Outpackaging The Competition Before They Outpackage You

Packaging News You Can Use
Tip Of The Week Issue
#1279 - August 3, 2007 Publisher: JoAnn Hines
JoAnn@packagingdiva.com
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Coming Soon
Packaging Your Invention
http://packagingyourinvention.com

PACKAGING QUESTION OF THE WEEK:
I'm sure you are busy getting ready for back to school but please take the time to answer this important question.

Barry one of my clients posed this question: As you know China has been hit with some bad press lately; specifically, China manufacturing - Safety and Quality... mainly in the food industry. As American brands continue to manufacture, in our case, products in China, are you seeing statements being made on packaging to ensure a brands commitment to safety and quality or are brands staying away from such statements because of the attention to the negative? Statements like: "Designed and Tested in the US. Made in China" "Made in China, tested in America" What's your opinion and have you started implementing similar statements on your product packaging? I'll compile the answers in a future issue.

FEATURE ARTICLE:
Outpackaging The Competition Before They Outpackage You by JoAnn Hines Packaging Diva

Does a product’s packaging count or make a difference in the eyes of the consumer? Traditional advertising and marketing methods are under attack. They just aren't working anymore. Is your product packaging prepared to take their place? The important issue to recognize is that the package is in a position of power. It can capture a consumer at the first point of contact in a retail environment.

Consider this recent announcement:<>Preschoolers recognize the role packaging has to play. Through the power of the package, the children preferred the McDonald’s carrots!

Seriously, the packaging can make or break the sale in many cases. Just think about the last time you purchased something new. What compelled you to pick it up off the shelf? The package and the message it conveyed to you of course!

Ponder these important facts.
• The average consumer takes only 2.6 seconds to make up their minds whether to purchase your product or not. (So, will your product stand out from the competition?)
• 70 percent of all purchasing decisions are made at the store (This provides an unlimited opportunity to tell your product’s story -- provided you capture their attention).
• Women either influence or make the purchasing decision 85 percent of the time. (This means you have to sell to her first regardless of who she is shopping for.)

Packaging is your silent salesperson. It tells all there is to know about the product inside. So it better be on track with the right message to the right consumer.

The package has an immense role to play. Besides transporting, protecting and keeping your product secure consider what other things the package is doing simultaneously: educating about what's inside or how to use the product, helping the consumer to make an informed purchasing decision, making it convenient and easier for the customer to use, providing a sense product integrity and trust in your brand. Heard enough? Can your package meet these criteria?

Think about the people who shop and interact with your package. Today’s consumer is a moving target. You have market trends, demographics and market niches that are continually evolving at any point in time. It's your product packaging “connecting” to them with the right message. That core “message” is one of the most important attributes of your product packaging.

The package needs to "engage" the consumer by clearly stating value, benefits and reasons why a consumer should make the purchase. How will purchasing the product make someone's life easier? How easy or convenient is it to use? How does it mesh with the consumer’s lifestyle? And most importantly, what's in it for the consumer once they make the purchase?

Ask yourself these important questions that will help you build your package brand and set you apart from your competition.
• Who is your buyer?
• How old is your buyer?
• Where does your buyer shop?
• How often do they shop?
• What features are they looking for in your product packaging?
• What is the most important aspect of your product package that will appeal to the buyer?
• Will your package persuade people to buy it?
• Can your package be easily compromised, tampered with or counterfeited?
• Is environmentally friendly or green consumerism important to your product message?
• What "hot" emotional buttons will engage your consumer? Is it color, shape, design, user friendly, fashion statement, trendy, "in style", eco friendly or just plain cool!!

It could be any or all off the above but it needs to marry up with your targeted consumer’s expectations.

So before you packaging anything or rework your product packaging, ensure you understand your audience. Articulate your core message though creating product packaging that matches the consumer needs with their product expectations. Be prepared for your product packaging to fill the void left by your competition by understanding clearly who your consumer is and what they want from you and your product.

Outpackage them before they outpackage you.

Need packaging help? Why not contact me the Packaging Diva one of the top consumer product packaging experts via email at joann@packagingdiva.com or by phone at 1-678-594-6872. I can help you package your product to sell just like I have helped hundreds of happy clients.

PACKAGING GREEN WATCH:

Biopackaging push needed from government says reportA lack of government policies and slow industry takeup of biopackaging represents a missed branding opportunity for drinks manufacturers, according to a new report...
http://www.packwire.com/news/ng.asp?n=78592&m=2PKW731&c=civvshurcgmxuib

Environmentalists Against "Buying Green"The Ayn Rand Institute - Irvine,CA,USAIrvine, CA--With organic food in every grocery store and hybrid cars on every stretch of freeway, "green consumerism" has become commonplace. ...
http://www.aynrand.org/site/News2?JServSessionIdr002=6jllq098x5.app1a&page=NewsArticle&id=15295&news_iv_ctrl=1221

Earth TalkRichmond.com - Richmond,VA,USAKnown within the packaging industry as expanded polystyrene (EPS) and usually bearing the "#6" recycling symbol, Styrofoam (which is actually the trademark ...
http://news.google.com/news?hl=en&ncl=http://www.richmond.com/sci-tech/output.aspx%3FArticle_ID%3D4785426%26Vertical_ID%3D127%26tier%3D1%26position%3D2


THE DIVA'S PACKAGING PICKS OF THE WEEK:
Read this interesting article on packaging.

When Cookies Catch the Cooties - 2007-07-09exduco.net - Toscany,ItalyDURHAM, NC -- Of all the things companies worry about when selling food products, catching "cooties" is probably not high on the list. ...
http://www.exduco.net/news.php?id=1885

Bottled water labels don't tell the whole storyMSNBC - USABy Phil Lempert Bottled waters may soon be getting clearer. No, I'm not talking about the clarity, or even purity, of the waters that we Americans spent $15 ...
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20055639/


Packaging Legislation Becomes More Stringent in ChinaBusiness Wire (press release) - San Francisco,CA,USAOur Packaging Industry in China market report offers a comprehensive guide to the size and shape of the market at a national level. It provides the latest ...
http://home.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/index.jsp?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20070805005003&newsLang=en

Federal Health Panel Ignores Evidence of Risk From Food-Packaging ...AScribe (press release) - USAAmong the inexcusable shortcomings of the report endorsed by the Center is its failure to account for people most at risk from BPA. ...http://newswire.ascribe.org/cgi-bin/behold.pl?ascribeid=20070808.142538&time=14%2050%20PDT&year=2007&public=0