MANUFACTURERS BRAND OR DISTRIBUTORS

BRAND
Generic and Store Brands vs. Brand Names
The security of buying a name brand product may
cost you a little extra, but is it worth it when the
generic or store brand version of the same item is
sitting right there on the store or supermarket
shelf?
Lifestyle expert Robyn Moreno, author of
"Practically Posh," said on "The Early Show on
Saturday Morning" that -- it depends on the
product.
Pain Relievers
When it comes to pain relievers,if there's a
generic version available, go for it.
To be certified a "generic" by the Food and Drug
Administration, a pain reliever hasto have the
same "active ingredient" as its brand name
equivalent. For instance, the "active ingredient"
in Advil is ibuprofen. The generic also has to have
an efficacy rate similar to that of a name brand,
usually within a 20 percent range.
Name brands cost more because those
companies spend money on research and
development, as well as advertising, and generics
ride their coattails, so to speak.
All this means if you have a headache and want
ibuprofen, you can get a store brand, such as
Equate from Wal-Mart, at a cheaper price than
Advil, and they'll work essentially the same.
The main difference between the two is that
store/brands can contain additives, like caffeine,
which will have side effects. And generics might
be absorbed differently in the body (gel caps
compared to pills, for instance), which affects
efficacy. So, check with your doctor and try out
the more affordable versions for yourself to see if
they work for you.
To find out if there's a generic version of a drug
you take, check here.

Maybelline the Colossal Volumn Express Mascara

work just as well as a high-end one. With higherend brands, you pay for the name. Makeup artists
consistently call out Maybelline as their favorite
mascara.
But splurge on higher-end department store
foundation, such as Laura Mercier, which has
more pigment, and comes in more varieties for
skin type (oily/dry) and skin tone. Plus, it's not as
irritating to the skin as some less expensive
drugstore cheaper brands. Another benefit of
buying high-end foundation is that you can try it
at a department store to get right shade, as
opposed to a drug store, where you can't. You can
save money there alone in time and frustration.
Toiletries
When it comes to hand soaps, the cost of name
brands, such as Soft Soap for $2.49, isn't much
more than their store name counterparts, such as
Walgreens liquid hand soap for $1.99. Plus, the
packaging is more attractive, which is better for
aesthetic purposes.
For toilet paper, some store brands aren't much
cheaper than name brands, so why not go higherend for them? Brand names are better quality
and more absorbent.
Manicure kits are ideal to keep in the bathroom
for the whole family. The Kiss brand version is
great for men and women for $9.99, while the
Walgreens store brand, Studio 35, is $10.79. So
the brand name is cheaper here. So, when it
comes to toiletries, go for quality, since the
savings aren't too huge.
Gasoline.
The price difference between the gasoline at the
name-brand stations, such as Exxon/Mobil, and
"off-brand" stations can be about 20 cents a
gallon. That amounts to $14 a month for the
average driver, and that adds up to more than
$170 per year.

Fashion

Studies have shown, in essence, that "gas is gas"

-- that the gas at the two types of stations is
essentially the same.

When it comes to "trend-of-the-moment" items

you'll only wear one season, there is NO point is
spending hundreds of dollars. For instance, cargo
pants are always popular for summer. Intermix
stores have some great ones for $255, but you
can save money on less expensive cargo pants
from TJ Maxx for only $55. The styles are similar,
but the savings are huge.

Moreover a recent report showed that off-brand

stations often receive their delivery from the
same tank trucks that deliver to the name-brand
stations, and even name-brand stations can
receive gasoline from a different name-brand
refinery!

For classic fashion pieces you'll wear year-afteryear, invest in quality items like leather wallets
and shoes, and cashmere sweaters. They can be
paired with less expensive clothing, but give a
more chic look. The quality stands out with these
items, because the leather is often hand-made,
as opposed to a factory-produced, and will last for
many years, saving money in the long-run.
Makeup
There are specific items you can buy at the
drugstore that are just as good as prestige brands
at the department store. Items such as

Some people are brand-loyal because they might

have credit cards with a name brand store, but if
you want cheaper gas, go off brand.
Fashion Debate: Brands vs. No Brands
Tired of being told that brand name clothing just
isnt worth the price, and that by wearing them
youre being superficial? Well, buying brand
names go beyond what the critics say.
If I walk into a store and see a plain shirt for $20
and a brand name one for $25, Im far more likely
to buy the brand name shirt because I know that
Im buying a good quality product from a reliable
company, after all, high-end companies will

ensure superior quality in order to uphold their

reputations. And if I get great shirts from a
particular brand name, I also expect other
products by the same brand to be well made.
However, Im not sure what Im getting with noname labels.
Generally, the very first impression that someone
has of you is focused on the image that you
project. For instance, if you dont take care of
your appearance, others may think that youre
disorganized. Brand name clothing gives a
positive impression to everyone around you.
If you see someone else sporting your favourite
brand, its easy to spark a conversation. Even if
youre shy, you will be much more self-assured
because you know that youve got something in
common with the other person. Self-esteem is a
huge part of being a teenager, so a small boost in
confidence could have a tremendous effect.
Confidence allows us to try new things without
the fear of rejection or failure. So, why shouldnt
we have something that gives us a sense of
security?
Ill admit that part of the appeal of brand names
may be how something looks, but I cant help it if
I love the look of that Roxy swimsuit or those
Lululemon tank tops! I like being the centre of
attention sometimes, a friend tells me.
She loves it when people ask where they can buy
a Louis Vuitton purse like hers. Brand name
clothing and accessories are designed to appeal
to consumers, and they do so very well. Theres
no point in buying something that you dont like,
so if you like the brand name item, go for it!
Brand name products bring us good quality
merchandise, confidence in ourselves, and great
looking items. That certainly sounds worth it to
me.
No Name Necessary
Billabong, Roxy, Juicy, Paul Frank, Lacoste: brand
names swirl around in your head. The big names
come with even bigger price tags. You pause for a
millisecond and think, Why am I wearing
someones logo and advertising for them? The
thought quickly disintegrates as another trendy
label catches your eye. Youve already picked out
the perfect skirt to complete the outfit.
Perhaps in all this confusion you ignore the price
or maybe youre sucked into this brand name
world without knowing it. Whatever the reason,
you walk up to the $40 Roxy t-shirt, pull it off the
rack and head towards the dressing room. The
almost identical (but lacking the right label) $15
t-shirt from the previous store is forgotten along
with your budget for today.
So why do some teens put in the extra cash for
the logo while others couldnt care less? Jackie
Burkhart (played by Mila Kunis), the fashionconscious member of the gang on That 70s
Show, feels more secure in her brand name
clothes. On the show, in response to accusations
of her being insecure she screams, I am not
insecure! This is a designer sweater, this is
designer eye shadow, and those are designer
shoes and they make me feel INCREDIBLY
secure! Is she right? Perhaps those teens buying
strictly brand names are looking to their clothes
for self-confidence. By wearing the hottest t-shirt
they try to avoid the awkwardness of fitting in,
thinking that their clothes will provide comfort,
much like a security blanket. They believe
wearing brand names will automatically put them
into a category labeled cool & trendy. To some,
fitting in right away based on appearance is more

