MEET THE DIVA:Packaging for Profit: Attracting the Baby Boomers.

The Packaging Diva Is Coming To NYC May 23 & 24 and speaking at the Supply Side® exposition in conjunction with the National Stationery Show at Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York.
Packaging for Profit: Attracting the Baby Boomers Date: Tuesday 05/23/2006 Time: 4:00 PM - 5:30 PM Location: Room 1C03
http://www.thesupplyside.com/content/programs.htm
Now you have a chance to pick her brain at a fraction of her normal rate. She has set aside a day for consultations and a hands on workshop.

There are limited opportunities for individual consultation and one seminar hosting session available. If you are interested in learning more about why the leading companies consult the Diva about packaging trends and technologies with new product launches or relaunches, return this email for a list of opportunities to partner with the Diva.

Need to think "outside the box" how to package products people will buy? Just starting a business that needs to package products for sale? Need brainstorming about what packaging works in the current economy? Contact the #1 consumer product packaging expert by email at PackagingDiva@aol.com or by phone at 1-678-594-6872 for a free 15 minute consultation.

What Can NASCAR Teach Us About Packaging?

The first NASCAR race of 2006 ran recently at Daytona and I was surprised by the number of new product sponsors. For years NASCAR has been a “good ol boy" thing, however, marketers have finally realized that this is huge untapped and under marketed advertising segment.

We have to admit that there are loads of stereotypes about the typical NASCAR audience. Ever heard this description, "Red necked, long haired, tobacco chewing, cigarette smoking, good ol boy?” Well, that used to be true of NASCAR viewers but auto racing now is one of the few sports that are gaining in popularity among all demographic segments. Face it. Popularity equals advertising revenue and sales.

Two current market groups that NASCAR is chasing for increased viewer ship are the 50+ generation and women. Previously, little marketing was done to attract these viewers. They were outside the perceived target market. Sponsors typically were auto companies, auto parts and suppliers, beer, soda, cell phones, and generally services and companies that were in the male purview. But now there are a lot of avid NASCAR fans in the over 50 generation, myself included. Until now, sponsors haven't really sought them out as an audience.

When I did some marketing for an IROC driver, I was surprised to learn about the strength of the fans. One thing that really came home was the brand loyalty of those who supported NASCAR. When a NASCAR driver endorsed a product, it was used by an overwhelming proportion of NASCAR aficionados; a much higher average of brand loyalty than conventional markets.

An interesting campaign that I have been following is the Crown Royal endorsement of NASCAR. The company continues to sponsor the No. 26 Crown Royal Ford Fusion driven by NASCAR NEXTEL Cup star Jamie McMurray. Crown Royal is collaterally branding their campaign with new packaging and launching the Speedway Collector's Series, a line of limited edition packages that is customized to highlight the 21 tracks that host races during the 2006 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup season. The Crown Royal purple bag, bottle label and carton will display customized motor sports packaging, including logos for storied tracks like Daytona International Speedway and Talladega Super Speedway. Smart and unique marketing! Most product packaging efforts have been limited to cast iron models and replicas of the cars or typical car stuff.

So why am interested? It’s all in the packaging, of course. In addition to advertising and endorsing a driver, companies are integrating all facets of a marketing campaign and utilizing packaging as a branding tool. If I were a smart marketer, I would look for underserved segments of the viewers just like Crown Royal has done. Even though there have been several women drivers that have tried unsuccessfully to penetrate NASCAR as professional drivers, the women's market makes up 50% of the US population. In my opinion it really hasn't been sought out. I'd brand a campaign that really hits home with women no matter what their age. Look at the Dove Campaign For Real Beauty as an example. Its being endorsed and supported long after then initial advertising campaign introduction.

So we’ve come full circle. What does NASCAR have to do with packaging? It’s a hot, growing, untapped market for those who want consumers that demonstrate their brand loyalty. Does this ring any bells or blow any horns for you?

