Is It Time For A Facelift?: The Lost Art of Package Design
2002

by Jeff Hilton, Integrated Marketing Group

As the natural products industry continues to morph into the new millennium, and with economic and regulatory changes swirling around us, now is an opportune time to re-evaluate your face to the consumer. And by that I mean your product packaging.

Particularly now that consumer confidence is at an all-time low, product positioning, image and packaging design take on increased importance. You may have a well-researched product with substantial science and top quality, but if your packaging looks like “a dog’s breakfast,” chances are the consumer shopping at retail will never notice the science.

Unfortunately, too many natural product manufacturers rely exclusively on what’s inside the package. They go through the arduous process of research and development to create a truly unique new product. A scientifically researched formula. The highest quality ingredients. State-of-the-art manufacturing. Solid market positioning. Substantiated claims.

Then, when it comes time to package the product, they treat it as an afterthought. Throw it in a bottle. Make the name big. Use bright colors. A starburst with a claim in the corner. ”We need art by tomorrow afternoon. Get it on the shelf.” It may sound humorous, but it happens time and time again.

The result is often a box or bottle designed in the most confusing, forgettable way imaginable. So this great new product sits and gathers dust on the shelf at retail. And we blame the doubting consumer or the over-worked sales clerk, when we in fact set ourselves up for failure.

Confusing and forgettable are not what you want to be on the retail shelf. Yet so many good, high quality product packages are just that. Take a walk down the aisles of your local drug, health food store, or supermarket. Isn’t it amazing how similar the packaging looks? Granted, there are a few standouts, but it’s mostly a mass of brown, yellow, and green. Graphics that look like they came from the same cheap, clip art CD. Big, bold typefaces with room for little else. And design that screams, “My daughter’s boyfriend drew this at home.”

The retail store shelf is a war zone where competing products battle for attention, loyalty, and ultimately, the hard-earned income of the consumer. The shelf is the point-of-purchase. It’s where that “moment of truth” happens.

No matter how much you’ve spent on advertising, promotions, or education, often times all the consumer can do, standing in the aisle trying to make a decision, is look at your packaging. Ever wonder how you stack up?

Either she responds to it or she doesn’t. It attracts her eye, brings her in, and gets her to try…or it doesn’t. Sure, what’s on the inside counts. But her first impression is everything.

And that’s why packaging is so critical.

If I had a dollar for every time I hear a consumer in a focus group say they bought a particular product because, “I don’t know, I just like the packaging,” I’d be living in the South of France by now.

Despite our never-ending attempts to educate and cognitively persuade the consumer, ultimately, she’ll buy what she feels comfortable with. And she’s comfortable with what she’s attracted to. Often, love at first sight. That’s what it comes down to.

Luckily, your packaging has no genetic predisposition. How beautiful or hideous it looks is entirely up to you. You are in control. So consider these ideas for more dynamic and persuasive retail packaging:

Look For Signs of Aging

Maybe it’s vanity, but we sometimes overlook our own flaws as we mature. Don’t make that mistake with your packaging. Is your logo looking tired? Are the visual images on the box out of date? Is the food photography looking stale? Are you making the most aggressive claims legally possible? Do your color schemes bring back memories of lava lamps and tie-dye clothing? Is there a more convenient way to dispense or merchandise the product? Would your target market prefer an alternative dosage form? Maybe a J-hook peg hole or blister pack? Consider the possibilities.

Respect Your Customer

It’s a big temptation to play to the lowest common denominator. Supplement manufacturers have been doing it for years. But in so doing, they often offend their consumers. For example, the product name does not need to be set in a 36 point sans serif type face to register with most consumers. And every color doesn’t need to be on the brink of neon to attract attention. Try some white space for a change.

Your consumers are generally sophisticated people. They appreciate subtlety. So while everyone else is screaming, maybe you’ll be better heard by speaking in a calmer, lower-toned voice.

Don’t underestimate the intelligence of the person buying your product. They’re capable of understanding the product’s features without being spoken down to or having their hand held. Don’t be surprised by how smart and discerning today’s natural product shopper really is. Design for them.

Use Packaging To Extend Your Brand Personality

Your packaging doesn’t have to communicate everything if it is part of a larger integrated marketing plan. And unless it’s the size of a large detergent box, you probably can’t. The best you can hope for (and should) is to conjure up the brand images and messages of your advertising, promotion, and education campaigns. Ideally, your customer sees the packaging and he suddenly remembers the ad he saw in a magazine last week.

In other words, if you are a premium, high-end products company, your packaging needs to deliver a distinctive, above-parity personality that reflects the price. Use an amber glass bottle. Higher quality label stock. Embossed lettering. Be creative. After all, your customer is buying more than product; he’s buying image. That goes for other companies too. What’s your image? Scientific? Innovative? Traditional? Price leader? Make sure your packaging says it for you.

Be Bold

There is a time for subtlety, but don’t hesitate to make important and significant changes that will re-position your brand and allow you to compete more aggressively in the future. The consumer doesn’t see your packaging like you do. You change a curly cue on your logo and think the consumer will come unglued. Truth is, they will never notice. The consumer is not carefully watching to see what packaging changes you make. You will need to be bold to catch their eye and have an impact. Demand their attention. IMG recently executed significant and well-received brand and packaging re-positioning work for both Schiff and Tree of Life. As you can see from the before and after photos shown here, we took no prisoners. And it paid off.

These steps will get you started. Packaging can create a lasting first impression, and looks are no small issue. Packaging is also the last impression you make on a prospect before she makes her purchase decision. And it’s the only component of your marketing campaign that she’ll take home with her and hold in her hand every day.

It’s your face, but it can always be better looking. Don’t be afraid to imagine what might be, and then create it.