It used to be you that if you had a great product you put it in a package and voila! . . .someone would come along and buy it. That is not the case any more. The package not only has to protect the product and allow for its tracking, it has to sell it too. Most importantly, the package has to capture someone's attention in less than three seconds.

Consider the last time you went shopping. Were there any new products that jumped at you off the shelves? With smart packaging there is an embedded chip that says "buy me" every time someone walks past your product. Seriously, that will happen in the future, but right now smart packaging is confined to a few interesting innovations.

What smart packaging innovations will impact you and your product? It depends not only upon your target demographic but where you plan to sell your product. Packaging 101 simply doesn't make the grade any more.

Ask yourself some important questions that will help you build your package brand.

Who is your buyer?
How old is your buyer?
Where does your buyer shop?
How often do they shop?
What features are they looking for in your product packaging?
What is the most important aspect of your product package that will appeal to the buyer?
Will my package have to persuade people to buy it?
Can your package be easily compromised, tampered with or counterfeited?

This should get you started thinking about who you are packaging your product for and their expectations. No matter who the ultimate customer is, the package has to "sell" them on buying your product. If you haven't taken the time to "think like a customer" your product won't be flying off the shelf. It will be dying on the shelf!