Packaging for the Modern Consumer: How Can Brands Stand Out?
By Matthew Brogie, COO of Repsly
In today’s grocery stores, walking down any given aisle can be overwhelming. According to the Food Marketing Institute, the average number of products in a supermarket has grown astronomically in the last four decades, from 8,948 in 1975 to nearly 44,000 in 2013. With countless products to choose from, brands face a difficult challenge standing out on the shelf and attracting consumers. At one point loud, colorful, crowded packaging may have been the best way to appeal to shoppers, but this is no longer the case in 2015. Shoppers want to discover non-traditional, interesting products.
So how can brands best catch consumers’ attention?
Challenge the Status Quo: Today, people are all about rooting for the underdog and rebelling against large corporations. Non-traditional, homemade or “I got it at a thrift store” products are what resonate for consumers. Packages that use unusual materials, have funky shapes and include a degree of artistry pop. A company that has had success in breaking the norms is Boxed Water. Boxed Water provides a sustainable packaging alternative to bottled water and its unique packaging also serves to separate it from competitors.
Think Simple: Shoppers are attracted to simple but polished packaging. Muted colors and minimal writing can go a long way. This is especially useful when packaging products that are supposed to convey a high level of quality or are more expensive. Izze is one example of a company who did simple right: within the first two years of introducing their sparkling juice drink to the market, they were experiencing 450 percent growth per year without any TV, print or online advertising.
Go Green: Modern consumers are activists, and one of the most common trends in consumer activism is going green. In fact, in a recent study by Nielsen, more than 55 percent of consumers globally admitted they would pay more for products and services provided by companies that are committed to positive social and environmental impact. Products and brands that boast about their efforts in sustainability or environmentalism as part of their packaging appeal to today’s earth-conscious shopper. Method is one such brand that incorporates its eco-friendly mission into its brand packaging. Method touts not only environmentally conscious soaps and cleaning products, but also the recycled materials used for all of their packaging.
Be Transparent: Beyond just the environmental impact of products, consumers are more conscious of the products they use. Brand transparency is a major trend; shoppers want to know where their food comes from, what goes into making it and ultimately feel confident in the brands they purchase. Shoppers are turning to local and organic foods, as well as looking at the labels on packaged food for ingredients they can pronounce when making their purchasing decisions. By trumpeting these attributes, brands can attract consumers looking to feel empowered in their buying decisions. In fact, a number of supermarkets have begun implementing standards to increase the transparency of the products in their stores, including Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s.
Stay Connected: Consumers today are constantly connected. Whether from their desktops, smartphones or tablets, consumers are always online. Brands can take advantage of this by putting Twitter, Instagram and Facebook handles or hashtags directly on their packaging to encourage fans to engage online. With 34 percent of consumers turning to social media to express their opinions of a product or company, brands have a huge opportunity to actively interact with shoppers. Coke is one such brand that has used the power of social media to engage its fans with the #ShareaCoke campaign. Not only has the company used in-store and multimedia advertising to encourage fans to share a Coke in person, but the campaign also transcends social media with a unique handle and hashtag to provide fans with an easy way to participate online as well.
To attract shoppers, brands not only have to stand out on a shelf, but they also need to match consumer values and engage both in-store and out. The culture of contemporary shoppers have made them more active than ever in pursuing information when it comes to the brands they buy. By harnessing these elements in crafting a new brand design strategy and aligning it with a brand’s mission, companies can make sure their products end up in the shopping cart.