appealing than making friends based on

personality. Of course, our clothes should
somewhat represent our personalities but they
shouldnt replace them.
Brand names have become a method to display
status. Label kings and queens say they buy
clothes and accessories because they represent
who they are, but really, how can a t-shirt that is
owned by nearly half the population represent an
individual?
Also bizarre, is the fact that some teens will buy a
plain 100% cotton white tank top from Parasuco
for way too much money, while a similar top can
be found elsewhere for a fraction of the cost.
Some suggest that the higher the price the better
the quality, but isnt 100% cotton just 100%
cotton?
Some also argue that brand names spark
conversation. Someone across the room might
approach you wondering where you bought that
new Guess bag! While this might be true, do you
really want to talk to someone who only
approached you because of something you are
wearing?
Although brand names are more expensive,
perhaps the appeal is that you arent only paying
for the logo but also for your status, your
confidence, and for your ability to fit in.
What are brands for?Yet arguments rage about
how much brands are worth and why. Firms that
value them come to starkly different conclusions.
Most of the time they do not appear as assets on
companies balance-sheets (see article). One
school of thought says brands succeed mainly by
inspiring loyalty. Consumers would die for
Apple, believes Nick Cooper of Millward Brown.
Others take a cooler view. Bruce McColl, who as
the chief marketer of Mars oversees Snickers
chocolate bars, Whiskas cat food and other
brands, is on record as saying that consumers
arent out there thinking about our brands. And
however much brands may have been worth in
the past, their importance may be fading.
Brands, of course, vary. Some identify products
that are distinctive (like The Economist, we hope).
Others confer distinction on products that are
otherwise hard to tell apart, such as cola. The
brands of banks and insurers are shaped less by
advertising and marketing (the usual ways of
building a brand) than by customers
experiences, points out Simon Glynn of
Lippincott, a consulting firm. In such cases,
consumers get the message only if employees
do.
The idea of brand equity arose in America in the
1980s after a bout of cut-throat discounting by
consumer-goods companies, which prompted
them to look for less-savage and more enduring
ways to boost sales. Patiently building brands
became the preferred alternative. They would
allow companies to hold on to customers, win
new ones and provide launching pads for new
products. David Aaker, a business-school
professor who helped spread the idea, identified
three main components of brand equity:
consumers awareness of a brand, the qualities
they associate with it (BMW summons up German
engineering, Ryanair says cheap) and loyalty.
The arguments now are partly over how
important each element is.
Whats love got to do with it?
Loyalty is what excites marketers and advertising
folk. So-called lovemarks such as Apple and

Coca-Cola are trademarks that inspire loyalty

beyond reason, says Saatchi & Saatchi, an
advertising agency; the firm runs a website that
lists hundreds of them. They have legions of fans,
command a price premium and, most important
perhaps, are forgiven when they fall short. The
emotional bond puts credit in the bank, says Mr
Cooper. Brands are a promise to consumers, it is
often said; they also serve as an insurance policy
to cover the cost of breaking it.
Much marketing gospel flows from this view, such
as the idea that brands must differentiate, appeal
to distinct groups of consumers and foster fidelity.
Loyal consumers really drive brand profitability,
believes Millward Brown, which is part of WPP, a
big marketing group. Loyalty and emotional
connection also figure in the Brand Strength
Index devised by BrandFinance, a competitor.
Some companies even link pay to indicators of
brand health. At HSBC, part of top executives
bonuses depend on Brand Finances valuation.
A second view holds that brands are a shorthand
for choice, in the words of Martin Glenn, chief
executive of United Biscuits, producer of
McVities. They make it easier for shoppers to cut
through the information bombardment that rains
down upon them. On this analysis, awareness
matters more than loyalty or passion.
Apples computers, for example, may have a
strong brand; but they command only a little
more loyalty from buyers than do customers of
less-ballyhooed makes of computer, argues Byron
Sharp, a marketing expert at the University of
South Australia. Their slightly higher tendency to
stick with Apple probably comes from the hassle
of having to convert to a different operating
system, rather than love of the brand, he reckons.
Harley-Davidson, a motorcycle company, is well
known to have a devoted fan base. But in fact
such fanatics account for only a tenth of its
customers and just 3.5% of its revenue.
On this view, companies that strive to
differentiate themselves from their competitors
brands are mostly wasting their time. Take fizzy
drinks. Mr Sharps data show that less than onefifth of the people who quaff them think there is
anything unique or special about Coke, Pepsi and
the like. Many products marketed mainly to
women are largely bought by men, and vice
versa. A consumer-goods brand that aimed its
marketing at its most fervent fans would lose
sales: a typical Coke drinker buys one or two
bottles a year.
Forget me not
What constitutes brand equity, Mr Sharp
contends, is physical and mental availability, by
which he means the opportunity for consumers to
find products in shops and their propensity to
think of the brand when shopping. That is
achieved through traditional methods of mass
marketing, such as television advertising,
packaging and celebrity endorsements, rather
than through the fashionable targeted sort made
possible by the internet.
Kelloggs takes this point of view. The cerealmaker thinks its tried-and-tested imagery, such
as Rice Krispies Snap, Crackle & Pop, has proved
its worth by planting brands in consumers minds.
Hopefully, were smarter about retaining things
over time, says Jane Ghosh, Kelloggs
commercial-marketing director in Britain. Loyalty
is real, but does not vary much, or show that
consumers are passionate about brands. They are

