Branding

Remember to establish a clear pack architecture.

Establishing a robust yet flexible architecture is incredibly important for any brands looking to extend their portfolio.

Done correctly, it helps consumers navigate the range in an efficient way.

Do it incorrectly, as per the example from Capri-Sun below, and it causes no end of confusion.

Low sugar options are normally signposted with a blue or white on the pack. Here, Capri-Sun have kept the same colour ways as the full sugar version and allocated the whole top part of the pack to communicate ‘zero’, overpowering the brand logo, somewhat.

Interestingly, the banner that normally denotes flavour on the full sugar version is then allocated as the low sugar flag. This confusion can lead to people picking up the incorrect version.

Any brand that doesn’t get their communication clear, can risk creating a subconscious distrust from the consumer.

#BrandDesign, #PackagingDesign, #Packaging, #Marketing

Lets get this straight. Plastic is not evil.

I wanted to expand on a comment I made on a post last week.

I’m a firm believer in the right piece of packaging for the right product. There seems to be an outcry against the use of plastic across-the-board at the moment. In many instances, plastic is the best solution. For instance, for fresh meats.

There is a huge amount of confusion in the industry which tends to mislead consumers with regards what packaging substrate is the ’better’ choice for that particular product.

Whist some brands openly state that they have removed plastic and replaced it with XY or Z, dig around and you will still find out that it still relies on plastic in some form.

You may have seen the glass spirit and wine bottles replaced for ‘paper bottles’. The truth is they aren’t just paper, they are lined with plastic barrier.

This hiding of substrates and showcasing ‘better’ green credentials, seems to be popping up all over the place.

Plastic is widely and easily recyclable. In some instances it IS the best solution. So rather than damning it, we should be looking to cut back on overpacking and mixing substrates together which in some instances renders them un-recyclable.

Maybe in fact we should be looking into a better recycling infrastructure altogether

#BrandDesign, #PackagingDesign, #Packaging, #Sustainability

Wake up the fixture!

Sign posting your product through the choice of structure is a great way to showcase your point of difference and cue authenticity.

Check out this great little example from those global purveyors brown powder, Starbucks.

The product is a ready to drink milkshake which cleverly utilises their take-home coffee cup structure in order to force differentiation from the white PET bottles all to common in this sector.

The pack features a transparent lid and hole to pop a straw through, to add that additional bit of ceremony.

Overpacking? Possibly so, but a great bit of theatre!

#BrandDesign, #PackagingDesign, #Packaging, #Marketing

Always fulfil your promise.

So, Christmas is now just a distant memory. The tree is packed away but the carpets and sofa is still full of glitter – where does that stuff come from!?

Last night, I finished off the last of the Quality Street. This year, they’ve made a big move to take all of the individual wraps from plastic and foil into paper.

The one common comment in our household was that this move has resulted in a much less exciting experience. The anticipation created by the the ‘creek’ when unwrapping the plastic wraps has been replaced with a fairly lacklustre silence.

With the move to paper, some of that excitement and vibrancy of colour could have been maintained through a better design on the individual wraps themselves. If you are going to remove something, it makes sense to add something back in to replace what has been lost.

The outer pack for me is also an issue. Whilst the design of the bag is the same, doesn’t a plastic bag then send mixed messages to the consumer. The print quality shows a big move away from the quality, promised by the brand. The print lacks depth, vibrancy and detail incredibly important if you are trying to convey ‘Quality’.

Whilst there is a understandable role for being more sustainable, the changing materials needs to be taken into consideration, so it’s not compromise the overall perception of the product. If the wrappers lose their shimmer, make up for this in the design of the paper replacements.

#BrandDesign, #PackagingDesign, #Packaging, #Sustainability

Don’t forget the fundamentals.

Most categories have a series of expected visual aids and shortcuts that are necessary in order to convey the product goal.

In the toothpaste category, above and beyond anything else are ‘efficacy’, and ‘cleaning credentials’.

This is especially true when you are also trying to command a more natural proposition at a very premium price point.

Take this example from Hello. Many of the required cleaning credentials have been sacrificed in order to push a more natural product.

Whilst this may be a differentiating factor consumers look to the main product benefit. Will it work? Will it whiten? Will it freshen my breath?

Forget these important necessary cues at your cost, because if you do, you’ll find the consumer may forget you too.

#BrandDesign, #PackagingDesign, #Packaging, #Marketing

Single ingredient products such as spices, are classically a challenge to brand and differentiate as they rely on one ingredient that is often, much the same as the next.

Unless there is something unique regards the provenance, blend or production, how do you pull one offering apart from another?

I’ve posted previously about how Nandos have gone about doing this, but check out this cool example of a spice rub in a printed tin.

Signature illustrations transport the consumer and cue the product experience.

If you can’t differentiate the ingredient, then own the ceremony, process of preparation or unique combinations.

#BrandDesign, #PackagingDesign, #Packaging, #Marketing

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