Package Design | packagedesignmag.com

(February 2010) posted on Thu Mar 04, 2010

By Ron Romanik

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Even with product diversion escalating on U.S. highways and byways, the tipping point for aggressive package brand security probably will not be caused by government regulation, a catastrophic event, consumer demands, or CPG liability insurance lawyers. Instead, what may cause the shift in attitude necessary for widespread brand security measures on consumer goods are low-cost technologies that consumers actually want to interact with.
As options for consumer product goods companies increase, successes in shelf appeal and consumer interaction may ease the transition in investment and commitment to these technologies. Attractive counterfeiting deterrents like new technologies from Opalux and 3M™ Retroreflective Authentication are leading that transition by offering both consumer appeal and brand security.
“These companies are going to make their money off of display first,” says Dr. Steve Simske, distinguished technologist in HP’s Print Production Automation Lab. “Security is an excellent test point for the future of overt packaging security.” And since printing is going digital at a rapid pace, especially in developing economies, variable data printing and even RFID may one day just be another type of finishing on the package production line.
Simske sees the future of brand security as employing ecosystems of deterrents on packaging, all of which can be variable in some way. “You’re going to see a huge change in package design to accommodate the technologies,” Simske predicts. One important factor is how fast customers can be trained to recognize, use, and interpret an interactive security feature.
If package design can make using a feature intuitive, then the end-users will feel smart and motivated and active involvement will increases. HP tests packages with customers with no training to see how quickly they get it, and then train a control group to see if there is a substantial difference. Simske recommends keeping graphic artists very involved because of their skill at naturally drawing consumers’ eyes to specific areas of packages.