Shure Seizes the iPod Moment with Staged Approach

The Shure brand is well-known by musicians for high-performance microphones and earphones. When product managers at Shure Inc. discovered that iPod users were purchasing Shure professional earphones to use with their iPods, they moved quickly to make the most of this consumer market shift.

Shure had repackaged its earphones for the consumer market two years ago, but they realized their packaging was not performing to its highest potential at retail. Shure enlisted the help of the MiresBall brand design firm in San Diego to rethink the entire brand image and the package design approach as part of a major brand revitalization. Shure wanted to leverage its iconic status as a professional audio equipment brand to differentiate itself more clearly from a glut of less-established and less-professional competitors.

The new Shure consumer packaging for these high-end earphones uses many cues to indicate the premium, professional legacy of the Shure brand.

Where they came from

Shure had moved into the consumer market and designed earphone packaging to appeal to consumer sensibilities. The bright red color and circular pattern of the E-Series packaging shown here were new visual elements to catch a shopper 's attention, but the packaging didn't align with the professional core of the brand.

John Ball, principal at MiresBall, explains that Shure wanted to capitalize on the retail opportunities, so they went to market with an interim solution for their entry- and mid-level products while they researched the best form factors for the channel.

Jonathan Stookey, integrated marketing manager for Shure, wanted to avoid a piecemeal approach for the updated SE-Series Sound Isolating Earphones that range from about $100 to $500 per pair. The products were developed under a new stepped system to make it easier for shoppers to find the right price point. "We wanted the packaging to achieve that same cohesiveness," Stookey emphasizes.

Where they were going

MiresBall developed the interim solution with a refined logo and the now-signature deep red gradient color field. The interim solutions for the two high-end offerings in this series were kept for the final line designs. The SE420 (shown here) and the SE530 come in square boxes, with the SE530 in a brushed aluminum box to convey the highest price point.

"As price points go up, the clamshells are not generally the best option," explains Ball. The interim SE110, SE210, and SE310 sealed clamshells carried nearly all the new branding elements. According to Ball, the authentic performance imagery and heritage statement dial up the Shure legacy. Although the packaging is targeting the iPod market, the solution had to resonate with both professional and consumer audiences.

For the project, Ball asked rhetorically: "How do we find that one common denominator that holds it all together?" Ball believes that consumers perceive the black and red palette as an indication of premium quality that translates Shure 's reputation across all media.

The "burnished" red is an evolution of the existing consumer red, and the use of black and blue ties the packaging back to the core corporate identity. On the package, the Shure logo was simplified and placed top and center for a better brand "read" and quicker recognition at retail. In addition, the "Developed for the Pros!" sticker featuring a spotlighted singer further emphasizes the professional-grade advantage for consumers.

The original retail package, above, and the interim packaging solution, below.

Where they ended up

The final design solution for the SE110, SE210, and SE310 SKUs was a combination box that uses a recycled PET container inside a recyclable chip board outer box with UV coating. The PET inner has a slight bubble that protrudes through the front of the box, drawing attention to the product, which is displayed in two angles so consumers can inspect the earphones thoroughly.

Ball believes that this form factor is more premium in appearance, as well as more economical and environmentally responsible, which was a goal from the outset. The product tiering is further amplified through color and scale of product information, and the SE210 and SE310 also have a front flap, which opens sideways like a book cover, for more information real estate. Ball looked at the multilingual requirement as a plus. "It is a discipline that actually adds some value to the design," he explains. "It forces you to keep things clean and simple."

The final designs include a trademarked "Legendary Performance" tagline directly under the Shure logo to emphasize Shure's professional heritage versus competitors new to the market. On the back, an illustration promotes "sound isolation" over "noise cancellation."

Stookey believes the new packaging achieves the "clean planogram" that he and Shure were looking for to increase the package's role in retail merchandising. "It seems to have reached a nice balance," says Stookey. He credits the vendor, Packaging Plus in Lathrop, CA, for their innovation in producing the combination package efficiently on the production line. The package also achieves a high level of pilfer protection as the package is sealed thoroughly, and would have to be destroyed to get to the product.