In Grooming Market Branding & Packaging Plays a Crucial RoleTo make sure your product is a hit you have to get the Branding and Packaging right.

We live in a world dominated by senses. What we see, hear, touch and smell is perceived to be a matter of fact. The Grooming segment operates within that domain. If it appeals to the senses, it's a hit and if not, it's a miss. To make sure your product is a hit you have to get the Branding and Packaging right.

The product and its performance are important - It always is. But what good is a product if it cannot attract its customer and eventually make the sale happen. You may get initial success based on the performance of your product, but let's face it, the grooming market is fiercely competitive and nothing is difficult to imitate in this era of perfect information. You will soon find yourself behind players who would've marketed their products better.

So to stay ahead of the curve, you have to get the branding and packaging right and here are just a few tips on how to get around it:

• Know your customer:

First and foremost, know your target audience. As far as packaging is concerned, you need to use materials and colours that attract your audience. For example, you can't sell a baby pink coloured bottle to a Guy! You also need to consider the packaging material too. Not just the container that holds the product but the boxes that holds the container. The unboxing of the product itself is an experience for the customer - so make it a memorable one.

• Differentiate and let it be known:

There are too many grooming products out there. You need to differentiate yourself. Whether it's the packaging, marketing or even the performance of the product. But don't just stop there. Let it be known to your audience. Every brand has a story and people want to know how its story is different from the rest. As a caveat, you need to know the industry standard too. In your quest to be innovative. Don't be so adventurous that you start defying the industry standards. I came across a new cold cream brand that used green bottles to give itself an organic touch as opposed to the standard blue and white jars used by the industry. Needless to say, it was a flop.

• Let the market decide:

We all have a view on a how the packaging and branding should be for our products and we only hope that the market will appreciate that view. However, the bottom line is that the customer is always right. Be proactive to get feedback on your packaging and be quick to implement it. No one gets it right the first time. The greatest of brands are built after making mistakes and learning from those mistakes.

• Labels are crucially important:

Labelling is another ball game. You just got to have that right. By that I mean you have to use the right fonts, the right colours and put in the right information that will make people pick your product up over others. Do give consideration to the quality of labels that you use. Eg, if your product is likely to come in contact with water, you should ensure that they are water proof.

What I've stated above is merely the tip of the iceberg. Grooming products deal with people which make it very complicated. As far as packaging and branding them is concerned, you have to be a student and keep learning from your customers and competition whilst making sure that what you've learnt is applied on a timely basis to stay ahead of the market.