Branding

It’s all in the delivery.

We are all very familiar with products utilising packaging from other sectors, but check out this rather fantastic example of a shower gel using the delivery mechanic from squirty cream!

It’s a great shortcut to communicate a soft, creamy indulgence and compete against other products that talk more about reinvigoration.

Borrowing these other delivery systems can be an expensive pack change, but if used cleverly can be a great way to add a unique point of difference in a category.

#BrandDesign, #PackagingDesign, #Packaging, #Innovation

Here’s a pretty incredible fact.

52% of consumers notice colour before anything else on packaging.

Colour is an incredible visual shortcut to instantly guide a consumer into your brand.

Some brands such as Tiffany below have a key signature colour they use for signposting. This is used consistently across all advertising, packaging and also for merchandise such as carrier bags, so even from a distance It’s signals where the shopper has just been!

Ask yourself this question, is your specific choice of colour unique, does that colour fully represent the brand story and tone of voice?

It’s not about completely revisiting, a brand colour, sometimes it’s just about identifying a more relevant hue of that colour to make it distinct and recognisable and more on brand.

#BrandDesign, #PackagingDesign, #Packaging, #Marketing

Talk in a voice, those that need to can understand.

Lots of products are opting to use refills in order to cut back on plastics.

Invariably, this means utilising container formats that aren’t normally an attributed to a particular sector.

Some brands have identified the need to take extra special care when utilising some of these unfamiliar formats, especially if they are from the food and drink sector.

Take fabric conditioners for instance that are using tetra-packs. This one from Morrisons, has employed the use of a bold graphic on the spout saying ‘Not for drinking’.

Now, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to work out, but those who are more likely to drink from this, kids, aren’t likely to be the ones that can understand the messaging in the first place !

Yes, brands have a responsibility to protect consumers, but they need to adopt more relevant methods. This solution seems a little bonkers if you ask me!

#BrandDesign, #PackagingDesign, #Packaging, #Marketing

You can’t move it, so why not incorporate it?

Building on from the Euro Hook post from yesterday, there are often structural packaging features that need to be there.

They can either get in the way of communication or you can look to a secondary use for them and incorporate them into the pack design.

Have a look at this fantastic, use of the ring pull for anchovies in the graphics.

If you are creative, it’s often possible to turn a negative into a positive!

#BrandDesign, #PackagingDesign, #Packaging, #Innovation

Always use every square inch of pack.

The backing card that incorporates the euro hook nanger, is often an area of dead space.

It can be tricky to put any communication in because of the ‘Euro Hook’ aperture, but check out this fantastic use of the backing card that incorporate the photo that pops out the top of the Polaroid camera.

With packaging, it’s important to utilise every square centimetre of available canvas. I don’t mean cram stuff into every gap, but be efficient and use the space wisely.

If a face is not big enough for adding a narrative or product benefits, always look for a secondary use that works with the product story.

#BrandDesign, #PackagingDesign, #Packaging, #Marketing

Firstly, happy New Year to you all, I hope you had a great break!

Right then, let’s get back to it.

As I’ve mentioned previously, the technology aisle in the supermarket is much in need of some love and attention. January is often a dry month for many wishing to turn their backs on the Christmas excesses, so a great opportunity for drinks tech to catch new consumers to looking for alcohol, free or soft drink alternatives.

I think that Soda Stream, a brand that’s been around since the 70s is missing a bit of a trick here in failing to talk more about the product experience on pack.

They’re obviously up against the big name carbonates so have some hefty competition on their hands, but unfortunately I don’t think they’re going to get far with this offering.

At first glance, it looks more like the outer packaging for a lava lamp or something to stick in the tropical fish tank?!

The pack provides a chance to focus on what you do well, your key benefit. In Soda Streams instance, I think this could be the whole ceremony of preparation.

One of the key points that differentiates it from the big carbonates is the fact you have to make it yourself, and when you look at the consumer trends of personalisation and tailoring products to suits specific needs, this seems an opportunity missed.

Is it time for them to ‘get busy with the fizzy’, again?

#BrandDesign, #PackagingDesign, #Packaging, #Marketing

So, this just appeared in my local store and it left me scratching my head, a little.

Celebrity ties on packaging are quite common place, but I couldn’t quite see the relevance of plonking Elton on Marmite here.

Granted he can be seen as a little ‘Marmite’, and yes, he is from Pinner, which is where the store is located, but I was struggling to make the link. This is hugely important for both the consumer and I suppose, the artist.

It was only when I went online and looked into this offering a little more, I discovered that it was to promote the Elton John AIDS foundation.

If a brand is going to champion a good cause, it’s so important to lead with that on the front of the pack.

Never be vague or the consumer may make up the story, and it may not be the right one!

#BrandDesign, #PackagingDesign, #Packaging, #Marketing

Ahhhhh, the party season is upon us and nothing says party like a ‘party keg’ of beer.

I stumbled across this image of generic-looking beer kegs from the 70s or early 80s. It made me realize just how far beer branding and marketing has come.

Back then, most beer brands lacked any unique identity. Squint your eyes and you likely couldn’t tell one brand from another. They failed to tell any story about why a drinker should choose their beer.

Today’s beer market couldn’t be more different.

It just goes to show that, especially for experience products like beer that rely a lot on gut-feel and emotion when making a purchase decision, having an intriguing story and dialed-in branding is vital. You need the full brand experience – standout design, compelling origin story, alignment to drinker lifestyles and values – to truly resonate with consumers browsing crowded store shelves or bar taps.

So as you stock up on beer for your upcoming celebrations, take a moment to appreciate just how far marketing innovation has come since the days of the plain silver kegs!

#BrandDesign, #PackagingDesign, #Packaging, #CraftBeer

New research reveals that how plant-based and vegan packaging are labeled significantly impacts whether omnivores choose them.

The study asked over 7,000 people to pick either a vegan or meat/dairy food basket. The catch? The vegan basket was randomly labeled as “vegan,” “plant-based,” “healthy,” “sustainable,” or “healthy and sustainable.”

The results showed people were far more likely to opt for the non-meat basket when it emphasized positive attributes like health and sustainability rather than its vegan status.

Just 20% selected it when labeled “vegan,” but 42-44% chose it for eco-conscious and wellness-focused descriptions. Even “plant-based” outperformed “vegan.” Simply avoiding the term “vegan” also helps

Meat-eaters displayed particular bias against the v-word. However, framing the same foods as personally or environmentally beneficial overrides this instinct.

This indicates that leading with health and green merits over moral arguments, and relating plant-based lifestyles to self-care and resource stewardship, can make them more appealing to omnivores.

#BrandDesign, #PackagingDesign, #Packaging, #Plantbased

Why do plant-based, meat substitute products take their naming strategy directly from meat?

It seems to be selling the product in on something that it clearly isn’t and that it would prefer to be a bus ride away from.

I appreciate that they need to signal what they are replacing, however, I wonder whether this sector could benefit from creating a more own-able, non-meat related language to describe the formats?

Have a look at this example from Paxo, where the descriptor leads on ‘Meatballs’ on a ‘meat-free’ product.

Maybe this is only temporary and utilised to get consumers used to these new formats.

That said, it could also be the perfect time to create a whole new sector language to entice consumers. Something a little more ownable and attributable directly to the meat free space?

The brand that does this would be the pioneer and pathfinder in the space.

Consumers make snap decisions when decoding a pack so always make sure that what they decode helps position the brand in front of the competition.

Own that sector.

#BrandDesign, #PackagingDesign, #Packaging, #Plantbased