The Outside Of The Box Is As Important As What Is Inside

So many people never think about the package when they develop a product. Packaging should be the first thought in product development -- not the last. Without the package, you couldn't even have a product to sell or ship. After all, the package transports the product from point A to point B, protects it and secures the contents inside.

The product has to be shipped using some method of conveyance – the package. So, no matter what kind of product you develop (whether it be informative, literature or a physical consumer product) the choice of the shipping container or box is just as important as what you put inside it.Your "package" is the first physical interaction with your customer or potential customer. What it looks like, the material it is made from, and the condition it arrives in all convey a visual image of the contents inside. Remember this connects back to you and the impression of your products or services: Bad packaging-bad products or services.

You can also easily destroy the good impression you have created about your product/services by using "shoddy" packaging. Don't incorporate packaging into your shipping that looks as if it has seen better days or if it has been used and reused. There are some people out there that tout using any old box to ship a product; but if a good impression counts with your customer, don't even consider this as an option. There are many inexpensive packaging options that can create a unique look without having to spend a lot. All it requires is a little ingenuity and creativity on your part.

Think about the box in the store that is torn, dented or shows obvious signs of damage. Do you ever buy that product? No way. It sits on the shelf forever and becomes more shopworn as time passes. Your immediate thought-It's damaged inside.

How many plain brown or white envelopes have you tossed without even looking inside at the contents? Why would someone want to see what's inside if the outside looks like garbage? Consider when you receive something that is torn, tattered and it is from someone unknown. Your first impression is a negative one. You may just pitch it before even opening it. The amount of things that are thrown away because they are unidentified or uninteresting is staggering. Mailrooms are often instructed to toss this kind stuff (junk) before it gets delivered no matter who it's addressed to.

Here are some ways you can improve the odds to ensure that your product will be opened and seen by the receiver.

• Always ship or mail a sample to yourself to see what condition it arrives in.

• Clearly indicate who the material is from and why it is important to be opened promptly.

• Use care when selecting packaging material. Make sure the materials will get the job done.

• Consider color as a differentiator from all of the white and brown out there.

• Make sure the outside of the package screams "open me."

• Ensure that the contents inside are protected and secure so they arrive in pristine condition. Think of ways to distinguish yourself from the competition. Even using such simple things like colored bubble wrap (no more expensive) can create a positive impression.

• Make the package something that can be reusable or stored. (A client of mine who shipped flower bouquets made the shipping package in such a way that gift wrapping paper could be stored in the box after the flowers were long gone.)

• Make sure the container is substantial enough to be returned should it need to be. Nothing alienates a customer more than having to find another box to ship something back in.

• Think about what appeals to you when you receive a package. What makes you want to open it? Incorporate that feeling into your shipping materials.

Whatever methods you decide to use to ship your products make sure that you put thought and creativity into the box or container before you send it out the door. It is difficult to overcome an initial negative impression of your product if it arrives in shop worn or damaged condition or in the worst case broken. The customer may never give you a second chance.

Remember to make packaging of your product your first thought not your last. As in this case, what is outside the box counts just as much as what is inside.

Is Your Package A Candidate For The "Oyster" Award?

Is your package a candidate for the "oyster" award? According to Consumer Reports, this is not a good thing. The March issue of Reports lambastes the packaging industry for a variety of faults in product packaging. It even identifies which packages they consider to be among the worst. To its credit, the article does show examples of new and improved packaging of the so-called problem child packaging. Not surprisingly much of it revolves around the difficulty of opening and closing packages, especially clamshells. This is a notoriously thorny issue.

Consider these factors about your package to determine if it is an "Oyster award" candidate.
• Is your package so difficult to open that expletives are uttered during the process?• Can a customer get cut by the packaging material while opening?
• Does opening the package require an additional implement such as scissors?
• Does your package have excessive twist ties?
• Will parents hate you after they have opened the package?

