That is, your package design does. If
that sounds melodramatic, think again. It’s true. Consumer product
packaging exists in fast-changing retail channels loaded with competitive
products and increasingly skittish shoppers, to boot.
When customers make purchase decisions, they’re spending anywhere from 10 to 20 seconds—that according to repeated surveys and research conducted by consumer behavior experts. Okay, so maybe in our currently contracting economy, they’re investing a couple seconds more to further assess their options. But ask yourself: is it any wonder so many products are getting lost and dying on retail shelves?
So what is a package design consultant
to do? I could tell you how important it is for us to collaborate closely
with our clients, working to understand their industries and their categories;
their business goals and brand strategies. All true. I could tell you
how important it is to assess and leverage their brand assets in context
of consumer brand perception. True. I could point out that a competitive
survey of products within each category is crucial. Especially now.
I might also point out that understanding how our evolving culture intersects the brand is crucial. Which demographic segments are loyal to the brand? What are these consumers’ attitudes and values now and how can brand packaging legitimately--without straying from its core--evolve with changing cultural values to remain fresh and relevant?
Studies show that consumers ignore up
to 2/3 of category products when they shop. That kind of statistic points
to just how difficult it is to successfully package a new product or
new line. It clearly demonstrates why so many products fail at retail.
No matter how compelling consumer product marketing can be, the actual
sale is made at the retail shelf. Packaging is the tangible representation
of brand and product and if it fails to make an impression, it signifies
numerous lost sales.
Here’s the thing. We all know that for every packaging challenge, several viable solutions might present themselves. So how do we hone in on the one great solution, rather than a couple of good ones? How do we prove our value to manufacturers who are slashing budgets; who are loath to invest in “expensive” new product packaging? Or putting off revitalized packaging for products whose sales are beginning to go into decline?
The first thing we need to do—gulp—is realize that great packaging is about selling first. Communication and persuasion is job #1. Not aesthetics. Package designers ooh and ahh over beautiful packaging, but remember: beauty is in the eye of the beholder. It’s subjective and each consumer responds differently to aesthetics.
When scanning countless packaging publications, many aesthetically pleasing examples appear from around the globe. As designers, we all respond to beautifully executed package design.
However, beauty in and of itself doesn’t
sell. Communication does. However, it has to be the right kind of communication.
It has to be grounded in an effectively conceived and managed brand
strategy. We package design consultants need to understand this point
ourselves, and then express to our clients that we “get it”.
The first package communication: the
brand identity. Consumers have to be able to scan the shelf and immediately
recognize “the brand”. That recognition should reinforce positive
consumer perception of that brand. It should elicit an emotional response.
“I know and like this brand; my associations and experiences with
it have been pleasant—even enjoyable.” Or: “I’ve heard good
things about this brand; now that I see it, maybe I should buy it.”
When consumers approach the retail shelf, even brand loyalists are increasingly assessing which product to buy, seeking the optimal value for their money in a tough economy. They need compelling reasons to choose one brand over the rest, especially when they’re spending fewer dollars. And unless they’re die-hard loyalists for a particular brand, not needing to assess, the product has a few seconds to live—or die—that’s how important it is to get the messaging right.
Knowing that two or three brands might dominate consumer consciousness in each category, it’s vitally important to make sure one simple, overriding message resonates on the packaging. Next, it’s important to develop key product communication points that are direct and simple to assimilate. Since less is more when it comes to front panel copy, it’s crucial to make certain to uncover the core messaging the consumer immediately responds to. In short: it should elicit a balanced response. One that resonates on an intellectual and emotional level.
Is that to say we shouldn’t strive for differentiated, aesthetically-pleasing packaging? No. Obviously, developing package solutions for our clients that give them an ownable, unique package structure, color, or a strong graphic cue are powerful strategies. Adopting a simple design when every other category player’s packaging is overly busy is another.
A well-planned package design system is a “must” as well. Otherwise, brands can end up with a bunch of one-off package designs that lead to a lack of brand cohesiveness. That makes branded product lines harder to shop; the last thing consumer product companies want or need, especially in our challenging economy and competitive shopping environments.
All of these strategies lead to something essential: visibility. Anything that leads to consumer visibility of the product necessarily means increased brand recognition. Great packaging does that. It refers back to the brand in convincing fashion; making the differences between it and its competitors plain for all the world to see. In a scant few seconds.
Examples? Method cleaning products—how’s
this for breaking the structural mold in a crowded category? Garnier
Fructis hair care—how effective is that lime green packaging when
color blocked at retail? The “K” on Kellogg’s Special K products—how
effective a brand identifier is that on a simple white package? How
well has that been used to extend the brand into new product categories
besides cereal?
When immediate attraction and recognition are assured, product segmentation becomes the next crucial element in packaging. That is, employing devices on packaging to help consumers to quickly and easily find their favorite variety or the choice that best fits their needs within the product family. Orchestrating the right kind of sub-communications and perhaps additional color coding on packaging, makes it easy to distinguish product choices under the brand umbrella. These devices make the product line easier, quicker and more convenient to “shop”; conveying value to consumers; making purchase far more likely.
Everything we’ve discussed so far leads
to that “first moment of truth” when the consumer “votes” on
the brand by purchasing it. Engaging with packaging always leads to
a “second moment of truth”. Adding convenience features, easy handling
or storage properties go a long way in this regard. Or adding an element
of surprise or enjoyment helps packaging deliver the product and brand
in a memorable way to consumers. When product and package come together
to deliver on the brand promise, magic happens. The consumer either
affirms a brand if a first-time user, or reaffirms it in their minds
because it continues to deliver a positive or enjoyable experience.
Conversely, if packaging is overly challenging to open or doesn’t function properly, the ensuing “wrap rage” will lead to consumer displeasure. No matter how desirable a brand may be, if the packaging is a negative in the consumers’ interaction with it, it will diminish brand value in their minds.
Convenient, reusable packaging is available all over the marketplace. Re-sealable Chips Ahoy cookie packages that prevent staleness, Sargento’s zip-top shredded cheese packaging, re-sealable, reusable Domino sugar canisters vs boxes deliver convenience as well as making the products easier to store; just a few examples that come to mind.
When it comes to delivering surprise, anticipation or enjoyment via its packaging, few companies deliver better than Apple. Taking your new iPod or iPhone out of its packaging is akin to unwrapping a birthday gift. It’s actually fun to remove the layers of packaging and to reach the prize within.
At the end of the day, packaging has to be about substance, not just style, if it is going to be effective. As designers, our focus has to be on balancing our desire to create beautiful packaging with the need to deliver saleable packaging for our clients.
Beautiful packaging that doesn’t refer back to the brand identity, that doesn’t quickly and simply communicate its value and preferability to consumers; that doesn’t definitively leverage the brand and product’s key assets, fails to win the consumer’s vote.
Ultimately, packaging has to be judged
on how it affects consumer purchasing behavior. If packaging isn’t
a huge asset in selling product and cementing brand loyalty on the retail
shelf, it simply isn’t effective, no matter how pretty it is.
Ted Mininni is president of Design Force,
Inc., the leading brand design consultancy to consumer product companies
with Enjoyment Brands™. Design Force helps their clients market
brands that deliver positive, gratifying experiences to consumers. Their
expertise lies in emotionally connecting consumers to brands by creating
compelling visual brand experiences, which motivate purchase decisions.