loyal to stuff they can find easily in shops and in

their memory banks.
Even this argument is too starry-eyed for Itamar
Simonson and Emanuel Rosen, authors of a
recent book, Absolute Value: What Really
Influences Customers in the Age of (Nearly)
Perfect Information. They argue that consumers
are becoming more rational and need brands
less.
The original job of brands was to assure
consumers about the quality of a product or
service. Some, such as Sony in electronics, and
over-the-counter remedies such as Tylenol, still
seek to do this. But now customers can review
products on shopping websites, talk to each other
through social media and consult reviews
websites like cnet.com and TripAdvisor. Brands
thus have a reduced role as a quality signal,
write Messrs Simonson and Rosen. Shopping
websites also make it easier for consumers to find
the sort of product they like and filter out the sort
they dont. So brands are less needed as a
mental shortcut. Brand equity is simply not as
valuable as it used to be, the authors contend.
People have been predicting the death of the
brand since the birth of e-commerce. It has not
happened, Mr Sharp says, because people are
lazier, and reviews less useful, than the seers
assume. Consumers have come to expect decent
products at good prices. Brands guide them to
the ones they want. They are likely to survive the
age of (nearly) perfect information, though
experts will continue to debate why.
Beverage Distributors
When starting a new beverage brand, Beverage
Distribution can be a complex and challenging
exercise. Proper beverage distribution is one of
the more difficult aspects of operating a beverage
company. Our team of beverage industry experts
has decades of experience selling and marketing
beverages and is especially focused on new
beverage brands. The Power Brands team has
experience distributing consumer products with a
focus on beverage distribution and has engaged
beverage distributors across the United States,
Central and South America, Africa, Asia, Europe,
England, the Caribbean as well as many other
places around the world.
Power Brands' team of beverage distribution
experts work with beverage distributors to
introduce your brand to the market. Most
beverage distributors will not work with a start-up
beverage company because the majority of new
beverage brands are not familiar with beverage
industry standard procedures and this causes
inefficiencies for the distributor. Beverage
distributors are typically large organizations that
can have major slow downs in productivity if
beverage brands have inexperienced
manufacturing, sales or marketing teams. With a
well thought out and organized approach
presented to the beverage distributor up front,
the beverage distributors know that they will be
working with a beverage distribution plan that is
effective. Power Brands experience with new,
private label, white label and branded beverage
products, ensures that the beverage distributors
know that they will have all the technical support
they need to make the beverage distribution
process successful.
Beverage distribution, sales and marketing can

be overly expensive if not performed and

managed correctly. It is important to understand
the dynamics of beverage distribution companies
and their retail customers before entering into
any distribution contracts. Some questions you
should address include: does the beverage
distributor assist with promotional and marketing
expenses? Will beverage distributors allow for
internal sales team incentives? What other
brands do the beverage distributors carry and
how will this affect your new beverage brand?
These are just a few of the many questions that
should be asked before you consider signing a
beverage distribution contract. Power Brands has
entered into hundreds of contracts and is familiar
with all aspects of beverage distribution, we will
guide you through these contracts and offer you
sound advice so the beverage distributors offer
you the best possible deal.
It is important to find the right type of beverage
distribution for your new beverage brand by
determining the appropriate retail channels.
Whether you are looking for distribution for
energy shots, energy drinks, coconut water, fresh
pressed juices, health drinks or any other types of
beverages, you must consider the channels of
trade very carefully. Low cost beverages packed
in aluminum cans do not sell through exactly the
same retail channels as fresh pressed juice;
energy drinks and coconut water have very
different needs when it comes to distribution
strategy; tea consumers will be looking on a
different shelf than protein drink consumers; so
identifying the right retail channel(s) must be
factored into your beverage distribution strategy.
Who are the right beverage distributors to take
new beverages to market? What is the correct
point of sale for your beverage brand and what
distribution strategy will achieve this goal? With
so many questions around beverage distribution
it is essential to have an expert on your side,
Power Brands can help you to identify the correct
channels of trade and the right beverage
distributors to service those retail channels.
Call or email today for a free initial consultation
with a beverage expert. Harness the power of
decades of beverage distribution experience and
global contacts; it may make all the difference to
your beverage business.
REDISIGNING THE PACKAGE OR NOT?
To Redesign or Not to Redesign: That is the
Packaging Question
OCTOBER 12, 2012 BRANDING 0
Packaging design is not merely an essential part
of branding in the world of retail products it
is the most important part of branding. Not only
is it the first impression and provides the sales
proposition but it must also close the deal
ultimately making the sale at the store level.
Much like brand logos in this fast paced world
its easy to change for the sake of change. With
technology and design software making
everything accessible, it has become effortless to
try this, change this or modify this. Designs
are not given the time they need to cure and
become part of consumers
landscape.Technology is great and its a fantastic
tool. It has provided designers with the creative
freedom to deliver on design flexibility and offer
the marketing and creative industry astounding

