It doesn’t matter how your food tastes. It doesn’t matter whether your ingredients are vegan, or organic, or gluten-free. It doesn’t even really matter if you’re a start-up or a multi-billion pound industry. The first thing the consumer sees is your packaging, and so arguably, it’s one of the most crucial ingredients in your recipe to success.

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Why is Packaging so Important?

Wherever your products or sold, whether that’s online at Amazon or on the shelves of Wholefoods, retail platforms are a feast for the eyes. According to The Paper Worker, one-third of a consumer’s decision making is based solely on product packaging. Getting ahead of your competition as a start-up is therefore achieved first and foremost in your packaging design. Two products we love (and are part of our FMCG trends community) are Oatly, whose decision to include their climate footprint on the front of their milk carton is awesome, and allplants, who have such fun and modern colours that their company ethos jumps out to you straight away.

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“Work with the right branding agency!”

Top Tip from a Successful Start-Up — Alexi von Eldik, Founder of CRU8

“Having the food taste good is vital, but it’s not what will sell you on a shelf. Getting branding right is crucial, and working with the right branding agency is a huge huge part of that. I’m totally willing to say I made a mistake initially, and I chose an agency which was much more commercial. Whilst that would have been perfect for someone else, it didn’t work with the more bespoke, high-end look and feel of my products. You need someone who will understand the aesthetic you want.”

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Talking to Alexi, it’s clear that building a portfolio of packaging which mirrors her brand’s ethos is the driving force behind her success. Just looking at the packaging, the transparent sides are clear visual representations of the honesty with which CRU8 operates. The name, says Alexi, is also vital — “Cru is raw in French, and the 8 is an infinity sign, which is what the message of the food is all about; it’s infinite, it’s sustainable, it’s forever.”

Here at Forward Fooding, our Global FoodTech Network is a hive of other hard-working entrepreneurs who’ve used authenticity, promoted healthy living, and taken pride in sustainability, in order to become a successful entrepreneurial endeavour.

The community Forward Fooding has fostered, where collaboration between start-ups, investors, and corporations, are key, is ever-growing, with over 10,000+ Food and FoodTech innovators now all working together towards the common goal of a food revolution. If you’d like to be part of the community and join the conversation, find us here. Or pop us an email at info@forwardfooding.com

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This article has been written by Mathilde Redshaw