This page covers one thing: retail pilots and keeping results readable. For the wider view, read lip packaging across Ohio.
Packaging as a variable under test
Columbus is used for retail pilots frequently enough that brands here often run packaging as part of a controlled test rather than simply producing it.
That imposes a discipline most packaging projects lack. If you change the pack halfway through a pilot, you cannot attribute the result. If two test stores get different case counts, you cannot compare them. If a reprint drifts in colour, the later units are not the same product.
The requirement is consistency for the duration of the test, which affects the specification more than it affects the design.
Specifying for a readable pilot
Six choices that keep test results attributable.
- Produce the entire pilot quantity in one run, so there is no batch-to-batch variation
- Specify <a href="/printing-options/">spot colour printing options</a> rather than process, so a mid-test reprint would still match
- Use one case count across every test store, so sell-through is comparable
- Retain the approved proof, so any question about drift can be settled against a reference
- Fix the structure before the pilot rather than optimising during it
- Record the specification alongside the results, since a later rollout has to reproduce it
The last one is routinely skipped, and it is why some successful pilots cannot be reproduced at scale: nobody wrote down what was actually tested.
If the packaging itself is the variable
Some pilots test the pack rather than the product: two carton designs, or a hanging pack against a shelf pack, to see which performs.
That is a legitimate use of a short run, and digital printing makes it affordable because there is no plate charge per design. Two artwork variants on one guide to packaging die lines cost very little more than one.
Testing two structures is more expensive, because each needs its own die. Where budget is limited, testing artwork on one structure usually yields a more readable result than testing two structures with confounded artwork. How the two relate is covered on our peg hook packs for lip balm.
Common Columbus queries
Should I produce a pilot quantity in one run?
Yes. Splitting it across runs introduces batch-to-batch variation in board shade and colour, which means later units are not quite the same product and the results become harder to attribute.
Why specify spot colour for a pilot?
So that if you need a mid-test reprint, it matches. Process colour drifts within tolerance between runs, which is enough to make the second batch visibly different from the first in a test where consistency is the point.
Can I test two carton designs?
Yes, and digital printing makes it affordable because there is no plate charge per design. Two artwork variants on one die line cost very little more than one, so the test is cheap to run.
Can I test two different structures?
You can, but each needs its own die, so it costs considerably more. With a limited budget, testing artwork on one structure usually gives a more readable result than testing two structures with confounded artwork.
Should case counts be the same across test stores?
Yes, otherwise sell-through is not comparable between them. Differing case counts change how often a store reorders and how much facing the product gets, both of which confound the result.
What should I record about the packaging?
The full specification: board grade and weight, print process, colours by name, finish and construction. Successful pilots sometimes cannot be reproduced at scale because nobody wrote down what was actually tested.
How does this differ from your Ohio page?
The Ohio page covers specifying a test run so it scales to a national rollout without new tooling. This page is about running the pilot itself as a measurement exercise, where consistency during the test is the priority.
Is stock held locally in Columbus?
No stock is held in Columbus or anywhere else. Packaging is made against a confirmed order, which is why sizes and finishes are open rather than fixed to a catalogue.
Lip Boxes has no address, warehouse, collection point or staff in Columbus. Packaging is manufactured to order and shipped to Columbus addresses through a nationwide carrier service, with delivery cost and lead time confirmed in writing on each quote.
