WORTH A SECOND LOOK

Publix and Private Label

Last year, Package Design Magazine profiled the productive private label design team at Publix ("Publix and Private Label," Jan/Feb 2006). The Creative Services group responsible for the omnipresent Publix brand packages has not showed any signs of slowing down since.

On top of expanding the strong Publix brand and consolidating the brand image to the design system that emphasizes a clean, simple look, the group has been adding Publix Premium products with high-end packaging to the portfolio. Whereas Publix branded packages identify clearly with other members of the brand, the Publix Premium packages identify with the leaders in the categories they are infiltrating.

Like Safeway (see Cover Story), Publix makes no apologies for placing their products in direct competition with major brands. On a recent visit to a Publix store in Florida, a walk through the aisles verified the power of the Publix brand. The mostly white Publix packages with bright color bands and graphic product indicators stand out in many categories, even when the competition is mostly white.

The Publix Premium brand, on the other hand, catches the eye because the premium packaging encourages the shopper investigate what this attractive new brand might be. The luscious photography, premium packaging, and muted color palettes impress the eye while the brand architecture retreats to the background.

It seems that the Publix Premium designs are benefiting from the Publix design principles as explained last year by Tim Cox, director of the in-house Creative Services group. "We can successfully adapt our design to any package because we develop design systems with built-in flexibility," says Cox. "We try to anticipate every type of package we'll encounter and consider that as critical criteria when designing our systems."

Publix has gained their shoppers' trust with private label products that deliver on quality in the key attributes for each category. In addition, their goal is clean stores and well-stocked shelves. The market-research firm Corporate Research International recently released a report indicating that Publix is the leading grocer in the country according to surveys measuring customer service. Part of that customer service surely is introducing value products and packages that speak directly to consumers' needs.