possibilities in record time. But like everything

else in life, theres an upside and then theres a
downside to it. In this case, technology and
software has given us speed and flexibility at the
expense of timely conscious strategic thinking.
How does one know when the time has
come to change a brands packaging
design?
Are there particular signs to watch for? Or better
yet, are there specific questions that need to be
asked and answered? Heres my list:
How long has it been since the
last packaging redesign? If it has been 15
years or more, chances are the packaging should
be redesigned. Consumers change within
decades, and with this change come new trends
and new styles. All packaging designs have a
style, and eventually even the most
contemporary packaging design starts to be
viewed as stale or pass more importantly, it no
longer resonates with consumers. When all is said
and done, the packaging needs to speak to the
consumers in the way they want to be spoken to.
A good way to assess packaging design fatigue is
to commissionpackaging research.
Is the current packaging poorly
designed? Does it reflect the product promise?
Does it communicate what it is effectively? Or
does it ask consumers to read and decipher what
its all about? Was the current
design professionally done by packaging
designers? Does it stand up to the brands
image? At the risk of sounding repetitive, the best
way to determine this is through packaging
research.
Whats the product sales turns? Is the
product purchased weekly? Monthly? Once every
8 months? Annually? This is key for determining
how many times products should engage in
redesigning their packaging. For products that are
purchased semi-annually or annually, redesigning
packaging every year or even 2 years may lead
to consumer confusion and frustration when they
cant easily find it on the shelf.
Recommended for YouWebcast: The Art of
Building Partnerships
How competitive is the category? Are
competitive brands constantly updating
themselves with new ways of presenting their
claims or providing appetite appeal? Are new
brands showing up on shelf with nothing more to
offer but a sexy or new package? This is often
found in the soup category, where consumption
patterns are high. A good source of information
and insight of many retail categories and their
competitive information is Nielsen.
Does the consumer base need to change? In
this context, I am referring to the demographics
and psychographics of the products consumers.
Is a wider net required to captivate new
consumers? Is the existing consumer franchise
leaving the market negatively impacting sales,
and thus profitability.
Has the product been innovated? Is there
something new to say? Has a new and improved
version of the existing product been developed
that will set it apart from the competition? Can it
deliver better or more? If so, it is imperative
to communicate that on the package, visually and
boldly.
It has often been my experience that marketers,
brand managers, product managers, marketing
directors, marketing managers, to name a few,
often tire of their package way before the

consumer does! So before you call on

your advertising agency to come up with the next
best design since the invention of sliced bread,
take a deep breath and well breathe and
think strategically.
Use Less Packaging and Reduce Waste!
Every year Californians produce 45 million tons of
garbage, and approximately one third is
packaging. New state-of-the-art landfills are
harder and harder to site. Because of the costs
and environmental problems associated with the
disposal of solid waste, there is growing concern
and interest in reducing the amount of waste
generated while increasing the amount of waste
that is recycled and reused.
Packaging is one area where significant waste
reduction can be accomplished. Packaging
manufacturers, retailers, and consumers have a
tremendous opportunity to make a valuable
contribution to the overall resolution of these
problems. And while there are certainly no
absolute formulas or prescriptions for the
packaging industry, it is also clear that the
traditional view of package design, use, and
disposal practices must change.
Working hand in hand, retailers, packagers, and
consumers should voluntarily choose to
aggressively pursue all possible waste reduction
strategies, including waste prevention, reuse, and
recycling.
Herman Miller, Inc. has saved over $1 million
annually, in part, with reusable or cartonless
furniture packaging. The company also holds
workshops to educate employees about waste
prevention.
Principles for Packaging Reduction
These are principles that leading packaging firms
have found successful in achieving substantial
cost savings and effective waste reduction.
Implement them in order of priority, if possible.
There may be conflicts between competing goals,
such as package minimization and use of
recycled content. In general, if you cannot do
both, select the option that results in the least
amount of waste going to landfills.
Eliminate
The basic principle of waste prevention is that by
preventing waste material from being produced in
the first place, there will be less waste to
manage. If possible, eliminate the package
altogether, provided product integrity will not be
jeopardized.

Reduce
Reduce the amount of packaging used. For those
products that must be packaged, consider
methods of reducing the amount of material used
in the packaging. Minimal packaging can be
accomplished through:

Product design changes (e.g.,

concentrates, different product structures).

Modifications to package design (e.g.,

structure of the package).

New or different types of packaging.

Single material packaging (e.g., one

package component).

Development and use of consumable

packages where appropriate. (Consumable
packages are those which are eliminated in
the process of using the product so that no
packaging remains; an example would be the
use of water soluble packets for a product that
is to be mixed with water.)
Reuse

Design packages that are refillable or

reusable.

Refillable packages may be refilled by

either the consumer, retailer, or product
producer from bulk or larger containers. To be
considered refillable, packaging must be
refilled or reused for its original purpose,
rather than reused for a secondary purpose
such as storing refrigerator leftovers or other
limited applications.

Maximize the use of reusable packaging,

including reusable transport packaging.
Recyclable Packaging and Recycled Content
Packaging should be designed to be compatible
with available recycling systems. Labels, seals,
tapes, closures, and so on, should also be
compatible with common recycled material
processing systems.
A material should be considered recyclable only if
there is an economically viable and widely
available system for collecting, processing, and
marketing the material.
Use the maximum feasible amount of
postconsumer, recycled material in the
packaging.
A package that is designed to be both recycled
and composed of recycled material is most
preferable. However, regulatory restrictions (such
as Rule 41 of the Uniform Freight Classification or
Food and Drug Administration regulations) or
structural considerations may limit the use of
recycled content.
To the greatest extent possible, recycled content
should be composed of post-consumer, recycled,
waste material, that is, material which has served
its intended end use and has been discarded by a
business or consumer.

Packaging Analysis Checklist

Without compromising health, safety, or productintegrity standards or violating statutory or
regulatory requirements, can the preferred
packaging procurement practices be
implemented? Following is a checklist for retailers
or manufacturers to use with their vendors on all
packaging: unit packaging, secondary packaging,
and tertiary packaging (shipping containers).

supplier of real ales in your local area, but as

soon as your ecommerce site goes live you
become one of the thousands and thousands of
real ale companies operating around the world.
This kind of competitive environment
necessitates the need for smart packaging design
that both stands out from the crowd and
communicates a deeper message of value about
the product to potential consumers.

Are there toxic materials in the packaging?

Can the toxic materials be eliminated?
Can non-toxic materials be substituted?
Can the package be eliminated?
Can the packaging be reduced through
product design changes, package design
changes, elimination of secondary package or
wrapping material, decreasing size of
packaging-to-product ratio, or other volume
reduction?

Can the package be made returnable for

reuse and redistribution?

Can the package be made to be refilled by

a customer or consumer either from bulk or
larger containers?

Is the package recyclable?

Can the package be made easier to

recycle, by redesigning it to be composed
predominantly of a single material?

If the packaging is made of more than one

material, can the different materials be easily
separated?

Does the packaging contain inks, dyes, or

tints which can be removed to enhance
recyclability?

