Across the industry, beauty and fragrance brands are working hard to meet rising expectations around sustainability, design, and usability. Yet despite significant investment and good intentions, many launches still disappoint. Look closely at underperforming packs and the same problems appear again and again: designs consumers don’t like, formats that frustrate, or sustainability claims that simply don’t stack up.

The core issue is that too often packaging fails because it doesn’t deliver the things consumers actually want. It delivers what brands think they want. 

A great example of this is design changes. A team might introduce a new opening mechanism to give a product a “premium feel,” only to discover that real users find it stiff, messy, or impossible to open. In trying to add sophistication, they have inadvertently downgraded the experience and possibly alienated the consumer. 

New Isn’t Always Better

This belief that new must be better is something we often see. But novelty isn’t innovation. A fresh design or an unusual material won’t win if it doesn’t solve a real need, desire, or problem.

When budgets are being scrutinized, brands need to rely on evidence, not instinct. Guesswork around preferred colours, ergonomic needs, or usage behaviors almost always lead to failure. The brands that get packaging right are those that rely on evidence: behavioral insight, real-world testing, and early validation. 

Sustainability is another area where brands stumble. Consumer demand for more responsible packaging is genuine and growing. Brands that fail to respond to this in their packaging innovation risk losing relevance. But good intentions alone don’t cut it.  Consumers recognize “sustainability theatre”— packs that look green, speak green, but have little meaningful impact. Innovations must ensure that they are “the real deal.” That they deliver actual environmental benefit, hold up in real-world conditions, and work within the reuse/recycle systems consumers actually use.

Key Factors

And, while sustainability is a key factor, studies show convenience, hygiene, portability, and aesthetics are still the main priority. No one will tolerate a leaky refill pouch or a compostable pack that tears, no matter how eco-friendly it may be. Sustainability only succeeds in packaging when it enhances the experience, not compromises it.

Commercial viability is another aspect that can often mean the difference between failure and success in packaging innovation. Brilliant concepts can fail because tooling costs escalate, materials become unavailable or the design slows production and doesn’t stack, ship, or merchandise efficiently. Innovation must balance aspiration with operational reality.

So, what does smarter, insight-led packaging innovation look like? 

It starts with identifying genuine unmet needs rather than imagined ones. Testing prototypes with real users, stress-testing sustainability claims, and building commercial modelling early in the process. Predictably successful innovation results only from the implementation of a well-thought-through, systematic process that leaves nothing to chance or guesswork 

When brands combine the right insight with commercial reality and sustainability principles, they create packaging that wins. 

About the Author

Guy White is an innovation expert and CEO of Catalyx, working with major industry players including P&G, Galderma, Haleon, Perrigo, & iNova.

Photo: Adobe Stock/ BONI (Generated With AI)