Your product’s packaging performs two key roles – grab attention and communicate value. A strong visual design helps your product stand out on a crowded shelf or in a digital marketplace. But equally important is comprehension: does your audience understand what you're offering within the first few seconds of looking at the pack?

These are two different yet connected challenges. Visual standout helps attract consumers, while comprehension ensures they know what they're getting. If either element falls short, you risk losing a sale before your product even has a chance.

Visual Clarity vs. Comprehension: Know the Difference

It’s easy to assume that a design that looks good will automatically perform well. But effective package testing reveals how consumers actually interpret the visual design. For example:

• Visual standout tests: Measure how much your packaging grabs attention compared to competitors or previous designs.
• Comprehension tests: Assess whether the product name, benefits, and usage are understood at a glance.

Let’s say you’re testing a new granola bar wrapper. A visual standout test might show that your design catches attention due to its bold colors – great! But a comprehension test might reveal consumers think it’s a protein bar, not a snack bar – not so great.

Why This Matters for Marketing and Product Teams

Clear packaging can directly affect trial and repeat purchases. Research shows that over 70% of consumer purchase decisions are made in-store or in-the-moment. If your packaging isn’t doing its job effectively, you may be unintentionally pushing buyers toward competitors.

Here are just a few reasons your team should consider packaging testing early and often:

• Validate pack changes: Make sure a design refresh doesn’t confuse loyal customers.
• Compare options: Decide between multiple packaging concepts before a full rollout.
• Launch smart: Introduce new products with clarity that boosts initial sales performance.

Finding the Balance with Expert Guidance

While DIY research tools make testing more accessible, it’s still easy to run tests that yield misleading or vague results. That’s where guidance from seasoned insights professionals comes in. Experts – like those within SIVO’s On Demand Talent network – can help you ask the right questions and structure your test to match your business goals.

By combining quick-turn testing tools with experienced support, your team can test packaging with confidence, reduce risk, and drive product success.

Toluna is a self-service market research platform that allows businesses to collect feedback directly from consumers. It’s especially well-suited for fast-turn packaging tests, making it easier for brands to compare design concepts and evaluate key performance factors like visual standout and comprehension.

What Makes Toluna a Good Fit for Packaging Testing?

One of Toluna’s biggest strengths is its ability to quickly access a diverse panel of respondents. In many cases, you can launch a study and receive results in a matter of days. This speed is critical when marketing timelines are tight.

Features that support packaging research include:

• Visual testing capabilities: Upload multiple packaging mockups and test for impact.
• Custom survey design: Ask open-ended or scaled questions that assess understanding, appeal, or fit.
• Real-time dashboards: Analyze data on the fly and easily share results with stakeholders.

For example, a startup beverage brand might use Toluna to test three can designs. Within a few days, they can see which one consumers notice most and whether they understand it’s a sparkling energy drink – not a soda or flavored water.

A Beginner-Friendly Tool – With Some Caveats

Toluna and similar DIY research tools are designed with usability in mind. Even small teams with limited experience can get a survey up and running. That said, ease of use sometimes leads to oversimplification. If packaging testing isn’t your area of expertise, you might encounter challenges like:

• Building questions that get meaningful responses
• Choosing the right audience filters
• Interpreting subtle design feedback from open-ends

That’s why many companies pair DIY platforms with expert researchers. SIVO’s On Demand Talent can help teams get the most from Toluna by guiding study design, fine-tuning samples, and translating results into business action. It’s not about replacing internal teams – it’s about expanding your capabilities when you need project-specific expertise or added capacity.

Combining Speed with Strategic Depth

Toluna offers a fast, cost-effective path to getting packaging feedback, but the real value comes when those insights are used to guide product decisions. With experienced professionals on hand, you can ensure your package comprehension tests are aligned to the right goals – whether you’re clarifying positioning, refining a brand refresh, or preparing for a retail reset.

In short, if you're learning how to run packaging testing with Toluna, know that it’s a flexible, capable platform. But to unlock its full impact, expert guidance can make all the difference.

Standout vs. Comprehension: What’s the Difference?

When testing product packaging, it's important to understand the distinction between two key goals: visual standout and pack comprehension. While both relate to how your packaging performs with consumers, each measures a different type of impact.

Pack standout refers to how easily your packaging catches a shopper’s eye on the shelf or online. It’s about visibility and attention – does it grab someone’s focus when placed among competitors?

Comprehension, on the other hand, measures how well consumers understand what the product is, how to use it, and what makes it different. Even if a pack stands out visually, it still needs to clearly communicate benefits and drive purchase decisions.

