It’s not just a box!

Package Design: (more commonly referred to as Packaging) One of my favorite tools in the grab bag of marketing/advertising strategies.

Marketing tactics are changing; budgets are shifting more heavily towards the digital realm, but has this changed the need for great packaging?

Not at all.

All right, all good articles need a case study, and who better than one of the largest consumer packaged goods companies in the world, Proctor & Gamble, or as you probably know them P&G.

P&G refers to packaging as “the first moment of truth” and invest heavily in their on-the-shelf appearance. I strongly recommend reading this article http://adage.com/article?article_id=143211 if you in any way utilize retail shelf space to sell your goods/services. These guys know their stuff, just look at this list of products http://www.pg.com/en_US/brands/all_brands.shtml.

But you don’t need to read the article to get the point, just ask yourself one simple question. Have you ever made a purchase based on how a product looked on the shelf?

I bet you anything you have at least once if not many times.

“But I’m loyal to my brands” you say.

Sure you are.

But how did you first make the choice about the brand you wanted to support?

I have space reserved on my kitchen sink for only two products. Mrs. Meyers http://www.mrsmeyers.com/ and J.R. Watkins http://www.jrwatkins.com/.

How did I first come upon them?

Well, aside from the fact that I was looking for a more natural alternative in my cleaning products, and at the time they were pretty much the only “natural” brands stocked at the big box stores, it was the packaging.

It was only after I was lured in by the cool look of the packaging, and even after I displayed them front and center on my kitchen sink for all to see, that I discovered that I really loved how they worked.

I’m glad I gave them a try, but not too proud to admit that if they came in a not-so-attractive container I would have passed on them all together. Being green and chemically aware is great, but coordination is just as important in my house (as long as it’s still green).

Packaging on the shelf can also have very little to do with how it is displayed at home, matching your décor may not be all that important depending on the product and use. It also depends on whether the package design is part of the product, as in a label or container, or just the method of transport and delivery, as in a really cool box.

Either way, the same message holds true, packaging is “the first moment of truth”.

So you have a great package, and consumers are buying your product up like crazy!

You’re good right?

Not quite.

It is not unlike dating; It’s the laws of attraction 101: Just like you occasionally update your wardrobe, packaging needs to be refreshed.

Don’t get too comfortable with your current design, staying on top of trends is very important and remember, your competition is watching. They can’t wait to emulate or one-up you to try and regain lost business.

And another reason for frequent packaging updates:

Have you ever stared at a shelf for 20 minutes looking for that product you always buy at that store; you just know they have it, where is it?….oh, here it is.

How many other products did you just notice while you were looking for what you wanted?

Products disappear on shelves as consumers develop blinders when things become too familiar. This is why retail establishments leave space near the registers for a rotating grouping of merchandise. This ensures you have no chance of escape, no hope of developing those pesky blinders that keep you from noticing a new way to drop another dollar. This is also why you find yourself occasionally buying the latest Us Weekly…

So as you can see, it is a whole lot more than just a box, it is on the front line of communication with your potential customer. It does not need to be all things to all people, but it does need to be something special to a good deal of them.

Cheers,

Josh Fedie

The “Adholics”
Share