Does the package contain the maximum

feasible amount of postconsumer material?

Do you currently receive more than one

type of flexible film (stretch wrap)?

To make in-store recycling easier, have

you considered selecting one plastic material
and asking your vendors to ship using only
that material?
How to Successfully Redesign Your Product
Packaging

One of the biggest problems for established

brands is the precarious balancing act of
maintaining your coherence and focus as a brand
while still allowing room for growth, change and
modification. No brand is ever perfect and there
is always likely to be people that you could
appeal to more or an aspect of your message that
needs to be amplified.

This is a guest post by James Duval.

It may be surprising to some that consumers

would react that negatively to a change of
packaging, bombarding the company with
negativity by email and social media, but that is
just to underestimate the attachment people
form with their favourite brands.

Your average supermarket carries anywhere

between 15,000 and 60,000 individual products
and the most people will wander through these
fluorescent lit halls of consumerism is once a
week and come away with at maximum 30 or 40
items.
The ecommerce environment is just as crowded,
with the global B2C market topping $1 trillion for
the first time in 2012. Simply typing the word
books into Amazon will yield you over 44 million
search results.
While the internet has provided a potential
customer base of millions for even the smallest of
local businesses, the flip-side is that these
businesses are elevated into a global
marketplace. You may have been the only

A risky area for any business is when the

realization dawns that their current packaging is
not doing as well as it should and that there is a
need for a substantial redesign. If you do it well
your brand will seem to have been rejuvenated
with a new energy and emphasis, but get it wrong
and the consequences can be extreme.
So before we get down to the nitty-gritty of how
to do a successful packaging redesign, we should
start off with a cautionary tale of just how
extreme the effects of a poorly received redesign
can be.
The Terrible Tale of the Tropicana Redesign
In 2009 Tropicana embarked on what quickly
went down in recent history as a spectacularly illconceived product redesign, which resulted in its
sales dropping by 20% and the company losing
millions of dollars.

So just what went wrong? As it turns out, just

about everything about this redesign was illconceived. The brand name text on the front was
upside down and far less immediately noticeable,
meaning that consumers had to invest a lot more
time and concentration and were unlikely to have
that immediate connection. The tone of voice was
weird and the typography gave of the air of trying
to be hip but coming off cold and corporate. The
old image of a ripe, juicy orange was replaced
with a stock photo of a glass of indiscriminate
orange juice and the old slogan of why does
Tropicana taste so good? is replaced with the

strange sounding drink in the spirit of the

morning.

The tide of negative reaction caused Tropicana

and its parent company PepsiCo to stop the shelf
the whole redesign, issue an embarrassing
retraction and slink off into the corner to lick its
wounds.

Determining early on why you need to do the

redesign in the first place will save a lot of
Tropicana-like pain further on down the line.

Pulling Off a Successful Packaging Redesign

Evolution or Revolution?

So now we know how not to do a successful

package redesign, we can turn our attention to
how to successfully reinvigorate your brand while
retaining a deep rooted sense of identity. Some
examples of the kind of measurable success that
a well thought out and implemented redesign can
bring to your company are:

Once you have the reason why you are going to

have to redesign your packaging, the next thing
you are going to have to figure just how drastic a
change you are aiming for. It comes down to the
difference between instigating revolution or
taking a few steps forward in evolution.
A revolutionary change means that your
packaging will be a radically different beast to
what it was like before, which opens you to the
risk of detaching the emotional connection your
core customer base has with your product (and
maybe they wont be able to recognise them on
shelves).

5 years after its initial launch and success,

Innocent Smoothies were facing increasing
competition and initiated a successful package
redesign
A confectionary company from the UK,
Lees of Scotland, saw a 20% rise in sales as a
result of the introduction of their new packaging
Cosmetics company Derma-e initially saw
a drop in sales during the transition
phase between new and old packaging but then
saw sales rise beyond their former levels

Evolutionary change on the other hand, implies

that you are simply shedding the parts of your
current design that arent working and
emphasising the parts that are working. Most of
the time, you are going to want to be aiming for
is evolutionary change because you want to
improve the delivery of your brand message
rather than simply starting again from scratch.

The first thing you are going to have to do is to

let go of any unhealthy sentimentality you might
have about the past and accept the bold
possibilities of the future.
The second thing of upmost importance to keep
in the forefront of your mind is that you have a
core group of loyal customers that you absolutely
must not lose. This is the biggest problem that
Tropicana ran into, because not only did they not
gain many new customers but they actually
began to lose customers. The ultimate package
redesign will not only entice new customers but
will excite these loyal customers as well.

Undoubtedly, some situations and business

climates are going to call for a revolutionary
change of focus and root and branch change, but
most of the time it is not going to be the whole of
the your design that is the problem.
Important Things to Remember
While the actual mechanics of each individual
package redesign process will depend on a
number of factors that are specific to your
product range, your previous design, your core
and target demographics and the message you
want to emphasise, there are a number of
important things that you would do well to
remember.

With these two factors in mind, the next thing you

are going to have to turn your mind to.
Why Do You Need to Redesign Your
Packaging?
Different companies and different brands are
going to have different reasons for initiating a
packaging redesign. It is important to establish at
the start what is driving your need for a redesign,
which may be one of the following:

Your product has changed in a way that

necessitates new packaging
You need visual unification between
different, previously distinct products
Your recent business performance has
changed
New government regulations or
requirements

Your expanding into new markets

Customer insights and surveys shows that
your message or appearance is dated or out of
touch with your core customer base or target
group

The biggest potential stumbling blocks you could

face in this process are:

A lack of certainty which leads you to

make changes that are too small and
inconsequential to matter to consumers or
warrant the time and effort put in
Making changes that are too big and result
in a damaging disconnect between your product
and consumers
Succumbing too much to design by
committee or making decisions based on fear or

the privileging of personal opinion over verifiable

information and objective goals
Not understanding how consumers
interact with your brand before you start and
making decisions which have a negative effect on
this
Instituting changes because everyone else
in your industry is and simply playing follow the
leader rather than taking the process seriously
The opportunities for those that get their
redesign right are the prizes that come from the
successful evolution of their brand, with new
possibilities blooming forth, new customers
discovering the benefits and a whole gaggle of
new avenues for the company to travel down.
Brand Rebirth: Transformation Through
Package Redesign
October 1, 2005
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Brand Rebirth: Transformation Through Package

