Packaging News You Can Use

Just because you have a great product doesn’t mean its going to sell. Or even if you have it in the right retail environment that it’s going to fly off the shelf. Your consumer is a moving target.

Packaging a product the right way entails much more than just creating a box to put your product in. Sure, you are going to get it there in one piece, we hope but gone are the days of the box acting as only a protective shipping container. The box today is the “retail” salesperson. The box or package is expected to provide the necessary information to make an informed shoppers’ decision. You have to get your customer to pick up your product first before they will buy it.

Here are 5 questions you must answer that will help you determine whether your product packaging will sell.

1. Who is your core consumer?

You have market trends, demographics and market niches that are continually evolving at any point in time. If you are not staying on top of these trends, then your product isn’t “connecting” to them with the right message. That core “message” or the mechanism to speak human is one of the most important attributes of your product packaging.

Your product packaging must connect with your core consumer on multiple levels. Before you can sell anything you need to understand who they are.

2. What is the competitive environment for your product packaging?

So start your analysis by viewing your package from the eyes of the consumer. If you are buying it, what’s going to compel you to pick it up off the shelf? Or is it just sitting there lost amongst rows of competitive products? Think in terms your package calling out to you I’m here “buy me, buy me.” Does your product do this? If not, your package isn’t doing its job by persuading a consumer to purchase your product.

3. How does your consumer shop?

Do you know your customers current buying trends? Several years ago, we went through the supersized phase. There are still a lot of supersized packages; however, buying trends are changing to smaller sizes in general. To package smaller does not mean less profit, in many cases it means more. Consumers are willing to pay a premium for convenience, ease of use and a smaller quantity. Remember the three premium baking potatoes in a package cost almost the price of a 5 lb bag. If you live with just one other person, do you really need 5 lbs of potatoes?

Your package has to marry with your consumers lifestyles. If you don’t know what that is then you can never develop the right product packaging that will appeal to them.

4. What is your packaging’s USP- Unique Selling Proposition

70% of purchasing decisions are made in the store. And the decision whether to pick up your package or not is made in 2.6 seconds. That’s a few seconds of retail sensory overload that is going to determine whether or not your product will sell. So, your package better have the RIGHT message geared towards the RIGHT audience.

Convey the information about what is inside and how it’s going to help the consumer solve a problem. That’s an important factor to remember. When someone looks at your product they are thinking, “What is this product going to do for me?” You know, WFFIM. That is the What’s in it for Me consumer?

If you don’t know the answer then your product will never connect with your core consumer.

5. What are the consumer hot buttons that your packaging must reflect?

In addition to environmental concerns consumers are concerned about labeling and product security. People are reading labels AND scrutinizing them.

What it says on that label will influence whether they buy your product or not. The point being is that any high profile package or product will be looked at thoroughly by consumers. What you tell them better be the right message and true.

Watchdog groups abound and they are on the lookout for your product to make a mistake. Whether they deem you are marketing to an inappropriate market (EX: Spykes marketing liquor to children) or that your packaging isn’t telling the whole truth (Ex: McDonald’s and all the other fast food companies and fat content), it’s sure to become newsworthy and in the worst case scenario could seriously impact your business.

What about product security and integrity? Given the rash of recent product recalls (for a variety of reasons) product security has become paramount. States could enact legislation or at the very least mandate that your product packaging has a tracking device. Now this is not the same as RFID; similar but not the same. The latest devices allow you to track products all the way back to the field it was grown in and it provides a track back for every step along the way.

Could a product recall put your business in jeopardy?

All these questions need to be answered and not just with the initial package design, its an ongoing process. As I mentioned at the beginning the consumer is a moving target and your package has to move along with them in the right direction. Be sure the consumer you are trying to capture continually receives the right message.

Keeping updated on the latest packaging issues and trends is easy. That’s what I do keep abreast of packaging trends technology and innovation so you don’t have too. Its all in my weekly newsletter Packaging News You Can Use. You may get a complimentary subscription to Packaging News You Can Use at PackagingDiva.com

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So what does Mom really want on her product packaging? What will entice her to pick your product off the shelf? What siren screams “buy me” as she walks down the isle? The answers are not what you might think. Women perceive products differently than their male counterparts. They have different expectations of products. Women say that they product manufactures don’t understand their wants and needs either. In fact 59% of women feel misunderstood by food marketers. This market segment accounts for 60-70 of all product packaging. So, how do you get this powerful consumer (MOM) to connect with your packaging?

