How a CPG Marketing Agency Makes Products Stand Out
Three ways the best CPG marketing agency can design packaging to reduce waste, improve brand reputation, and drive attention and sales. Of course, a CPG marketing agency frequently has to help promote products that people might think of as fairly interchangeable. Choosing between some jars of mayo, bottles of ketchup, or boxes of laundry detergent might not seem like a big decision for most consumers. Thus, people may tend to choose the brand they’ve always bought or maybe, what’s on sale. Find out how a good CPG advertising agency can make products stand out on the shelves, so customers will consider them anything but ordinary. Three Ways a CPG marketing agency can differentiate products First, it might help to work with a consumer package goods design agency. Besides having experience with developing outstanding packaging, these professionals can provide a different perspective to help come up with novel solutions that are sometimes easy to overlook by people who manage these products every day. Consider three tested suggestions that packaging professionals might offer. 1. Make packaging more useful Making packaging more useful can provide a great way to differentiate a product from competitors. As just one example, Heinz simply flipped their bottle upside down in 2002, so it could rest on the lid instead of the base. Of course, most people find thick, rich ketchup challenging to get out of a typical bottle, especially when the container’s almost empty. After 170 years of producing ketchup, the company — or their packaging design agency — came up with the genius idea of flipping the bottle to let gravity lend some assistance. Apparently, this change caught the eye of consumers. According to CNN Money, sales increased by six percent in a year when overall ketchup sales only rose by two percent. 2. Ensure customers know how to use the product to its best advantage Is there something different about using a product that customers should know? Obviously, if consumers know how to make the best use of their purchase, they’re likely to return for more. As an example, Trader Joe’s sells a spice blend called, “Everything But the Elote.” Elote means corn in English, and the word suggests boiled, roasted, or steamed corn prepared in a particular way. Some people have figured out on their own that this blend can also spice up popcorn, all sorts of green vegetables, dips, French fries, and lots of other kinds of food. If Trader Joe’s would include these tips on their packaging, they might sell even more of this popular product. Besides promoting the versatility of a product, marketers might also consider including directions to get the best results for its primary use. Not only will these suggestions help entice customers, they’ll also ensure customer satisfaction and repeat sales. 3. Consider seasonal packaging Consumers tend to spend a bit more during certain times of the year, and a seasonally themed package can help get them to add certain kinds of products to their shopping cart. According to Brand Experience: Packaging, shoppers tend to loosen up their pocketbooks at these times, ranked in order of how much spending increases: Back-to-school, especially back-to-college Winter holidays Mother’s Day Easter Valentine’s Day Father’s Day As an example, let’s say Mom loves coffee. Loved ones may be more likely to add a bag or jar of coffee to a gift basket if it has attractive, themed packaging. Even better, add in a nice “World’s Greatest Mom” mug to provide extra value that can justify a higher price. Touches like this can also encourage retailers to include the products in a special display that will give them more visibility. For online sales, it gives distributors a chance to tag the product with seasonal keywords. Think about product and package size Sometimes, companies think that offering a jumbo package for a cheaper price will encourage sales. With perishable products, this can backfire. For example, pet owners may not care to buy 30 pounds of dog food for their seven-pound Maltese. They would rather pay somewhat more for a smaller package to avoid the waste of having to dispose of stale products. Also, some companies tend to package relatively large things in oversized packaging. Too much packaging wastes materials, generates excessive shipping charges, and may even annoy purchasers. These days, consumers have grown more concerned about the environment and frugality. To promote the best brand image, a why a CPG advertising agency may advise their clients to right-size packages in order to save money and appeal to buyers. Choose colors to create a quick, emotional impression The University of California at Irvine published a fascinating paper on the ability of colors to effect human emotional responses. Nature may have coded some of this response in people’s genes, as humanity evolved to associate certain colors with their natural environment. Beyond that, people have their own specific responses to various color schemes, based upon culture or even personality. As an example, many Americans might associate red and green with holidays. People don’t tend to react just to one color either. Instead, contrasting colors, image clarity, and even shades can make a big difference. Also, sometimes colors can even go out of style for a time. For instance, the 70s favored more earthy shades; however, brighter colors took over in the 80s. The importance of packaging for product differentiation Businesses invest a lot in developing their products. The right packaging can reduce costs, promote a positive brand image, and of course, increase sales. In contrast, poor packaging can waste money, hurts reputations, and turn off buyers.
