Prescription for Success

A defining thread that runs through the March 2008 issue is that designing packages that encourage repeat purchases requires fulfilling customer needs. The question this issue tries to answer is: How do you learn exactly what those needs are?

Consumer research is both a discipline and an art with many potential pitfalls along the way. Simply asking consumers what they want is often a surefire way to get mired down in a quagmire of divergent desires that often conflict. One of the fastest growing methods of research is "ethnographic," where researchers observe consumers using packages and products in their native everyday environment.

But observation is often only the first step in a process of innovation, trial, retrial, etc. To design packages that are truly both functional and versatile can be an involved process. Our Cover Story on Kimberly-Clark shows how the fruits of those labors can yield great dividends.

The second thread that runs through this issue is the trends that are affecting the pharmaceutical industry. The demands of both prescription and over-the-counter packaging make it the most challenging category to design packages for—but the rewards are critical. For instance, the 8th annual national MEDMARX Data Report by the U.S. Pharmacopeia revealed that more than 1,400 commonly used drugs are involved in errors linked to drug names that look alike or sound alike. In response to the findings, USP is calling on prescribers and pharmacists to include an "indication for use" on prescriptions and for bottle designers to change the type (size, capitalization, bold, etc.) on prescription drugs to emphasize different syllables in drug names that look similar at first glance.

The over-the-counter pharmaceutical aisle can be a confusing and frustrating aisle, as many claims and SKU options confound the shopper. Insights in our Front Panel and Designer's Corner columns can help you get the most important brand and benefit messages that help consumers make the right purchase decision.

Ron Romanik
Editor-in-Chief
rromanik@lyonsmediainc.com