First, see the product though the woman’s eyes not the designer’s or brand manager’s. In my recent research, product attributes such as the shape and color were important to people in the packaging industry but not so important to the average consumer. The mostly highly rated characteristics that both groups agreed upon were convenience, ease of storage, and female friendly elements such as the size of package and handles for carrying.

Second, consider how and where the product will be purchased. External factors can influence the purchasing decision as to how and where a woman shops. Recent studies show that women on average no longer make a big “stocking up trip” to the store. In fact they make numerous short trips to get the essentials for the moment. Today’s Moms are under tremendous time constraints and are willing to pay a premium for the privilege of more free time. Convenience is a big selling factor.

Consider lifestyle issues, ease of use, consumer friendly, time saving anything that makes a moms life easier. The more you can demonstrate in your product packaging these attributes the more you can capture her interest in your product. Any new time saving innovation, a solution to a problem, an unfulfilled need product are all prime candidates for moms.

Packaging a product for the mom consumer doesn’t mean it needs to be in pink packaging either (a color many marketers have decided is female-friendly). In some cases pink works in many others its completely off target. So consider pink where it make sense to the brand not just because you are marketing to mom.

Moms are influenced by other people too, friends, family, kids. So if you can make a packaging connection to the other people in her life you can capture her interest in satisfying her needs. Products that express healthy lifestyles, or balanced living, nutrition and well being are woefully underserved in the mom community.

Finally, it is imperative to get noticed. How can you grab her attention? Make packaging simple, easy to read, use and understand. Get rid of the gimmicks and the hype. More than 89% of survey respondents said they would not purchase a product because it was endorsed by a celebrity, and those that did were embarrassed to admit it. Cause marketing also scored low on the scale of importance in influencing a purchase as did their concern for the environment.

So listen to your Mom buyers the next time you design a new product, bond with them on an intrinsic level not through gimmicks or the current “in” celebrity. Make your product easy to read, use and time sensitive. By adhering to these fundamentals you will have garnered her attention.

For more “How To Packaging” articles visit Packaging University at http://packaginguniversity.com/

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Last week, I got a call from Japan News reporting here in the US.  They wanted to know what was happening regarding the use of the words “China Free” on product packaging and labeling. The plans were for a big expose of “contaminated” products coming out of China. I’m sure you have seen the news and are concerned about possible contaminates. But what about the consumers’ perspective? A negative ground swell of public opinion could dramatically influence your product sales if it’s coming out of China.

That’s a bad thing and it could happen to your product.

Consumers are taking an interest in product packaging, how much, how to dispose of it where it’s coming from and how much strain is it putting on the environment? It’s hard to anticipate the voice and power of the consumers. Once an issue becomes mainstream in the media it could be detrimental to your sales. The fact is that most consumers haven’t a clue as to the role packaging has to play in getting a product to the stores. All they know is the negative implications of “bad, bad” packaging.

Think about the holidays and all the spin over “wrap rage.” Reporters are still writing about it on a weekly basis. What if they pick your packaged product to rage about? Will you be prepared to face the onslaught?

Many times these packaging issues come out of the blue. Remember the aseptic ban on Juice Box packaging in Maine? It has since been repealed, but it came out of nowhere and was the result of consumer misinformation. Or what about the aerosol can ban in Chicago? I remember that one well as I had a client that manufactured spray paint at the time.

Bans can happen overnight taking the product manufacturers unaware with a serious impact on their business. Look at what is happening to plastic bags and the bans in various communities and the replacement of the T-shirt bag with reusable alternatives. I remember when the t-shirt bag was invented and the latest rage in the supermarkets, now its well on its way to becoming obsolete. Pity the plastic bag manufacturer.

Similar circumstances could happen to your product and its packaging. Another hotly contested issue is the use of plastic water bottles (by the way bottle water sales has outstripped that of soda.). This battle is far from over. In fact, I will be addressing some of the packaging alternatives in my upcoming presentation Sustainable Packaging “From Green to Great” before the Wal-Mart crowd in two weeks.

The point is that sometimes you can’t ascertain what issue will stir the consumer into a frenzy about your packaging. You can, however, understand the issues that consumers are concerned about. In recent cases, it is mainly the environment. It’s hot and getting hotter. So, it’s imperative that you give some thought to your product and how it’s currently packaged. Is it likely to be an issue of contention? For example, if you are providing a natural or organic product is your packaging “natural” too?  Sometimes there are no alternatives.

