Package Design | packagedesignmag.com

(November 2007) posted on Mon Sep 21, 2009

By Kent St. Vrain

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Today's consumer is already overwrought with product choices, and with the approaching holidays (which seem to come earlier and earlier each year) the mass of offerings will increase tenfold. Couple that with the fact that (at this "most wonderful time of the year") it's not only the products themselves that multiply, but the number of package designs for each.

Look at a product like sparkling grape juice. One manufacturer offers the same beverage packaged in the same-size bottle, but with three drastically different label design types to appeal to different retailers or different target audiences. These three can be categorized as "holiday contemporary," "child-friendly," and "sophisticated seasonal."

Packaging has evolved as a key vehicle for generating the greatest impact on brand identity and is the critical component to help push product for the holidays. And while 70% of product purchases occur at the shelf, it's quite likely that the number increases during holiday time as consumers are in super-charged, gotta-go, no-time-to-browse purchase mode.

Competitive holiday cheer

It's at the shelf where consumers participate in the first moment of truth, namely, those brief, critical seconds when the consumer first spots a product package and then when he or she accesses the product through the packaging. It's then that most emotional transactions take place, dominated by design. Therefore, if a competitor resounds holiday cheer with greater glee than you, she could just possibly steal the sale.

As such, CPGs need to be prepared to turn a quick festive wrapper, a recipe call-out, or a simple holiday-themed design element to combat competitors and secure the sale. Time, after all, is always of the essence with category-creating products, as those that are first to market are more likely to generate greater revenue during the lifetime of the product than those that arrive second to the shelf.

And this isn't about product innovation alone, but extends to packaging innovation as well. Take, for example, Ziploc's green and red storage bags and containers. As each year they extend the line, we can assume the holiday offerings continue to impact sales. And with the holiday crunch, compounded by the fact that it ekes forward a few additional days each year, manufacturers are hard-pressed for time.

Little room for error