Redesign
By Pauline Tingas
Brands once favored the deliberate and steady
evolution of their packaging. These days, though,
they seem to be shedding their skin at a much
more rapid clip. Indeed, package redesign is
increasingly becoming a major driver in the
stewardship, and sometimes in the
transformation, of many great brands.
Trend consultant Robyn Waters says consumer
demand is one reason for the shortened lifecycle
of todays packaging. There seems to be an
insatiable cultural demand for new and
improved that almost mandates a regular
review, she says.
That way, consumers will never really feel that a
brand is staid.
But you cant just schedule a redesign. There has
to be a strategy behind the decision, says
Christopher Lehmann, creative director of the San
Francisco office of Landor Associates. Budget
and desire should not alone drive a package
redesign, he says. There should always be a
strong why.
Design a new position
One common trigger is a brand repositioning.
When Target launched a price brand as the
second tier in its food and beverage private label
program, it had to reposition its existing Archer
Farms store brand as the premium option.
The Archer Farms packaging, however, was dated
and clearly couldnt meet that objective,
according to Michael Osborne of Michael Osborne
Design (MOD), the San Francisco-based firm
charged with the package redesign. Everything
from the style of photography to the structures
themselves had to match the price point where
they wanted to take the brand, he says.
MODs initial design explorations took that charge
to see how flexible the brand could be. We
presented spices in really cool aluminum
cylinders, pasta in raw corrugated and coffee in a
silver bag, Osborne says.

Not that Target would move on all of that. The

decision to go ahead (or not) with each concept
came down to the retailers purchasing
department.
Some things they did. Others they didnt do.
They had to look at whats custom, whats stock,
Osborne explains. We just gave them a sense of
what the brand could be.
They decided on MODs presentation of a French
country theme with a rich green background. Its
not old school, says Osborne. Theres just a
sliver of that, but with a modern twist.
And though there are many layers to the final
design, Osborne says the real challenge of the
project was in having to hand off the concept in a
complete enough form that Targets internal team
could digest.
We did a representational selection of products
in our presentations to demonstrate that the
design was extendable, and we produced the first
several SKUs, he says.
MOD then developed design guidelines that
outlined each element of the new packaging in
detail. The entire redesign project took the firm
less than eight weeks because, according to
Osborne, Target was very aggressive about
getting the new design launched and in stores.
With a new price brand on the way, the retailer
had to be sure Archer Farms would be set to
communicate its more premium position and
avoid confusion at the shelf.
Refresh a dated brand
Other package revamps are not tied to such firm
deadlines. The need for redesign simply creeps
up on them. Take Coca-Cola. The beverage
company recently introduced a package redesign
for its 39-year-old Fresca brand, giving the nocalorie beverage a fresh look with a new logo and
graphics on a variety of packaging sizes,
including 12-ounce cans, 20-ounce bottles, twoliter bottles and multi-can packs. Its the first
refresh since 1995.
The redesign stays true to the beverage brands
position as a tasteful alternative to soft drinks,
but it offers a more contemporary identity. By
relinquishing its dated green and yellow graphics
in favor of a livelier retro-modern color palette, it
appears Fresca is trying to capitalize on the
growing interest in fruit-flavored adult sodas
and capture consumers as they shift away from
the high sugar, traditional options.
Another brand that experienced a recent refresh,
Seagrams Coolers took its 20th anniversary as
an opportunity to introduce a more contemporary
package design late last year (see Brand New
on page 10).
The most significant element of the redesign was
the introduction of a new bottle (shape often
plays a role in wine and spirits redesigns).
Sure, there was risk in changing out the coneshaped bottlea 1980s icon. But, according to
Justin Fisch, senior brand manager of United
States Beverage, which manages and markets
the brand, the decision was rooted in extensive
consumer research.
We found that the cone-shaped bottle made
consumers feel older and outdated, says Fisch.
There was a stigma attached to it that was not
favorable in a social setting.
Seagrams new beer-shaped bottle leaves behind
all those 80s-era trappings. Unique to the cooler
category, the bottle also benefits the brand in
that it compares much more closely to the
competition in the malternative category, which,

as recently as 2002, was reporting annual growth

at 33 percent.
Fisch says the new packaging has seemingly
turned the brand around. After several years of
stagnating sales, Seagrams reports strong
growth based on the redesign, which also
includes a new label, logo and a four-pack
paperboard carrier with tropical imagery that
speaks to the escape feel of the refreshed
brand.
[Our] consumer base has expanded because of
the sleeker premium design, says Fisch. And, he
says, the brand has outperformed the cooler
category overall.
Manage change
Sometimes, the need for change comes straight
from the top. Corporate change can drive new
thinking and put packaging in greater
prominence.
GE Lighting, for example, had operated at one
point under a decentralized structure that had
product managers making decisions about the
packaging for each of their product types.
No one was thinking holistically about the
brand, says Landors Christopher Lehmann.
That is, until marketing took on a larger role
within the company and partnered with product
managers to unify the brand presentation and
experience.
Recognizing that the light bulb category had
become a commodity, where consumers made
decisions based on channel and price, the
company set out to create more of an emotional
connection with its customers. One of the first
directives was the relaunch of the companys
existing Enrich product.
Landor began by renaming the product Reveal
to communicate its unique offeringcleaner
whiter-looking lightthen developed a visual
identity to reflect that. The face of the new
packaging features a graphic of two inverted light
bulbs with the negative space between them
turned positive by coloring it in a vibrant blue
hue. The effect is that of seeing something that
wasnt there before, which, along with a palette
of pure white (no yellow cast) and the brandline
the bulb that uncovers pure true light seeks to
convey the emotional aspect of something as
simple as light.
CIBA Vision offers another example where
corporate changes led to new packaging
directives.
In July 2001, the manufacturer of optical and
ophthalmic products launched its Clear Care lens
care brand, which became one of the fastest
growing brands in the category, despite
significant competition.
But as marketing grew its presence within the
company, management realized the gains that
could be realized if the Clear Care packaging
better reflected the products benefits, says Julie
Hartvigsen, senior brand consultant with LAGA,
CIBA Visions global packaging agency of record.
[The company] had been R&D driven. There
wasnt a strong consumer focus in the past, she
says.
The company proactively initiated a package
redesign with LAGA in January 2004 with the goal
of improving the shelf impact and competitive
differentiation of the Clear Care brand.
LAGAs challenge was to create visual impact on
shelf and, at the same time, maintain the
professionalism and medical credibility that

