The Benefits of an Agnostic Approach to Packaging
With all of the supplier and material options available to brands, it’s important to consider all options when looking for a packaging solution that optimizes costs, product protection and sustainability. Many packaging solution providers are directly tied to suppliers and promise deep discounts on materials based on that relationship, but without exploring all options, brands may miss opportunities to find the best packaging solution for their product. Taking an approach that is agnostic to both suppliers and materials opens more possibilities to identify a solution that meets all their needs.
What Is an Agnostic Approach?
An agnostic approach to suppliers and materials means designing a packaging solution that is centered on the product and its distribution environment, rather than limitations of specific materials. Suppliers, and consultants who are tied to them, frequently design packaging around the limitations of their own equipment or the material they produce. The ability to move between suppliers and work with different materials provides opportunities to create a solution that works for the brand and its product.
Being vendor-agnostic allows packaging consultants to prioritize their clients’ best interests in terms of costs and product protection, rather than being beholden to the solutions offered by specific vendors. Being material-agnostic means they can think outside the box to find the packaging solutions that best fit a product’s needs instead of limiting the possibilities to a short list of materials. It places the focus on the needs of the brand and, ultimately, its customers.
Cost Benefits of an Agnostic Approach
Because supplier and material-agnostic packaging consultants are not tied to the interests of a specific supplier, they’re able to prioritize a brand and its products’ needs, acting as an extension of the brand. They’re incentivized to find the best total landed cost, meaning the total the packaging and shipping/freight costs. Packaging engineers who work with a wide variety materials and suppliers are also likely to have experience working in diverse industries. This diverse experience drives outside-the-box thinking as, for example, lessons learned in the food & beverage industry might benefit a brand in the automotive or pharmaceutical industry.
Product Protection Benefits of an Agnostic Approach
Similar to the cost benefits, keeping all options on the table also benefits the primary function of packaging – to protect the product. Exploring all available solutions, rather than simply choosing the best option from a short, pre-selected list, allows for solutions customized to best serve the brand and its consumers. This approach allows for solutions that include a combination of materials that meet all requirements of a project, from product protection to sustainability.
The Right Approach
Relying too heavily on a short list of materials leads to choices that work well for a supplier and their margins, but leave a brand with packaging that doesn’t meet all its needs. An agnostic approach that weighs all the options provides brands with a packaging solution that keeps costs down while optimizing quality. If you’re looking for help designing packaging that goes beyond the limits of a specific supplier, reach out. Our team has experience in more than 60 specialized packaging disciplines and can help find the solution that works best for your brand.