“Green” product packaging is in its infancy and there are some examples that aren’t really “green.” The bottom line is that it’s going to be all about the consumer perception and how well your “green” product packaging integrates with your brand. I have already learned of some examples where CPG companies thought they were solving the environmental issue only to be perceived by consumers as spouting “packaging greenwash.” You may think your packaging is “good” only to have it bashed by the consumer. It’s all in the eyes of the beholder. So in reality, bad things can happen to good packaging despite your best efforts.

Need to know whose got the latest concepts in packaging innovation? I know that’s what I do-track packaging trends and innovation and how it is going to impact your business. Get  connected with me JoAnn Hines Packaging Diva at my website http://packagingdiva.com or by phone 1-678-594 6872.

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Holidays are a great time to market new packaging innovations. Consumers look for that special something to celebrate the occasion and prowl the isles for that unique gift that means you are special to someone. Valentine’s Day is one of the best holidays because it’s emotionally connected to the heart; and the heart is at the crux of what connects product packaging to consumers. If your product packaging cannot “connect” to the consumer, then it will never make its way out of the door.

So what is the emotional connection that says to consumers “buy me or pick me up for a closer look”? Pulling at consumer heart strings can be accomplished in numerous ways. Remember those “E” words I often write about (evoke, engage, emotion). How can you capture that essence in your product packaging?
However you reach out to your consumer it needs to be something unique and beyond the ordinary. It could be a clever new design, shape or in the case of chocolate, trade on the packaging innovation of “chocolate smells packaging. I recently cam across some very unusual “packaged” Valentines:one was a lucite keepsake container and one was in deep purple. So much for pink and red.

By the way, did you know that vanilla is the number one fragrance that appeals to men? This may be attributed to remembering to all those homey smells, apple pie, and mom. So why not utilize a vanilla smelling package to appeal to that man in your target market? “Connecting” to the consumer (whether man or woman) is paramount in getting them to buy. I’m amazed at the success of vanilla soaps and shampoos. That translates that into opportunities for product packaging innovation.

In any case, your product needs to be more than just the typical Valentine’s Day product packaged in red or in some cases pink with a big bow and cellophane. (That is so passé.) I received a great package of chocolate from Noka Chocolate. Surprisingly, it was packaged in black. The packaging was a great concept too. Not only was it an elegant package but after the chocolate is gone, long before Valentine’s Day in my case, the box is designed to be saved and reused as a keepsake holder. Hitting emotionally on two fronts “saving the environment” (packaging trend for 08) because I’m not throwing it away and by giving me something to reuse in a “meaningful” way (not just as junk). It got my interest and a mention here as a company that put a lot of thought into their product packaging. (By the way, if you’re packaging diamonds, be sure and send some my way for a product review tee, hee)

However you evoke, engage or emote the consumer it’s important to look for ways to distinguish yourself from your competitor’s product. Can your product packaging piggy back off a cause that lends itself well to the heart? It just so happens that the American Heart Association, has made February Go Red for Women month. There are myriad’s of ways to make a “heart” connection with Valentine’s Day. Obviously “red” anything will work, but last year I wrote about companies that were missing the opportunity to capitalize on chocolate: Missing the health connection to buying chocolate not as an indulgence but as a necessary component to a healthy life. This year it seems that a few companies have taken notice in their product offerings. Healthy is “in.” Just look what is happening to trans-fats.

The important thing to take way from this article is how you can turn Valentine’s Day into a profitable opportunity to package your products. It’s a holiday when participants expect to get or give something special. As a result, consumers are ready and willing to spend money on that unique item that shows them or their loved one that they are a special person in the giver’s life. Accomplish that with your product packaging and you will have a winner — and a heartily profitable one too.

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Well, we are into the New Year and everyone is making resolutions on how to improve in 08.

In fact I just provided some easy packaging resolutions that you CAN keep. It’s time to seriously think about your product and it’s packaging too. Just like we do with our mental, emotional and physical aspects of our lives at this time of year, think about improving, updating or changing your product packaging. You want it to mesh with your consumer wants and needs.  Consumers are a moving target and what worked last year may not work in the years to come or something may have changed externally that might influence the consumer such as the move to green and environmentally friendly product packaging.

Here are 10 simple things you can do to ensure your product packaging is on target and delivers the right message to the right audience.

1)    Take an honest look at your product packaging. Is it working to your product’s best advantage? Are there changes that you have put off making due to lack of time or money? Implement a plan to review one product at a time or a family of products if they are interrelated. An important factor to consider when making any changes is the continuity of the brand. Don’t change for change’s sake. That only serves to alienate the customer. Keep in mind that old established brands need refreshing too.

