Global Trend: Three Uncommon Steps to Designing Packaging for Emerging Markets

Financial potential in developing countries is huge, but there are challenges to overcome. Doing your homework means going outside the box and into the field.

Financial potential in developing countries is huge, but there are challenges to overcome. Doing your homework means going outside the box and into the field.
Financial potential in developing countries is huge, but there are challenges to overcome. Doing your homework means going outside the box and into the field.

Despite costly R&D activities upfront, interest in entering emerging markets continues to be driven by the growth of populations and unmet pharmaceutical needs. There are, of course, additional complexities to consider including vastly differing economic and political conditions between countries, and (possibly frequent) variation within the countries themselves.

Paul Draper, Sector Manager at DCA Design International, explained at PharmaPack in Europe recently that while there may be hurdles that you don’t encounter in existing markets, the following steps—focusing on stakeholders and field research—could increase your chances of success around the globe.

1. Get a feel for the system and purchasers.

To ensure products are appropriately designed for your target markets, you have to understand the stakeholders, their influence, and the local system in order to produce stakeholder-informed design (as opposed to standard user-led design).

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