This isn't the first time problem packaging has surfaced. I always see stories on the subject after Christmas and the holidays. When I do I send the reporter a copy of my white paper, "A Bad Wrap for Packaging," in an effort to open some eyes. A couple of years ago, I even did a segment for NBC TV about the trials and tribulations of toy packaging. My role was to explain why toys are packaged tin a particular manner. The piece ended with consumers ripping and tearing their way through the boxes. Needless to say, despite my best efforts the package came out on the bad side of the equation.

Numerous new gadgets have surfaced to make it easier to open packages. The OpenX and the Pyranna, to name two, are specifically designed to open plastic clam shells. If I were a smart marketer, I would bundle one of the gadgets ($5-10 retail) along with my product and solve the problem. With the opening device available on the package, there would be no reason for complaints about how hard the package is to open.

I get so tired of hearing about bad packaging. Sure, much of it is difficult to open but guess what? The consumers drive the issues about making the packages hard to open. They are concerned with product integrity, tampering, pilfering, and counterfeiting to name a few. These are just a few of the reasons the packages are difficult to open. They have to be secure to protect the product and keep it safe.

Knowing that the customer is always right, we must realize that opening packages is an issue that needs to be addressed especially when we consider our growing population of those over 50. If you have a success story about your product packaging that you made easier to open, please send it to me and I'll collate the responses and provide a report of the solutions. Email me at PackagingDiva@aol.com.

A Valentine Heart Should Be More Than Just A Box Of Chocolate

Well, it’s that time again when hearts are all a flutter with sending and getting Valentine’s Day gifts. Do you know that Richard Cadbury invented the first Valentine's Day candy box in the late 1800s? Or that the Chocolate Manufacturers Association of America reports that 36 million boxes of chocolate are sold for Valentine's Day? Cha-ching for candy companies.

I walked several stores to see what offerings were available this year in the chocolate category. Mostly the typical Valentine's Day heart shaped red/pink candy boxes caught my eye. Surprisingly, the Valentine heart box has changed very little over the years. It has a few ruffles, banners or flowers but essentially it’s the same old box. What a waste to not expand the marketing effort and maximize the package to increase sales.

Now I have eaten my share of chocolate over the years, but lately I have been watching the healthy aspects of what I eat. So why aren't these candy manufactures touting the fact that chocolate is good for me. According to a recent study chocolate contains compounds called flavonoids that can help maintain a healthy heart and good circulation and reduce blood clotting which can cause heart attacks and stroke. “More and more, we are finding evidence that consumption of chocolate that is rich in flavonoids can have positive cardiovascular effects,” says Carl Keen, a nutritionist at the University of California, Davis.

Wow! How about that for a great reason to eat more chocolate? No more guilt trips when I eye the candy isle. But I just don't get the concept that marketers don't understand that chocolate equals a good thing. Duh, shouldn't that be emblazoned on every box of chocolate and Valentine box? (Supposedly, it’s only the dark chocolate but I'll make that sacrifice.)

How hard is it for marketers to make that leap? They have the opportunity to sell more chocolate by advertising that it is good for you. And you wives and girlfriends, men say they would rather give a box of chocolate than flowers. How wonderful, an equal opportunity Valentine's Day gift of chocolate.

So the next time an "occasion" comes your way, think outside the box. Literally, think about the outside of the box. The outside of the box can do much more marketing and about deliver ways to sell a product in unique and creative ways.

For more ways to package your productd creatively and uniquely contact the PackagingDiva@aol.com

A Valentine Heart Should Be More Than Just A Box Of Chocolate

Well, it’s that time again when hearts are all a flutter with sending and getting Valentine’s Day gifts. Do you know that Richard Cadbury invented the first Valentine's Day candy box in the late 1800s? Or that the Chocolate Manufacturers Association of America reports that 36 million boxes of chocolate are sold for Valentine's Day? Cha-ching for candy companies.

I walked several stores to see what offerings were available this year in the chocolate category. Mostly the typical Valentine's Day heart shaped red/pink candy boxes caught my eye. Surprisingly, the Valentine heart box has changed very little over the years. It has a few ruffles, banners or flowers but essentially it’s the same old box. What a waste to not expand the marketing effort and maximize the package to increase sales.

