FUNCTIONALITY EMOTION IMAGE INFORMATION

198 PACKAGING: 3 PRINCIPLES FOR DESIGNING A PACKAGE

1. FUNCTIONALITY

Increase functionality of the package to make using the product easier, more friendly and safe; with packaging you can significantly enhance the product

3. EMOTION IMAGE

Make packaging attractive and give it an emotional appeal e.g., by using a beautiful or symbolic logo; a nice package sells, especially if all other things are equal IN-STORE PROMO 10 Include valuable and ‘salable’ information on the package e.g, factual information, benefits; often a small sticker can tilt shoppers’ decisions

2. INFORMATION

Directions nutrition facts Assurance of natural origin Assurance of less processing 199 Above are three principles to keep in mind when designing packaging. Not all three are relevant in all situations. But, definitely consider all three of them before you proceed. Look at the center box above. Think of how many types of meat a supermarket shopper can choose from. What makes up hisher mind? How about a label and reminder that this beef comes from cows that are grass fed? This is ‘grass fed beef’ Although for some, it is totally meaningless and for another is worth a laugh, it will surely make up many customers’ minds who prefer to eat organic, 100 percent natural food. One note on logos ―the packaging process often may include the need to design a logo. Most of us cannot draw a logo, and often cannot even think of one. Here is some advice on how to create a logo when you do not have the needed artistic talent. First, come up with what the logo should represent. Just like with the slogan in the Positioning section, your slogan should represent what your product stands for and vice versa. What do you want the logo to embody? Second, find a friend who can draw, especially on a computer. Third, give the ‘creative friend’ guidance in terms of what the logo should represent. Maybe you can even give himher some more specific ideas. Heshe will probably draw a few versions that you can jointly refine. Why do you think the Nestle logo has a ‘mom-bird’ in a nest? Because Nestle tries to position itself as a caring company for caring homemakers who want to provide the best and healthiest foods for their family. – 2.3 PROMOTION: In-store Promotions – Next, we will start with some packaging practicalities, i.e., off-the-shelve packaging vendors. 200 PACKAGING: RESOURCES FOR CREATIVE, INEXPENSIVE AND OFF-THE SHELF PACKAGING IN-STORE PROMO 10 Many packaging vendors have a variety of ready-to-use and inexpensive packaging solutions suitable for natural products examples of catalogues of two vendors: www.papermart.com www.packageplusconverting.com 201 Many packaging vendors have a variety of ready-to-use and inexpensive packaging solutions suitable for natural products. These vendors are very approachable and responsive as they constantly look for new business. Just call them up or write an email and within a few days you will have a package with free samples at your door. If you do a search on the Internet, you will see more packaging options than you will need. Also, if you are thinking about larger quantities, these vendors can customize the packaging to your liking. Using these resources can make packaging very inexpensive, allowing you to move your product into another, higher-selling category without a high investment. – 2.3 PROMOTION: In-store Promotions – The next page gives an example of how to turn a natural product into a premium product through the use of smart packaging. 202 PACKAGING EXAMPLES: CINNAMON TEA – GOING FROM NONE TO BETTER TO FANCY PACKAGING IN-STORE PROMO 10 None: Uses only a plastic bag for the packaging ― cannot demand a decent price Basic: simple, plain bag with simple but nice label; often used for teas Nice: small, sealed, foil packaging enabling sales of smaller quantities Fancy: premium tin packaging for gift-giving; it truly has premium product potential 203 The product in the illustrations above is cinnamon bark tea. While it is the same product at its core, it is perceived very differently in the eyes of customers, depending on how it is packaged. Initially, these bark scrapings were simply put into plastic bags in relatively large quantities and sold mainly to local people on a Micronesian island for a relatively low price relative to the quantity and uniqueness of this product. Putting the scrapings into fancier packaging, some of which can be ordered from one of the catalogues discussed previously, resulted in many benefits ―including being able to charge higher prices, even for smaller quantities, and being able to target different, wealthier customer segments tourists. – 2.3 PROMOTION: In-store Promotions – Consider your product. How can you transform it into something more valuable to customers through packaging? What are the options? 204 PACKAGING EXAMPLES: NATURAL SEA SPONGE – GOING FROM NONE TO BETTER TO FANCY PACKAGING IN-STORE PROMO 10 No packaging at all, just the sponge Thematic and emotional label newborn babies are massaged with a sponge Ordering a simple mesh bag from a catalogue and creating a label with a logo enables nice gift packaging Final gift packaging using the below material 205 The sponge example is similar to the tea example from the previous page. Fancy natural sea sponges can sell for over 15, but certainly not as packaged or rather unpackaged as on the picture on the top left. You need packaging to make the product sellable to the wealthier customer segment that is willing to pay 15. Moreover, in this case, putting sponges in nice mesh bags further elevates the product ―making it a perfect candidate for a nice personal gift. One more important note. It is okay to have more than one variety of packaging. It will allow you to serve different customer segments remember the product line discussion in the ‘Developing Positioning’ section. For example, the sponge in the bottom left can be targeting newborn infants and their families, while the sponge in the top right can be targeting gift-shoppers. – 2.3 PROMOTION: In-store Promotions – One more ‘transformational’ example. How would you improve packaging of black pearls, if you did not have money to turn them into fancy jewelry? 206 PACKAGING EXAMPLES: BLACK PEARL – GOING FROM NONE TO BETTER TO FANCY PACKAGING IN-STORE PROMO 10 A loose unpackaged pearl will be bought only by a pearl die-hard fan or someone who knows how to set pearls Putting a pearl in a packet with a little ‘story’ and background on pearls can make even a low-grade pearl a nice souvenir “Mysterious’ bag and a box with a ‘mysterious’ name and ‘mysterious’ logo from a ‘mysterious’ place makes this a nice exotic gift Premium expensive luxury item in a nice jewelry box 207 Somewhere, even high quality pearls are sold without any packaging or setting, and are displayed next to each other. Black pearls are a luxury product and one that is very mysterious for most customers. People just are not familiar with and do not understand pearls. Thus, these ‘pearl-uneducated’ customers are not likely to spend a relatively large amount of money on ‘loose pearls’ that are just ‘thrown’ on shelves. Pearls simply should not be sold unset and unpackaged. Pearls are not groceries. If you absolutely do not have any money to invest in packaging, at least do something creative, such as in the picture on bottom left ―which shows separate pearls attached to a card with interesting and ‘touchy-feely’ commentary on pearls. With some money available for packaging, the pearl retailer is able to provide a more premium product to the consumer with the same pearls, as in the pictures on the right. – 2.3 PROMOTION: In-store Promotions – The next pages start a section on another basic, but very important, in-store promotions ―displays. 208

11. DISPLAYS BASICS Making products really stand out building involvement