research revealed was important to the brands

customers.
Its a delicate balance, says Hartvigsen. We
explored a whole range of colors that popped at
the shelf, but consumers were giving us a small
latitude in the colors theyd accept. Blue and cool
colors are what they felt comfortable with. We
knew we had to be in that world.
LAGAs solution was to select a unique blue that
didnt exist at the shelf and combine it with a
purple to create a distinct color palette for the
redesign. From there, a photorealistic image of a
contact lens was prominently added to set the
new packaging apart.
Most competitors packaging treatments are just
graphic. No photographic type of illustration was
being used, says Hartvigsen.
After nearly five months of design work, the new
packaging hit the market in the fourth quarter of
2004 with A New Look violators placed on all
Clear Care SKUs to call attention to the redesign.
Marketing support has included Clear Care kits for
practitioners offices, direct mail coupons and
free-standing inserts in print publications.
According to IRI data, Clear Cares September
dollar share is 6.9 and, year-to-date, it is 6.2,
which is up 1.8 percent versus same-time last
year. The brand has also realized improved
positioning at retail.
Change can come from many directions to spur a
package redesign. Category evolution, for
instance, can set new standards for product
photography, messaging, typography, color and
other packaging elements.
Imagine the health food aisle 20 years ago,
says Landors Lehmann, who describes the
landscape as dominated by an unsophisticated,
crunchy granola look. But the category has
changed tremendously, especially in the last five
years, to where people are bringing in the same
expectations of sophistication with branding that
they do with traditional categories.
Technology advances can also set off a wave of
redesigns, Lehmann says. Case in point: when
tuna jumped from the can to the retort pouch, the
whole category had to do it.
Seek growth in the down cycle
Most often, though, the business scenario behind
a package redesign is the need for good, old
fashioned growth. Revenues often trace a
products lifecycle, booming at launch, and then
tapering off once the brand has become more
established.
Diet Rite is one such example. When it was
purchased by Cadbury Schweppes in 2000, the
brand was in considerable declineit was the
number 10 diet brand nationallybecause
bottlers had lost interest in promoting it.
The generic packaging did little to inspire sales
and, in fact, contributed to the brands perception
as a value-based offering devoid of personality.
But there needed to be a reason to drive growth,
says Lehmann, whose firm took on the redesign.
[Cadbury Schweppes] thought about the brand
and product offering, which had a good history of
developing interesting flavors. So they wanted to
expand on that.
After achieving consumer acceptance of new
flavor formulations, Diet Rite engaged Landor to
develop packaging that would aggressively move
the strategy forward. Landors solution was to
abandon the diet-category color cue of white,
which, Lehmann says, was not needed because
the word diet was already in the brand name.

Instead, the firm chose bright colors, graphics

and a bold wordmark to convey a livelier
personality that would better reach consumers at
the shelf.
According to Lehmann, the redesign has
contributed to unprecedented growth in Diet Rite
sales in both 2003 and 2004. A key element in
the strategy, he says, was getting buy-in for the
design from the bottlers.
Theyre vital players in the mix, he says,
because when theyre excited, they help.
Start over to get it right
In rare instances, a redesign might be ordered as
part of a complete overhaul where, essentially,
the whole brand is scrapped. Lehmann says such
a scenario came up during a series of projects for
the Coleman camping company.
Coleman enjoyed an excellent reputation among
its consumer base, which was predominantly a
mix of families and casual weekend campers. But
it had a stand-alone brand called Peak One that it
didnt know what to do with.
They couldnt figure out how to position it and
how it fit into the Coleman family, says
Lehmann.
Reexamining their segmentation, the company
identified a small group of customers who look
beyond campgrounds for adventure and
recreation. The idea was to take Peak One and
completely rebrand it to leverage the positive
associations of the Coleman brand but still appeal
to this newly discovered remote camper among
the companys customer base.
The new line needed to provide a range of
products for campers who might use SUVs,
mountain bikes, horses or kayaks on their
excursions. So more thought was given to the
products size and weight as well as their ability
to pack easily.
Landor created the name Exponent to rebrand
the line and developed packaging with duo-tone
imagery and a white, metallic silver and black
color palette to deliver a premium appearance.
Imagery of snakes, lizards and other more exotic
animals on the packaging support the new brand
tagline Exit the beaten path.
There was acceptance from Coleman consumers
to move up the mountain in terms of offering a
line like this, says Lehmann. It led [Coleman] to
greater awareness and added shelf space. They
finally felt that it made sense.
As with Coleman, brands can achieve better retail
positioning through a redesign. Smaller brands
(and even larger brands that are dated) might
find retailers are refusing to list a product
because its design is staid, or because its not
packaged to suit their merchandising formats. But
these are just more reasons that add weight on
the side of redesign.
A manufacturer that continually offers innovation
and newness that helps the retailer connect to
the consumer is going to have a big competitive
edge over the other manufacturers, says trend
guru Robyn Waters, formerly the vice president of
trend, design and product development at Target.
All retailers want to differentiate themselves
from their competitors. Good retailers want to
connect directly with the needs and desires of
their customers. Great design can deliver both of
those objectives. BP

Why Should You Redesign Your Brand?

