Last week I was shopping and searching for a cosmetic product my wife needed. All I could see were bright, colorful boxes that quickly got my attention. Because of my experience in the packaging industry, I started to ask myself: What kind of packaging solution do such businesses use to be winners in their industry? Should they work with a broker or a factory to maximize their profits?
After a couple minutes of thinking, I found the answer: a packaging broker is the only way.
Why a packaging broker is the best option for beauty and cosmetic companies?
A beauty/cosmetic company should choose to work with a packaging broker because of the innovative solutions they can offer. A broker can build a team of specialized manufacturers that he trusts, in order to deliver unique packaging solutions. This is something that an individual enterprise couldn’t do. This way, the company can differentiate itself in a saturated market and focus on the actual product.
Even though a broker usually is the best choice in the industry, there are some businesses that choose another type of packaging business partner, such as a factory. There are more things to consider when making such an important decision, and we will discuss about each one of them.
Which things should I consider, as a beauty packaging buyer?
Packaging brokers should usually be your choice, if you want to win as a cosmetic business. However, there are some other factors that might influence your decision.
The complexity
Being in the cosmetic industry, you need your packaging to stand out, to be unique. To achieve this, the packaging projects that brokers develop are more complex than what you would expect. They usually analyze aspects like:
- the perfect size and shape of the final product – depending on where the client would store or use it.
Maybe your customer likes to interact more with a heavy glass jar, if he stores your product in his bathroom and only applies it before bed. But think about a woman at the metro station, quickly trying to fix her lipstick. She would need a small, lightweight product that she can store in her purse.
Hundreds of scenarios like these are analyzed by brokers and they take into consideration every need of your target customer. This way, they can deliver products with the perfect size, the optimal weight or the shape a customer would expect.
- the compatibility and the properties of the materials used – they search for the perfect combinations.
The cosmetic industry has the most diverse packaging requirements and options. Whether you want wood, glass, plastic or even paper, they need to blend well together, so your product can look good on the shelves of a shop or on the profile of that influencer. You need a premium look.
They also analyze the properties of the materials. You wouldn’t store a cardboard box near your shower, right? Because then the box would slowly melt if contacting water. You need your packaging to resist, to preserve its original shape and to keep the product safe and in perfect condition.
- the mechanical functionality – the product needs to work smoothly.
Cosmetic products are usually products that you use multiple times, so you repeat the experience of using it every day, let’s say. For example, a customer would want his plastic recipient to dispense the perfect quantity of cream, every time, without him applying too much effort.
This would make his experience an easy one and your product will become his favorite.
Every aspect a broker analyzes takes hours of work and research. The cosmetic industry requires such complex projects and, usually, an unexperienced person couldn’t handle one or would miss important aspects. This could cost you way more than what a broker would have charged.
The budget
Budget is also on the list, but it may not be what you think. Most of the times, a broker will save you money.
All the expenses you would have if you chose to make the packaging yourself would be way higher than what a broker would spend. His experience and connections will always get him better prices.
You need huge quantities to get a better price per unit, if you choose not to work with a broker. But you are lucky just if you can predict the quantities you need! Most businesses can’t do that, especially if they are just starting.
Who can meet my need? A packaging broker or a factory?
Consider working with a broker if you:
- need complex projects
- want the option to order smaller quantities
- need consultancy on the solution
Consider working with a factory if you:
- need a simple solution
- plan to order large quantities
- want nothing more than the execution of the project
Is packaging really that important in the beauty industry?
Yes. Definitely.
Packaging should be one of the top priorities for any business in the beauty industry. Paying attention to it could bring your business massive benefits, crucial for your success. Packaging will:
- build a brand image
- attract more new customers
- convert new customers into recurrent customers
- differentiate your product from the others
- decide the success of that specific product
Packaging is the first contact between the product and the client. Before even trying the actual product, the potential customer will associate your brand with the packaging. So, the more he will like it, the more he will like your brand, and the possibility to convert that potential client will increase.
Imagine you were a customer, in a shop, knowing nothing about properties of cosmetic products. You would choose the one that looks the best, that gives you a professional vibe. Only packaging can create that amazing first impression that makes people buy.
Packaging will also be the element that will influence whether your current customers will buy the product again or not. If the experience of interacting with that product is good and smooth, the chances of buying again are very high.
So, yes, packaging is a core part of the cosmetic industry, because it severely influences the first decision of a potential customer: to try or to ignore your product.
What are the characteristics of amazing cosmetic packaging?
Long time ago, the only function of packaging was to protect the products. Nowadays though, things have changed. It has become a part of the customer’s experience, so companies pay more attention to the features they offer.
In the cosmetic industry, one with multiple competitors, you need to constantly innovate so that you can differentiate yourself on the market. Brokers are usually aware of the newest trends and technologies you can use to build distinctive packaging, and will carefully advise you.
After analyzing multiple successful products, I came up with a list of characteristics that your packaging solution needs to have, that a broker surely knows.
In 2021, good packaging for cosmetic should be…
- functional
- communicative
- eye-catching
- convenient
- easy to use
- sustainable
Well, let’s see how such an amazing packaging solution would look like, and why only a broker can develop it.
Trendy eco-friendly cosmetic jar
This is an example of an amazing piece of cosmetic packaging solutions.
As you can see, the textures of the matte glass and the wooden pieces blend well, and give it a premium look. It’s a solid jar and will not deteriorate whether the consumer will store it in his bathroom or anywhere else in his house.
The branding is done well, the recipients are personalized with the brand’s name and all of them are produced in the same theme. The materials used are sustainable, and this will help the brand promote itself as environmental-friendly, what some would consider a competitive advantage.
Overall, a solution like this will give your product a premium status and because of this, the price can also increase.
You would probably not be able to think of such a complex solution, with so many dimensions and complementary materials used. You could choose a factory, but most of the time, they only produce the stock product, without any personalization. This means your favorite choice would be a broker, that can find the best manufacturers to produce and personalize your solution.
Is a packaging broker good for both small and large cosmetic companies?
Yes, a broker seems to be the right choice for any business, regardless of its size.
For small businesses…
A broker is a lifesaver! When they have just started, they need partners that will stay with them for a longer time, as they evolve. They will probably not order that much in the beginning, but that could change.
This is why it is very important for them to work with suppliers that don’t require minimum order quantities. Fortunately, brokers are the only ones that can provide such a service.
For large companies…
Brokers are lifesavers as well! Large companies need to externalize as many processes as they can. This way, they can direct their resources to the development of improved products that retain actual clients. They can finally focus on the core of their business.
A broker will save them time and probably money. The investments big companies make in researching packaging solutions can themselves be more than what a broker could charge for the whole partnership. That happens because the broker already has the knowledge and the connections needed.
Concluding…
There are multiple factors to consider when choosing your packaging supplier. However, usually a broker could help you identify the best solution for your needs and will also find the best manufacturers to produce that solution.
You hopefully found out why packaging is so important for a business in this industry. It can make the difference between failure and success. The decision is yours, but don’t feel pressured! Everything can be changed if you are not happy with it. If you need a packaging broker, contact us for help.