2)    Give your product packaging to an outsider to review. Ask someone who knows nothing about your product and your packaging to evaluate it. Ask for an honest opinion of what they like or don’t like and ask what they think might be missing. Ask them to be objective and honest. Many times product developers get caught up in their own opinions and it’s good to get grounded with an outside consumer perspective. NOTE: Be objective about negative opinions. Delve in to the actual reason someone may not like your packaging. Best case scenario hire an expert one who understands packaging and branding intimately.

3)    Go to at least five different retail outlets and look for comparable or competitive products and assess their shelf appeal. Is there a particular characteristic that appeals to you? It could be color shape, innovative design. Determine if you think their packaging is better than yours. What stood out in your mind about that particular package? NOTE: You don’t want your product packaging to mimic the competition. INSIDERS TIP: Play dumb and ask another shopper to make a decision about which product they like best. Then ask them why they chose that package. Keep in mind you won’t satisfy everyone no matter what you do.

4)    Step back from your product on the shelf at least five feet. Does your product stand out among the competition or is it awash in a sea of sameness? Is it difficult to distinguish one product from another? Is there a USP (unique selling proposition) that makes your product more interesting or more consumer friendly? Note: Many private label brands trade on brand recognition from the branded product. If your packaging goes that route, make sure you are not copying or infringing on someone else’s design or trademarked product packaging. You can’t be too careful in this arena as the CPG companies are loosing share to private label products they will be watching for look alikes or copycat packaging.

5)    Walk the isles out side your product category. Look for crossover innovations that can be utilized in your existing product. Look for new ways of dispensing a product such as the stick gum that moved into a larger number of pieces and a convenient carry cup holder. An innovative packaging concept that changes what people buy is what you are trying to capture. Think of past innovations that have revolutionized the industry such as reclosable zippers or pre-washed ready to eat produce. Entire markets have been built around these innovations

6)    Review trends and predictions for your industry. Is your product packaging in line with where the industry is going? Is your market moving in a new direction or are outside influences driving what is happening to product packaging? A good example is the current movement toward “green” product packaging. Will this fit your product and where your business is moving? Are you so specialized or in such a small niche that you may be alienating many potential market opportunities?

7)    Read from cover to cover at least two industry publications. Pay special attention to marketing case studies or product makeovers. Look for new innovations or ideas that you can incorporate into your existing product packaging. Read the ads too. They always showcase the latest industry innovation. Several publications specialize in telling the story of how companies improved their product packaging. Take their lessons to heart.

8)    Subscribe to the industry blogs, e-zines and newsletters relevant to your product. Don’t subscribe . . . read them.  Pick one or two that you like or that provide pertinent information and discard the rest. There is such a thing as too much information that can either confuse you or make it impossible to make a decision because there is always a new and a better package out on the market. I’m always onthe lookout for good packaging blogs so if you uncover one be sure and drop me a line.

9)    Plan to attend at least one industry trade show or conference.  There are lots to choose from. If you are looking for packaging insights and innovation sustainability, please be sure to attend Best Practices  in  Sustainability - Top Trends, Tips and Takeaways from Thought leaders in green retailing

Tuesday, February 26, 2008, 6:30-9:30 am – Embassy Suites, Rogers, AR

I will be presenting Sustainable Packaging - From ‘Green’ to ‘Great’.

10)    Last but not least think about ways to improve your product packaging. Make it easier for the consumer to use, find, carry, store, open, consume or find important information about your product. Some of the simplest innovations can revolutionize an industry though innovative product packaging. Innovation drives the industry with new product offerings and a better way to package existing products.

Whether you can accomplish all ten tasks or just a few, the most important issue is that you decide to move forward one packaging step at a time. Let’s face it. Consumers are a fickle bunch. It doesn’t take much to turn them off. In fact, you only have 2.6 seconds to turn them on. That is how long you have to persuade them to buy your product and the only way to do that is through compelling packaging. Make some easy improvements this year to increase your sales. Remember, your package is your number one salesperson and once you have lost the opportunity you may never get it back.

Need to know whose got the latest concepts in packaging innovation? I know that’s what I do-track packaging trends and innovation and how it is going to impact your business. Get
connected with me JoAnn Hines Packaging Diva at my website http://packagingdiva.com or by phone 1-678-594 6872. 

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