Derrick Lin Packaging of the World Chief

Curator 4/16/2015 12:26:00 PM Articles
Written by Joe Hickman. Packaging Specialist of
Charlotte Packaging and writer for Packaging of
the World.
Branding is something should be of the utmost
importance to every company. It contains the
image that people automatically associate with
your business, saying more about the company
than you could ever hope to say in words.
Despite this, some businesses allow their brand
to grow stale which can hinder sales and quickly
become dated.
Redesigning Your Brand
The real question here could when rather than
why as the most important thing is recognising
that there is an issue and that it needs to be
addressed. So, what are the main reasons you
should be contemplating a redesign:
Image: Chris Carter
Revive your image
Have you had the same logo and packaging for
10 or more years? Has anybody mentioned to you
that your brand looks dated? Does your image
lack that vital edge? If any of these ring true,
then it is time to redesign your brand. This can
help to give your entire company a much needed
revival of image, giving your products the edge
they need to drive sales and user engagement.
Enhance your products
Packaging is something that needs to be
redesigned much more frequently than logos or
websites. This is arguably the area where your
brand is most strongly represented, so it is
important that it always stays fresh and up-todate with your companys aims. Having a
thorough redesign of your branded packaging can
ensure that your products look as appealing as
possible to the customers. Simple things like
block bottom paper bags can help to display your
products in a more appealing manner,
encouraging greater impulse purchases.
Image: MIAD Communication Design
Reposition your brand
Has your company changed direction recently? If
it has, or youre planning to, then rebranding
provides you with a great opportunity to
reposition your brand. This can give you a huge
advantage over sticking with your existing image,
as people will be more aware of the
repositioning.
Better suit your business structure
Branding for small and medium sized businesses
tends to be very different to that of international
corporations. There is a reason for this, and it
tends to be that businesses will rebrand in order
to better suit a larger structure. If youre rapidly
growing, or your business is going international,
then it is probably time for a rebrand.
Match current trends

There is always a latest trend that businesses

should try to cater to in order to be successful.
While it isnt always a good idea to completely
rebrand in order to cater to these trends, with
certain things such as being environmentally
friendly it can be hugely beneficial to your
company. Even if it is just the simple step of
swapping to economic packaging options, this
can resonate with your audience and see your
overall public perception increase.
Image: Craftapalooza
Shake negative image
Not the best reason to rebrand and it certainly
wont work if the issues that caused the negative
image havent been addressed. That said, if you
have fixed the problems then rebranding can give
you a fresh new start allowing the public opinion
of you to be based on current service and
products rather than past blunders.
Potential Hazards
As with everything in business, rebranding is a
delicate process that could go either way. A quick
look at Gaps attempt to change their logo in
2010 will show you just how wrong it can go. To
avoid this type of issue it is always important to
look at what you aim to gain through rebranding
and ensure that you do thorough market
research.
Some key tips to follow when rebranding
are:

Respect previous branding try to stay

similar to what you were, huge jumps in
appearance can be very detrimental for long term
customers.
Make it timeless you dont want to
have to rebrand constantly, pick a design that will
last through current trends.
Dont change the colours this is
something not often thought of, but a brands
colours can be just as recognisable as their logo.
Change the colours at your peril.
Make it better, not bigger take some
time to redesign the branding, you want it to be
sleek, simple and customer friendly not just a
louder version of the previous brand.
Think packaging the end product is
what your customers see most, make sure that
your rebranding makes your custom packaging
look enticing and engaging.
To Redesign or not to Redesign: That is the
Packaging Question.
Packaging design is not merely an essential part
of branding in the world of retail products it
is the most important part of branding. Not only
is it the first impression and provides the sales
proposition but it must also close the deal
ultimately making the sale at the store level.
Much like brand logos in this fast paced world
its easy to change for the sake of change. With
technology and design software making
everything accessible, it has become effortless to
try this, change this or modify this. Designs
are not given the time they need to cure and
become part of consumers
landscape. Technology is great and its a fantastic

tool. It has provided designers with the creative

freedom to deliver on design flexibility and offer
the marketing and creative industry astounding
possibilities in record time. But like everything
else in life, theres an upside and then theres a
downside to it. In this case, technology and
software has given us speed and flexibility at the
expense of timely conscious strategic thinking.
How does one know when the time has
come to change a brands packaging
design?
Are there particular signs to watch for? Or better
yet, are there specific questions that need to be
asked and answered? Heres my list:
How long has it been since the
last packaging redesign? If it has been 15
years or more, chances are the packaging should
be redesigned. Consumers change within
decades, and with this change come new trends
and new styles. All packaging designs have a
style, and eventually even the most
contemporary packaging design starts to be
viewed as stale or pass more importantly, it no
longer resonates with consumers. When all is said
and done, the packaging needs to speak to the
consumers in the way they want to be spoken to.
A good way to assess packaging design fatigue is
to commission packaging research.
Is the current packaging poorly
designed? Does it reflect the product promise?
Does it communicate what it is effectively? Or
does it ask consumers to read and decipher what
its all about? Was the current
design professionally done by packaging
designers? Does it stand up to the brands
image? At the risk of sounding repetitive, the best
way to determine this is through packaging
research.
Whats the product sales turns? Is the
product purchased weekly? Monthly? Once every
8 months? Annually? This is key for determining
how many times products should engage in
redesigning their packaging. For products that are
purchased semi-annually or annually, redesigning
packaging every year or even 2 years may lead
to consumer confusion and frustration when they
cant easily find it on the shelf.
How competitive is the category? Are
competitive brands constantly updating
themselves with new ways of presenting their
claims or providing appetite appeal? Are new
brands showing up on shelf with nothing more to
offer but a sexy or new package? This is often
found in the soup category, where consumption
patterns are high. A good source of information
and insight of many retail categories and their
competitive information is Nielsen.

Does the consumer base need to change? In

this context, I am referring to the demographics
and psychographics of the products consumers.
Is a wider net required to captivate new
consumers? Is the existing consumer franchise
leaving the market negatively impacting sales,
and thus profitability.
Has the product been innovated? Is there
something new to say? Has a new and improved
version of the existing product been developed
that will set it apart from the competition? Can it
deliver better or more? If so, it is imperative
to communicate that on the package, visually and
boldly.

It has often been my experience that marketers,

brand managers, product managers, marketing
directors, marketing managers, to name a few,
often tire of their package way before the
consumer does! So before you call on
your advertising agency to come up with the next
best design since the invention of sliced bread,
take a deep breath and well breathe and
think strategically.