The Benefits of Testing Your Packaging Design
As high-tech digital analytics continues to rule the virtual marketing world, don’t forget to collect real-world marketing data including the valuable information gleaned from packaging design testing. Make no mistake: product packaging is integral to product sales. In fact, a recent study by the leading corrugated packaging company WestRock determined that more than four out of five consumers in the United States have tried a new product because its packaging caught their eye. Furthermore, 63 percent of consumers have purchased a product a second time due to its packaging appearance/aesthetics, and 52 percent of consumers have changed brands as a result of new packaging. With these figures in mind, businesses are universally committed to optimizing their packaging design. But how can you tell if your packaging is truly connecting with your key consumer demographic? Packaging design testing basics Briefly defined, packaging design testing involves presenting several packaging designs to your target audience and asking them to provide honest feedback on each of them. This feedback should ultimately determine which design is the most appealing to consumers and which design its most likely to encourage sales. By testing their deigns, companies are far more able to wrap their product in external packaging that both sets it apart from the competition and communicates its unique value in a succinct and compelling manner. Companies that incorporate testing into their general packaging design processes have solid data that can readily guide team operations and facilitate coordinated company decision-making. In addition to helping to bring brand new packaging designs to market, packaging design testing is key when optimizing or otherwise altering your existing packaging. The testing process is also extremely valuable when it comes to reaching out to new or alternative target audiences/consumer demographics. Types of packaging design testing Any good consumer marketing agency or packaging design company will tailor packaging design testing processes to meet the specific wants and needs of the client. In order to produce the specific benefits that are most important to their clients, these organizations may employ a wide range of techniques both in controlled study groups and in the marketplace at large. The venerable packaging products organization Performance Packaging of Nevada suggests A/B testing as an easy and inexpensive way to determine the better of two different packaging designs. This method of testing involves gathering together one or more test groups that are (hopefully!) representative of your larger consumer/audience base. Test group leaders present these groups with two packaging choices and then ask each group member to pick their favorite. Of course, this relatively restricted form of testing is limited when it comes to assessing multiple design variables (color, size, substance, etc.,). Therefore, depending on its particular goals, a company may choose other approaches to gathering feedback such as filling out comprehensive surveys or participating in thorough interview processes. Although careful sampling methodology can compile study groups that closely match larger target audiences/consumer demographics, there is no substitute for marketing testing in the field. This method is, of course, far more expensive, than study group testing, but companies can benefit greatly from releasing two or more packaging designs into the marketplace and then collecting data on which design the general public prefers. Getting the most out of your packaging design testing endeavors As we have seen, your ideal methods and techniques of packaging design testing will depend entirely upon your unique and specific goals. Do you want to ensure that your product catches the eye of the casual consumer as he/she walks down the supermarket aisle? Or is it more important that your packaging reflects the core attributes and values that consumers associate with your brand? After determining the aspects of your packaging that are most likely to influence your overall success or failure, you can develop packaging design testing procedures that are right for you. A key metric that you will certainly want to consider is purchase intent, which measures the likelihood that your packaging will motivate people to buy the product that it contains. Secondary metrics will depend on the specific results you hope to achieve and the marketplace in which you operate. These metrics might include appeal (how enticing your packaging is), relevance (how effectively your packaging reflects the wants/needs of your audience), uniqueness (how your packaging differs from that of your competitors), and ease of finding (how well your packaging stands out on the average retail shelf/website). For more information To learn more about the importance of packaging design testing, contact a skilled and knowledgeable representative at Bigeye today. In addition to excelling at the art and science of packaging design, Bigeye offers a broad range of comprehensive marketing services with an eye on innovation and customized service.