Packaging is the ultimate vehicle for design: industrial, graphic, and typographic design are all put to the test to create an impression so meaningful that it converts currency into consumerism. This ...
By Jim Stringer
In today's fast-paced consumer-driven market, effective packaging programs depend on many factors and decisions that change as quickly as the trends that drive them. But there is a proven recipe for creating top-of-the-line packaging with bottom-line success.
If you enjoy cooking then you know the secret to a successful meal is having a great recipe and quality ingredients. Package design is a process, just like cooking, and it works best when you have all your ingredients prepared ahead of time. Then it's just a matter of combining everything in right amounts with the right skills. The XO Create! firm recently applied this recipe for success to launch the America's Kitchen gourmet food line.
What's the recipe?
At the heart of it all is a genuine story or brand promise. This will be the foundation upon which you will base all the elements required for a successful launch. Why start with a story? Today's consumer doesn't simply want to purchase a brand; they want to be a part of it. The best way to facilitate this is with a simple message that can be easily understood in the minds of consumers.
To create a compelling story or concept we first need to understand exactly what it is we are trying to communicate. The more direct the concept, the more effective it can be in occupying a coveted position in the minds of your desired audience. Packaging presents us with a unique opportunity to tell this story on many levels in many environments and make the all-important emotional connection with today's savvy consumers.
Ingredients alone mean nothing without a great recipe—one that specifies all the ingredients, proportions, and skills you're going to need to launch your new packaging program. When working with America's Kitchen to develop their signature line of gourmet food packaging, the creative team at XO Create! adhered very firmly to this recipe and delivered a versatile packaging line for seven SKUs in less than eight weeks.
Ingredient #1 - The Shopping List
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