Package Design | packagedesignmag.com

(April 2009) posted on Sat Oct 10, 2009

By Ron Romanik

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When is the right time to refresh a package design? You might as well ask: When is the wrong time? Of course, there is never a right or wrong time strictly in relation to the calendar or in relation to what else is happening in the marketplace.

Instead, it might be better to consider timing within the life and evolution of a brand or package design. A balance must be struck between freshness and stability, innovation and trust. Stability and trust are important, but consumers can develop expectations of a relationship they are not even aware of. Viewed in this way, staying one step ahead could be a delicate balance of anticipating consumers' needs before they can articulate what those needs are.

In this issue, we examine how package design builds on the relationships between brands and loyal customers, and how trust is often the bedrock of those relationships. Our Cover Story subject, the Steaz beverage company, believes that they have built sufficient trust in their brand through natural food channels that the timing is right for a major redesign. While their previous design fit well in the natural foods environment, a new look was necessary to break into the mainstream and instill trust into new and potential consumers quickly. In a Research article, O-I has found that moms' trust of dominant baby food brands allows those brands to introduce new packaging forms that gain acceptance quickly.

In this month's Designer's Corner column, Will Burke of Brand Engine examines how authentic brand stories can build trust and connect with both the emotions and logic of consumers. In a Retail Focus column, Ted Mininni of Design Force analyzes how to evolve package design without abandoning the key package design heritage cues that have built longstanding trust in a brand. It's a delicate balance that can be achieved only through a mix of artistry, anticipation, and aesthetics.

Ron Romanik
Editor-in-Chief