Launching and scaling a CPG brand has never been easy, and in today’s market, it can be downright daunting. Retail shelves are more competitive than ever, consumers are more selective, and the supply chain landscape is filled with both opportunities and pitfalls. For emerging brands and their contract manufacturing partners, success hinges on more than just a great product.

It requires a deliberate strategy across three critical areas: Designing the product and packaging, building it out, and then shipping it.

This was the focus of a presentation by Emily Page, CPG Growth Strategist and founder of Start to Sold and Pearl Resourcing, during ECRM’s Contract Manufacturing Session in Dallas. Drawing from her experience in packaging design, brand strategy, and retail execution, Emily broke down how smart packaging and supply chain decisions can reduce risk, protect margins, and fuel long-term growth.

Below, we’ll unpack the key lessons from my interview with Emily, in which we covered key takeaways from her presentation, what they mean for brand owners and contract manufacturers, and how you can apply them to your own business. You can find the full video interview below.

Why packaging and supply chain matter more than ever

According to Page, profitability isn’t just about selling more; it’s about ensuring the margin you think you’re earning actually makes it to your bottom line. She gives an example: At its simplest, profit is a function of these two equations:

• Price × Quantity sold = Revenue
• Revenue - Fixed Costs - (Variable Costs × Quantity) = Profit

Most brands focus heavily on revenue. But Page emphasizes that risk management is just as important as cost management. Hidden risks, such as damaged inventory, rebranding missteps, and single-source suppliers, can erode profitability quickly.

“At the end of the day, supply chain management fueling growth is about managing our risk, increasing the probability that we actually take home the profit we think we’re going to when we take our product to market,” she says.

For contract manufacturers, this means being more than a production partner. You’re part of the ecosystem that helps brands mitigate risk, optimize packaging, and prepare for disruptions.

Step 1: Design It - Packaging as a growth lever

Packaging isn’t just artwork. It’s the first (and often only) salesperson your product has on the retail shelf. A smart design strategy minimizes risk and maximizes sell-through. Here Page offers a few pieces of advice: 

Don’t rebrand in a vacuum. 

She points out Tropicana’s infamous packaging redesign as a cautionary tale. After spending over $35 million on new branding, marketing, and inventory, sales dropped 20% almost immediately. “This is an example of a mistake we need to avoid,” says Page. “Do not design or rebrand in a vacuum. Your executives may all be drinking the same Kool-Aid, but they’re not your true customer.”

Use Retailers as a focus group

Retail or foodservice buyers, particularly at ECRM Sessions, are a great resource to tap into in the design phase. “Buyers know their customers better than anyone,” she says. “If you can get their input on your packaging early, you’re mitigating risk before you ever hit the shelf.”

Design for shelf impact, not personal taste

We all love our own babies, but the market is the true validator of your product. Packaging should be judged by its ability to move units, not by how much the founder or design team loves it. “I don’t honestly care if you like the design, if it doesn’t sell,” says Page.

Step 2: Build It - Structural packaging as a differentiator

If design is about communication, structural packaging is about the user experience. The material, format, and usability of packaging can open doors to new sales opportunities, or close them shut. 

The Justin’s peanut butter story

Page cites Justin’s as a case-in-point. Before Justin’s entered the category, peanut butter looked the same: plastic tubs in primary colors, with “natural” options relegated to the bottom shelf in glass jars. Justin’s changed the game by introducing squeeze pouches.

“They changed the world by adding a new structure to peanut butter,” Emily says. “It suddenly fit in checkout lanes, in the bakery department, and even Starbucks offered them. A structural change created entirely new selling opportunities.”

Protecting products and margins

Structural packaging also reduces returns. “It helps protect you from risk,” Emily notes. “If you’ve got a fragile product, every return is money lost. Good structural packaging saves you from that.”

Page shares advice for brand owners and their manufacturers: 

• For brand owners: ask whether your packaging both attracts and protects
• For manufacturers: guide brands toward structural solutions that reduce breakage and expand merchandising possibilities.

Step 3: Ship It - Supply chain as risk management

Even the best packaging means nothing if your product can’t consistently reach shelves. Page stresses that supply chain strategy is about protecting margins through risk mitigation.

Diversify suppliers and manufacturers

Relying on one supplier is dangerous. Cocoa shortages, tariffs, or factory shutdowns can leave brands paralyzed. “You’re putting all your eggs in one basket, and that’s way too much risk,” she says. “When it comes to an ingredient in your product, your supplier’s weakest link is your weakest link, too.”

Build Strong Relationships

Risk management isn’t just about redundancy, it’s also about transparency. “Brands want forecasts from retailers, but they rarely share those forecasts with their suppliers,” Emily points out. “Your suppliers need that same visibility if you want them to protect you. Their risks are your risks.”

Plan for success, not just problems

A sudden viral moment can be as disruptive as a supply chain bottleneck. A customer post on social media that goes viral can spike demand for your product. This is a great problem to have – but only if you and your supply chain are prepared for it. 

“Don’t just plan for disaster; plan for success,” Emily says. “If your product blows up overnight and you can’t scale production, being out of stock can ruin you just as fast as a shortage.”

Actionable advice for emerging brands

Emily closed her session with a simplified roadmap for startups and emerging CPG brands:

• Design: “Start small. Test with real customers. Don’t let friends and family be the only validation.”
• Build: “Look at structure. A small change might be the wedge you need to earn shelf space.”
• Ship: “Have strategic conversations with your suppliers. Treat them like partners, not just vendors.”

Independent retailers and small regional chains are excellent testing grounds, she says. They allow for nimble experimentation without the high stakes of national distribution.

For contract manufacturers, Page offers the following recommendations.

• Position yourself as a risk-reduction partner: Your client’s success depends on your ability to help them manage risk, not just produce product.
• Offer structural innovation: Help brands create packaging formats that open new retail opportunities.
• Be transparent about your own risks: “The more honest you are about your supply chain, the more trust you build.”

The Bottom Line

Each stage of Design, Build and Ship carries opportunities and risks that can make or break a brand’s success. For brand owners, the challenge is to slow down enough to design strategically, innovate structurally, and plan supply chains for both disruption and growth. For contract manufacturers, the opportunity lies in being the partner who helps them to accomplish these goals.

“Because in the end, packaging may get you on the shelf,” says Page. “But only a resilient supply chain keeps you there.”

Watch the full video interview here!