You know when you get a little mini pack of a new product free with a magazine or handed to you on the street? Have you ever thought about how difficult it was to manufacture that mini pack? No? Me neither! UNTIL NOW!
As part of our launch campaign for a new product, we want to do some sampling because we know we've got a great product and we want as many people as possible to try it. Sounds easy doesn't it? Problem is we can't easily manufacture a mini version of the product. We don't have a suitable machine in the factory where the product is being made to make a small pack.
Ok, I ask our Activity Manager - the middle man between Marketing and Supply Chain to see can we put a small number of the sweets into a bag instead of our ideal packaging. Apparently not! Can we do a blister pack? No way! So this Sampling campaign that I'm in charge of and forms the majority of my objectives for my current placement is not looking so good!
However, all is not lost, we are now in negotiations with a co-packer who think they'll be able to come up with a sampling format for us so the project might be back on track! It's been frustrating - especially from a consumer perspective as we take those cute mini sampling packs totally for granted but it's been eye opening at the same time to see all the supply and packaging constraints that are a reality of every day life when trying to launch a new product. I definitely have a better idea of how packing machines work now and will be able to see things from a different perspective in the future when coming up with new product and packaging ideas!
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