Best of Marketing

Packaging can introduce aroma to enhance the experience

Product packaging is emerging as the new frontier in marketing as companies are developing new techniques that appeal to all five senses. And while marketers are experimenting with a variety of new techniques, packaging that emanates specific aromas seem to be taking the lead in the constant battle for consumers' attention. Companies are incorporating scents into plastic bags and bottles so a shopper can smell shampoo or chocolate without opening the top. Newly developed scented ink allows ads and catalogues to capture a consumer's attention with an unsuspecting whiff. "Consumers have to be given a good reason to buy a product," said Chris Lyons, publisher of Package Design Magazine. "Certainly, knowing or having a sense of what it smells like can help that." One of the companies at the forefront of this new trend is AriZona Beverage Co., which is currently testing a way to embed an appealing aroma inside a bottle cap to improve the taste of its beverages and the drinker's experience.

Killer packaging design via e-paper

The cereal aisle at your local supermarket may soon resemble the Las Vegas strip. Electronics maker Siemens is readying a paper-thin electronic-display technology so cheap it could replace conventional labels on disposable packaging, from milk cartons to boxes of Cheerios.

In less than two years, Siemens says, the technology could transform consumer-goods packaging from the fixed, ink-printed images of today to a digital medium of flashing graphics and text that displays prices, special offers or alluring photos, all blinking on miniature flat screens.

"When kids see flashing pictures on cereal boxes we don't expect them to just ask for the product, but to say, 'I want it,'" said Axel Gerlt, an engineer at Siemens tasked with helping packaging companies implement the technology.

Creating personality characters with your packaging

A nice example of how to express a positioning with your packaging. Tochbearer sauces has launched different individual packagings with its own name and a well defined personality. The personality is brought about via character names and stories on the label. It might be a bit extreme, but it shows how far you can push the envolope:

Checklist for developing shelf stand-out packaging

1. Do you create impact?

· Easiness for category identification

· Easiness to recognize brand name

· Dynamic branding graphics

· Stopping power in shelf environment

· Packaging will help x fly off the shelf

· Stand out on shelf ?

· Readability in shelf environment

· Maximised billboarding

· Brand name readibility can be increased ?

· maximum on-shelf impact through all round billboard graphics

2. Do you communicate the right things?

· General liking/ disliking aspects

· Consistency of communication value for the different types

· Comprehension, readability of labels

· product info

How to improve your packaging strategy and execution

Packaging is the immediate expression of the brand. A good start when looking to enhance your packaging offerings is to compare your packaging with your immediate competition, but as well with packaging offerings of neighboring categories. The obvious thing to do is to compare sales growth of the industry (or neighboring) versus your sales growth and see what specific packaging support programs you have. Ideally you should over index.

Is your design in line with your brand positioning?
I often found that there is a disconnect between the design of a packaging and the brand postiniong. A fun brand might have a serious packaging due to technological limits. But this is easily addressed with some fun oriented graphics.So check with your consumers qualitatively how your packaging is the correct expression of the brand's brand positioning.

Add new SKUs that target specific usage occasions

The trick is to find out all the consumption occasions that are targeted by different packagings. Packaging that enable on the go consumption, so with smaller servings and easy to consume openings. An example from the snack industry:

As consumers continue to snack at new times and locations, new opportunities are being created for impulse products. By 2008 snacks will account for 41% of eating occasions in Europe and 45% in the US. The number of drinks occasions is also increasing across the US and Europe. In the future it will be essential for products packaging to account for these trends to maintain their competitive position. So examples have already been launched where packaging include a plastic lid and fork as an on-the-go snack. Consumers will snack from gas stations to long commutes. Why not develop a packaging that is specially designed for use in the car and is easy receilable and fits neatly in the cupholder.

Customization and personalization

Fresh-cut produce

Fresh-cut produce has been successful in the marketplace in part because of the value added to the product through its preparation and delivery in a ready-to-eat condition. The primary guardians of this added value are low temperature and modified atmosphere packaging (MAP). These two factors work in concert to maintain freshness, extend shelf life, ensure safety and promote sale. Neither low temperature nor MAP can act alone to deliver full value to the customer. The reason for this is that both work together to slow the metabolism and aging of the product so that it stays fresher longer.