Publisher's Letter

The Private Label Conundrum

By Chris Lyons

The package design industry is in the middle of a major shift that is affecting the way package design professionals approach every project. The owners of private label brands are realizing the power of good package design and creating very attractive packaging to compete with national brands. As private label products move into premium categories and blur traditional ideas about private label, they are also pushing national brands to innovate—or be left behind.

Package designers can find themselves working both sides of the fence, and wondering how to position each package on the shelf. Private label brands, also known as store brands, account for over 20% of all unit retail sales, according to the Private Label Manufacturers Association. The conundrum comes when a CPG company's biggest buyer is also that company's biggest competitor (which happens at Wal-Mart).

The supermarket giant Publix recently renewed its private label brands to bring a new elegance and simplicity to their core private label designs. They have also expanded their "Publix Premium" lines to compete with premium brands. On these packages, attractive photography and images create nice associations between product, user, and use. In our cover story, you'll learn about the Publix approach to innovative designs. Tim Cox, director of the in-house Creative Services group at Publix, says that there is room for private label designers to be clever, but the clever messages must always be clear as well.

In our Designer's Corner column this month, Philippe Becker takes the example of a premium bacon package to illustrate when designers can break category rules. In a unique Spotlight article, Pantone's new "huey" monitor calibration tool illustrates both an innovative product and an innovative packaging strategy. Pantone saw the introduction of this product as a unique opportunity to reestablish the PANTONE brand in the graphic community, and they looked to their proud tradition to make it a reality.

In two other features, you'll learn about new trends in Russian packaging and the latest shapes and materials being used for luxury tube packages. We hope the insights you find here inspire design innovations of your own.

Enjoy!

Chris Lyons
Publisher