Wrapping machinery has several different roles to play in the manufacturing process; it often protects your products from the outside elements, it gives you somewhere to display regulatory and marketing information, and it can make relatively plain packaging look more appealing in general terms too.

According to retail analyst Nielsen, however, your choice of wrapping machinery could also constitute one of five key considerations in making a new product a success.

Nielsen list five stages in the development of ‘distinctive concepts’ in product design: benefit importing, breaking historic trade-offs, shifting the economic equation, reconfiguring the means of delivery, and leveraging brand platforms.

Briefly, the first three of these relate to creating products with clear benefits, products that overcome past compromises so shoppers do not face an ‘either or’ decision, and products that are economically viable for the target market.

The last of the five is about building on existing brands to break into competitive markets; but it is the fourth that is most pertinent where labelling machines are concerned.

Nielsen explain that “new forms or packaging to address unmet needs” are a significant technique in product innovation; examples might include single-serving beverages, for instance.

If your labelling machines are able to cope with new forms of packaging, you could find your next product has the advantage when it comes time to launch it to market

The demands placed upon wrapping machinery are both several and specific, with industry-focused rules governing the listing of ingredients and nutrition on foods, active ingredients on pharmaceuticals, and CE marking on a wide range of products.

Once you’ve complied with the mandatory requirements, you’ve got only a certain amount of space left to fill with your own branding and marketing messages – so what is the best way to put your wrapping machinery to work on this space?

Research from consumer market analyst Intellima offers some insight into nine buying habits handed down through the generations, from ‘girl power’ among female customers, to a desire for products that tell a story – and that allow us to tell our own tale too.

Other impacts on our buying decisions include: feeling good, both physically and mentally (listed as separate influences in the report); recognising and remembering our past; personalising our world; blurring boundaries; transparency from suppliers; and receiving rewards as quickly as possible.

By designing your packaging to highlight the ways in which your product meets these different desires, you could find you are able to present it in the best light to your customers – and boost sales as a result.