Now I have eaten my share of chocolate over the years, but lately I have been watching the healthy aspects of what I eat. So why aren't these candy manufactures touting the fact that chocolate is good for me. According to a recent study chocolate contains compounds called flavonoids that can help maintain a healthy heart and good circulation and reduce blood clotting which can cause heart attacks and stroke. “More and more, we are finding evidence that consumption of chocolate that is rich in flavonoids can have positive cardiovascular effects,” says Carl Keen, a nutritionist at the University of California, Davis.

Wow! How about that for a great reason to eat more chocolate? No more guilt trips when I eye the candy isle. But I just don't get the concept that marketers don't understand that chocolate equals a good thing. Duh, shouldn't that be emblazoned on every box of chocolate and Valentine box? (Supposedly, it’s only the dark chocolate but I'll make that sacrifice.)

How hard is it for marketers to make that leap? They have the opportunity to sell more chocolate by advertising that it is good for you. And you wives and girlfriends, men say they would rather give a box of chocolate than flowers. How wonderful, an equal opportunity Valentine's Day gift of chocolate.

So the next time an "occasion" comes your way, think outside the box. Literally, think about the outside of the box. The outside of the box can do much more marketing and about deliver ways to sell a product uniquely and creatively.

For more insights on how to package creatively and uniquely contact the Packaging Diva at
PackagingDiva@aol.com.

Launching A Brand At The Super Bowl With "Dreadful" Packaging

I picked this up on the news this week and was interested to hear Ad Age critic Bob Garfield's take on the Super Bowl ad for American Home Health. Although he loved the ad, he hated the packaging and in most cases the packaging is what will sell the product -- or not.

This is a direct quote about the product and packaging. “You can go to great lengths to prevent germs wearing a biohazard suit 24/7 or you can use the new PS line of disinfectants. A solid product intro despite dreadful packaging and logotype."

With each Super Bowl 30-second time slot costing a record $2.5 million - or $83,333 per second, you would think the company would have all their ducks (not AFLAC) in a row when it comes to product packaging. I remember the American Home Health ad, but I was more focused on the green biohazard suits so I went back and looked at the products.

The message I got from a brief glimpse of the packaging was "industrial strength." I like the strong color family concept but the colors themselves come across as harsh and the package looks rather mundane, "institutionalized" and definitely not consumer oriented. This might have been the company’s strategy to give the product the industrial strength look equating to a better stronger product. In that case, they got their message across. We will wait to see how the packaging evolves after it has been on the market and in the consumers hands for a while.

Another ad where the package was the supposed star of the show, Pepsi Light, got panned by a media critic too. “The session features a group of men and women moaning and flirting with the can of Pepsi on a pedestal to the tune of "You want it." No thanks. Brown and bubbly...bad and burpy. Hardly appetizing.” Other media pundits also gave this ad thumbs down.

This sends a bad message to the packaging community, no matter how strongly the product is branded. I watched the commercial and didn't get the point either.

So, spend some time and think about the perception of your package with a new product launch and analyze the cost of prime time advertising. What will the consumer see in your product? Will the first impression be a good one or a negative one that will have to be overcome at a later date? Does the package invite the consumer to come for a closer look? Remember, the best advertising will fail the test if the consumer doesn't like the look of the product when they see it for themselves. With the right packaging, you can brand your product positively in the consumer’s eyes. Conversely, with the wrong packaging you can establish a lasting negative impression that can never be overcome.

Got products you want to ensure consumers will buy?
Is your packaging is on the right target with the right message?
Find out with a 15 minute consultation with the Packaging Diva.
Email me for an appointment at PackagingDiva@aol.com or call 678-594-6872.

