essential for any pet supplement brand aiming to scale.
High-performing packaging works across the entire shopper journey. It builds trust in DTC, drives impulse in retail, and reinforces value post-purchase. But that only happens when every design element, from claim hierarchy to structural format, is intentionally built, tested, and optimized.
At SmashBrand, we don’t guess. Our packaging design, innovation, and testing processes are engineered to deliver measurable results. We combine strategic creativity with real consumer data, ensuring your packaging becomes a proven conversion asset, not just a container. Because if your packaging isn’t selling for you, it’s holding you back. And we know how to fix that.
Nice Package
Don’t miss out on our monthly newsletter Nice Package!
Each month, we deliver a data-driven newsletter directly to your inbox, unpacking a critical topic in the FMCG & CPG industry.
"*" indicates required fields
A seasoned veteran in the CPG (Consumer Packaged Goods) industry, Jason Vaught brings a wealth of knowledge and hands-on experience as the director of content and marketing for SmashBrand. His comprehensive role at the forefront of brand communication ensures that CPG brands remain well-informed about the suite of services SmashBrand offers. Furthermore, his insights derived from the company's strategy, design, and testing services are invaluable to brand owners and managers seeking expert guidance.
From his early endeavors in launching a successful sports nutrition brand that gained prominence in significant bodybuilding and fitness retail spaces to his entrepreneurial ventures in kick-starting multiple brick-and-mortar and e-commerce startups across diverse industries, Jason's career is studded with substantial milestones. Notably, he has innovated numerous products later embraced by leading industry brands, showcasing his knack for anticipating market demands and setting trends.
Jason's journey in the CPG industry commenced at age 21. Over the years, he has worn multiple hats, ranging from a manufacturer and retailer to a distributor and brand owner. This multifaceted experience equips him with the rare ability to offer practical advice grounded in real-world expertise. His mission is to guide and support other CPG brand owners, directors, and managers on their path to success.
Subscribe to
Nice Package.
A monthly newsletter that unpacks a critical topic in the FMCG & CPG industry.
Free Resource.
CPG product repositioning guide.
Explore the five undeniable signs your CPG product needs repositioning along with strategies for leveraging consumer insights for a guaranteed market lift.
Learn More About CPG product repositioning guide.