For example, a fictional sparkling water brand might use a bold neon label to stand out, but if shoppers can’t tell it’s a sugar-free option or don’t see that it's flavored, comprehension may fall short. That disconnect can hurt conversions even if visibility is high.

Why it Matters in Packaging Research

Understanding the difference between these areas allows you to design your testing accordingly. With DIY research tools like Toluna, you can create separate questions or modules for each:

• Visual standout tests often use eye-tracking technology or image grids asking “Which pack grabs your attention first?”
• Comprehension testing typically includes follow-up questions like “What is this product?” or “What benefits does this product offer?”

Running both types of tests in parallel helps ensure your packaging not only draws shoppers in but also communicates effectively at a glance. By separating these objectives, you can avoid false positives where something looks great but lacks clarity or vice versa.

When paired together, standout and comprehension offer a well-rounded picture of pack performance – essential for marketers focused on conversion, not just clicks.

Tips for Setting Up Effective Pack Tests Using Toluna

Toluna is a powerful DIY consumer research tool that allows teams to run quick-turn packaging tests without sacrificing insight quality. Whether you're exploring initial pack directions or refining final designs, here are some best practices for using Toluna for package comprehension and visual standout test studies.

1. Start with Clear Objectives

Before building your test, define what you need to learn. Are you comparing pack variants for attention-grabbing design? Measuring whether the product is understood by new customers? Toluna has templates that can guide setup, but strong objectives should always lead the way.

2. Design Tests That Simulate Real-World Context

For standout research, consider using shelf set simulations or image groups that mimic a digital store or retail shelf. This allows you to compare product packaging in a natural shopping context. For comprehension, present the pack on its own, and ask respondents to explain what they see.

3. Write Questions in Everyday Language

Keep your language simple and direct. Avoid insider terms – remember, most consumers won’t decode industry labels. Ask open-ended comprehension questions like:

• “What is this product?”
• “Who is it for?”
• “What makes it different?”

4. Use Toluna’s Data Tools to Quickly Analyze Results

The platform offers real-time dashboards and simple analytics for top-line data like which pack stands out most or has the clearest messaging. This enables marketing and design teams to make faster adjustments, staying ahead of timelines.

5. Test Iteratively, Not Perfectly

One of the advantages of DIY consumer research tools like Toluna is speed. Instead of waiting for final designs, test early concepts to guide development. Iterate, learn, refine – this agile approach often leads to stronger outcomes and avoids last-minute surprises.

Even small companies can benefit from this agile model. In a fictional reference example, a start-up skincare brand used repeated Toluna testing during their new line development – saving weeks of guesswork and avoiding a costly packaging misstep before launch.

Whether you're running tests solo or as part of a larger research strategy, these tips will help ensure your pack design testing stays targeted and effective on platforms like Toluna.

When to Bring in Experts Like On Demand Talent

Toluna and other DIY research tools make packaging testing more accessible than ever. But easy access to the tools doesn’t always guarantee high-quality results. That’s where relying on expert support – like SIVO’s On Demand Talent – becomes a powerful advantage.

Why Expertise Matters

Packaging research, especially tests focused on visual standout and package comprehension, involves many subtle variables. From crafting structured testing plans to interpreting nuanced consumer feedback, experience plays a big role in making sure results are valid and actionable.

For example:

• A Toluna test may show one concept “wins,” but an experienced consumer insights professional may spot over-claim wording or unclear benefits that could backfire at shelf.
• Comprehension metrics might look similar across options, but pattern analysis done by an expert could reveal one design leading to better category clarity or stronger purchase intent.

Insights like these often get missed in quick DIY tests unless guided by a skilled research eye.

How On Demand Talent Supports Success

On Demand Talent offers fast access to seasoned market research professionals who know how to maximize value from tools like Toluna. Whether you need short-term bandwidth or specific expertise, they help you:

• Clarify your research goals and align them to business priorities
• Design high-quality packaging tests with your chosen platform
• Spot bias or blind spots in your survey structure
• Interpret results with real-world marketing context
• Build internal team capabilities through collaboration and training

Unlike consultants or freelancers, On Demand Talent are embedded experts. They bring both strategic thinking and hands-on execution without requiring long-term hiring commitments or startup-level onboarding.

Ideal Times to Bring in On Demand Talent

Consider tapping SIVO’s On Demand Talent support when:

• You’re launching a high-stakes product where pack testing decisions will impact revenue
• You’ve invested in DIY consumer research tools but need guidance to use them effectively
• Your internal team lacks packaging research experience or bandwidth
• You want help building internal capabilities without over-relying on outside agencies

With flexible access to On Demand Talent, you can move faster, improve accuracy, and turn research into action – without sacrificing quality or overwhelming your team.