Greg Lawson, MD at Aura Global, shares his top 10 actions on how global retailers and brands can move packaging decisions upstream – turning complexity into clarity with trusted data, a connected system approach, and future-ready packaging strategies that scale across markets.
1. What does “upstream packaging decisions” actually mean in practical terms for brands?
It means shaping insight-based packaging choices earlier – at the point before direction is set and change is still fast and cost‑effective.
In practice, it’s about turning complexity into clarity upfront: aligning brand impact, sustainability ambition, evolving regulation, and operational reality before specifications, suppliers, and costs get locked in.
2. At what stage in a product’s lifecycle are the most critical packaging decisions made, and why are these often overlooked?
The most critical decisions happen at concept and early design – when the pack format, materials, claims, and data requirements are first defined.
They’re often overlooked or only considered in part because packaging is treated as a downstream execution task, so risk only emerges later when timelines tighten, costs rise, and compliance pressure forces compromises. At Aura Global, we exist to move that thinking upstream.
3. If a company is rethinking its packaging strategy, what are the first three questions it should ask internally?
I don’t believe there are only three. Initially you need to explore a packaging strategy, defined at the highest levels by your pillars or key drivers. These might include brand, efficiency, risk mitigation and sustainability.
Thereafter, you need to score those elements to understand if there needs to be compromise. You then build your own packaging equation, which is essentially all the considerations you need to make to enable the right specification for the entire value chain.
4. How should companies balance cost, sustainability, branding, and functionality when making early-stage packaging decisions?
Align your packaging strategy with your metrics. Total cost of ownership should always be the calculation, with the weighting aligned to your strategic packaging goals.
5. What typically gets lost as packaging moves from concept to prototype to full-scale production?
Businesses often develop the primary pack first and then wait until further down the line to evolve the secondary and tertiary solutions. At this point ‘the die is cast’, literally!
All packaging components need to be considered as one: how they interact and impact each other and their relationship with the value chain.
6. Where do you most often see misalignment between sustainability goals and final packaging outcomes?
Sustainability should be at the heart of every packaging decision. In some retailer environments, the internal process focuses on the commercial product and packaging unit cost in the first instance, as opposed to the total cost of goods and other impacts that aren’t so easily measured.
7. You’ve mentioned an “increasingly complex regulatory landscape.” What specifically does that include today?
It includes Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) frameworks, recyclability and recycled‑content requirements, materials restrictions, and a sharp rise in consumer scrutiny around on‑pack labeling and environmental claims.
The complexity is multiplied by regional variation and legislative change. So, the real challenge for global brands is staying compliant and working to mitigate these fees and enabling the right packaging choices.
8. Are the biggest regulatory pressures coming from recycling and waste legislation, or are other factors becoming just as important?
Recycling and waste legislation are still major pressure points, but data transparency and claims governance are becoming just as critical.
Brands are now exposed for not just what packaging is made of, but also where it comes from, when you consider the future requirement for digital product and packaging passports.
9. How should global brands prioritize and navigate different packaging regulations across regions?
Retailers and brands need a clear global framework, underpinned by 100% accurate data so they can move from reactive compliance to confident, future‑ready decision‑making.
Aura Global’s e‑halo is built for exactly that: our technology is the engine that gives brands visibility of packaging components, performance, regulatory exposure, and sustainability metrics across markets. It turns complexity into clarity while still enabling efficient execution.
10. If you had to give one piece of advice to companies trying to future-proof their packaging strategy right now, what would it be?
Move upstream – because that’s where you can still shape outcomes. Get clarity earlier, anchor decisions in trusted data, and treat packaging as a connected system that protects brand value and reduces risk. It’s not a production task to fix later.
The brands that win will accelerate progress by making the right calls before their complexity, cost, and compliance exposure are locked in.
To stop packaging guesswork and future‑proof at scale get in touch.