The DIVA is coming to NYC in late May.
If you are interested in picking my brains about the latest trends and technologies or how to package products people will buy email me at PackagingDiva@aol.com or call 678-594-6872

Fear Factor Packaging

I'm getting really nervous with the daily security threats that abound in the news. People forget that packaging has an important role to play in helping keep our products safe for consumption. Remember the Tylenol packaging incident? Many packaging applications, such as the tamper evident seal and the shrink wrap band were invented as a result of that incident. Frighteningly, a major concern should be our food supply. One bio-terrorism incident in our food supply could be a thousand times more deadly than 9/11.

Packaging is starting to get some media play on this topic. I just read an article that tied packaging to the bird flu. Really! Stay tuned next week for "How Packaging Causes Global Warming." I am just kidding. But let’s get serious. There are some pretty important ways that packaging impacts our product security. In fact, I recently wrote about it in my 13 Packaging Trends for 06. The premise is that keeping products secure will be one of the most important influences on purchasing in the future.

Smart or intelligent packaging has an important role to play in protecting the public. New innovations are surfacing every day. As an example, I spoke about TTI's (time-temperature indicators) at the recent Marketing to Women Conference. It is amazing how this product security enhancement impacts the purchasing decision of the female consumer.

Some other exciting things I have read recently about how packaging can protect us include . . .
• A Canadian-based company's Toxin Guard is a system of placing antibody-based tests on polymer packaging films to detect pathogens or other selected micro organisms. The insert sends a visual alert when it encounters targeted spoilage bacteria, or pathogens such as E-coli, Listeria and Salmonella.

• A French company, CRYOLOG, has designed the TRACEO® transparent label to trace freshness at a glance. Applied over a bar code, the label turns opaque when the product is no longer fit for consumption by using an innovative patented microorganism technology that simulates the actual degradation of the product to which it is affixed.

• The January 2006 deadline related to RFID tagging mandated by Wal-Mart has passed. Every one was in a frenzy about this and what it meant, but RFID technology has yet to be widely applied in an automated fashion. The reality of RFID tracking is unlike current bar codes in which all similar items, e.g. 12 oz. cans of Coca-Cola, have the same number. RFID tags would give each individual item a unique identification number. That means tracking literally everything -- including you. I was astounded to read that numerous major companies have patents on RFID implantation in humans.

• The jury on consumer acceptance of RFID is still out. Consider this excerpt from the book Spychips:"Marketers want to tag data to identify you and profile your possessions so they can target you with marketing and advertising material wherever you go. Government agents crave the power of hidden spychips to monitor citizens' political activities and whereabouts. And, of course, criminals can't wait to identify easy marks and high-ticket items by scanning the contents of shopping bags and suitcases at a distance.--Katherine Albrecht & Liz McIntyre, Spychips, p 29."

Wow, that should open a few eyes. As I stated in my packaging trend article, “Big Brother could be watching you from your package in the near future.” Just think tracking from the manufacture, through the consumer to the disposal site. I'm not sure exactly how I feel about this. I have OnStar on one of my vehicles and it operates on a similar premise but it doesn't come inside my house. So think about smart packaging applications that make sense. Keep an eye out for consumer opinion to determine how consumers feel about big brother watching them. The fear of being spied upon might impact a consumer’s decision to buy your product.

The Diva Can Answer Your Packaging Questions

Faith Popcorn's BrainReserve recently issued its 2006 Predictions. However, before they did that they contacted me, The Packaging Diva, to give my input about which packaging markets were hot and which were not. They also asked my advice about what packaging trends will impact the consumer in 06. If you want to have the scoop on the trends of the packaging industry and enjoy the most pertinent insights available, contact me for interviews, articles, speaking, webinars, or conferences.

My opinion and packaging expertise is highly respected. A few of the places my articles have appeared include GCI -Global Cosmetics Industry, Package Design Magazine, Shelf-Impact, ReThinkPink.com and TheMatureMarket.com. I spoke recently at Packaging and Design Summit, Prestige Products Conference, CPP Expo, and the Marketing to Women Conference. I have several pivotal conferences scheduled for 06. So packaging is your focus and you want to keep abreast of insightful packaging information give me a call at 678-594-6872 or contact me via email at packagingdiva@aol.com