Packaging News You Can Use

Photo Courtesy of UrbanDecay.com   Does sex on packaging sell more products? You decide!

Image courtesy of TokyoMilk.

TokyoMilk soap wrapped in a hand-glittered Eiffel Tower paper. This picture doesn’t do this lovely packaging justice.

Tony Cenicola/The New York Times

Bottles are way too cute!! I would never throw these packages away when they were empty

Multi-dose compliance packaging, better known to most as blister packs, is one way pharmacists like Mary Byrne of St. John’s can help patients ensure they get the right medication in the right amount at the right time. – Photo by Gary Hebbard/The Telegram

“Olive’s biodegradable poop bags are made naturally from GMO-free corn starch and vegetable oil, are certified 100% biodegradable and compost in as little as 40 days. ”
I’ve seen a lot of doggie poo bags. I love this packaging.

Eco-Friendly packaging. Overprinting old newspapers to wrap fresh vegetables.

I have been reading some packaging reviews of some new products being introduced this spring and summer. I’m always intrigued by the interesting perspectives from different audiences.

Case in point when Tropicana introduced their new orange juice packaging the creative crowd raved about the packaging: saying it was sleek sophisticated, modern and very aesthetically pleasing.

On the other hand the consumer hated it, couldn’t find what the wanted and wanted the trademark orange and candy cane straw back on the package.

Which is the true packaging story? Turns out after spending $35 million (yes, 35) Tropicana went back to the original packaging the one the consumers loved.

Now Ritz and Oreo are introducing new product packaging @ Target. I’m seeing the same fracturing of opinions. The creative set thinks the package design is clean, simple and evocative. Consumers ask what’s the purpose of the “retro” look?  It looks too simple, unfinished and again confusing to the

consumer.

Personally I think it looks amateurish like a package missing the rest of the elements.

But time will tell whether consumer like this new packaging by buying the products. In the case of Tropicana package redesign sales fell almost20%

So what’s the moral of this packaging story? Just because it looks cool contemporary or in vogue with the latest packaging trends such as going “retro” it doesn’t mean consumers will like it and continue to buy the product.

Some forward thinking companies are incorporating the use of Twitter ID’s on their product. The story broke this week Pepsi has included a Twitter tag on the can of its newest line of bubbly drinks Pepsi Raw.

If you are not yet a Twitter aficionado, Twitter is the latest and fastest growing social media. Brands are capitalizing on its followers to create evangelists for their brands. Adding a Twitter tag line on product packaging is the method of connecting with their core customer for their opinions and suggestions. While Pepsi Raw is not yet available in the states other brands are considering this very option as the latest social marketing tool.

So how does this work and what is the purpose?
The Twitter ID on the product packaging allows consumers to send direct comments to the company in 140 characters or less what they think about the product.  At the same time CPG companies are tweeting too are offering free sample coupons and the latest information. Its a win-win for both parties.

Pepsi Raw: Twitter name printed on can
(Photo courtesy of Brand Republic)

The beauty is: Its immediate, its easy and its accessible and people love it! What’s better way to connect with your customers in “real” time that putting your Twitter ID on the product packaging?

Need to understand how incorporating Twitter on your product packaging can build your brand? I can help. I’m the number one packaging Twitter pro. Follow me @http://twitter.com/packagingdiva or visit http://packagingdiva.com

I love this Bread Times Stories where the name of the product is more powerful than the brand

Is it mayonnaise or marshmallows??

Love these packaging colors and the pictures.

The Spoonys Packaging and Trailer combo is the soup lovers’ solution to slurping on the go.

Using sex (slightly risque) and humor on product packaging to sell products.

I’ve been on Twitter for several months and have spent considerable time
delving into how it really works. I find the most common error is to get on
Twitter and just start tweeting with out a thought as to the ultimate purpose
and reason for being there.

As I studied Twitter, I realized that tweeting is really an intellectual exercise. It forces you to be clever, articulate, and sometimes funny within 140 characters. So in addition to thinking about what to post that someone would read I needed to learn how to post too.

Let me start first with the fact there are two types of people on Twitter those who tweet from a personal aspect and those who use Twitter for business purposes.

Like all social networking you have to find your own persona… Something that
you are comfortable with and that makes sense to you: that is your brand and your business. It’s not about emulating someone else, you want your tweets to be unique and represent you in the best light.

Successful twittering is also something that you have to commit the time to do.
The beauty of Twitter is its user friendliness, accessibility and  level of personalization.

I have found two basic types of “Twitterers”: There is the touchy-feely warm and personal kind that talks a lot about their personal lives, and there is the business professional that uses Twitter as a business tool to build their business and their brands and rarely gets into non business discussions. There is also the hybrid of both and that’s ok, as long as you stay focused on whom you want to be to your followers.

It’s OK to integrate personal info along with business advice.  I do a combination of the two. As you build your following you will build relationships and you have to be REAL to be believable and develop relationships. Just be wary of what is good to talk about on Twitter and what needs to be moved off the Twitter venue.

Get your profile set up before you begin Tweeting. People will go and check you out to see who and what you are all about. The more you can share the better. My twitter survey showed people preferred pictures of other people by more than 2-1 (said they liked to see who they were tweeting). But if you use an avatar that’s OK too. Its about the connection you make with your followers pic or avatar.

As a newbie, read and learn from other Twitterers. First and foremost give before you take. See how you can help other people with their issues and problems. Once you start giving, the return will come back to you. If you give really good advice people you don’t know will start to follow you too.

It’s OK to be a little self serving by posting information about your products, services and upcoming events. But nothing will turn your followers off faster than too continuously self promote yourself. Remember Twitter is about your followers and what you can do for them, not you personally.

The easiest way to showcase yourself is to respond to someone’s tweet with helpful information. Once you have established yourself as a resource, people will follow you because they know you have something interesting or useful to say.

Here are a few beginner tips to get you started:

1. Look up your keywords in the search feature. You will see who is tweeting about the same topic you are. You can also use some of the specialty Twitter tools, such as summize, to see what topics are hot that you might want to follow the thread.
2. When people follow you, see who they follow or who follows them. In turn you follow them too. If they are well established in their field then typically you will get a quality following of people you need to know.
3. When someone follows you thank them for following with a brief statement about you and what you do. Don’t sell!!  Here is what I use:   Always ready 2 talk packaging. Daily packaging tips include picks, insights, trends, technology, laughs plus RT of relevant packaging tweets
   If you will notice its exactly 140 characters (how to do this is a skill you will learn as you tweet).
4. It’s your choice to thank them publicly or privately. When I surveyed my followers they were split 50/50 on the issue. Personally, I like private so I can send each person a message. Do what’s comfortable for you.
5. When someone tweets something important or interesting retweet the information to your followers. As a case in point I retweeted someone’s information on sustainability to my followers they in turn retweeted something of mine. It was a win-win for both parties.
6. Lastly try to develop interesting dialogue with your followers. Be positive, engaging, complimentary and funny too (if that’s your style).

Twitter is one of the fastest, easiest and most fun social networking tools. You can quickly see a return if you work at it consistently and with an open mind.

Twitter is an incredibly powerful business tool. I’ve gained new business, a host of new associates, and even hired my VA…All of whom I have met on Twitter. Like all social networking tools not everyone will like you or your style. Get over it and move on to the next follower as you package yourself and your personal brand on Twitter.

Follow me on Twitter too as I share personal packaging lessons on how I built my global brand the “Packaging Diva. http://twitter.com/PackagingDiva