Brands like Kleenex, Coke and Corona are using creative, unique designs to stand out and generate sales this summer. From ice-cream cone shaped tissue boxes to soda cans with painted sunglass designs, companies are finding innovative ideas to capture consumers’ attention.
So, why do products like ice-cream shaped Kleenex boxes have such success? These four explanations from an article in The Journal of Marketing help give reason to creatively designed products:
- The design can allow you to stand out in a cluttered market and grab consumers’ attention. Yoplait yogurt made a splash in a competitive market by using a container that was narrow at the top rather than the bottom, opposite of every other yogurt package.
- The design is a means of communicating to the consumer. It creates an initial impression and statement.
- The design can affect the quality of life. The perception and usage of pleasantly designed products may provide sensory satisfaction and stimulation.
- The design can have long lasting effects by bringing delight to consumers decades afterwards. Pepsi proved this through their launch of the “throw back” soda bottles.
If that’s not convincing enough, take a look at suggestions that have been given in Advertising Age based on the research of eye tracking. Through eye tracking, marketers are able to determine what shoppers first look at, where on the specific packages they look and how long they look at it. The following tips have been compiled based on the results of eye tracking studies:
Color: If you can find an unused color within the product category it can be a powerful tool.
Packaging: Don’t let your packaging blend in with the rest. Shoppers view only half the brands displayed within a category.
Shape/Structure: Experts say that different shapes and structure are consistently strong in generating attention.
Shelf Placement: Placing your product at arm level is ideal. Studies have also shown that products placed to the right of the dominant brand have more success than others. When shoppers find an initial focal point within the product category, they will either scan right or downward in a reading pattern.
White Space: Don’t overwhelm the shopper. Important claims can be overlooked among the clutter of too many messages.
Now that you have your packaging strategy in place, join industry leaders like Coca-Cola and Kleenex by making sure your packaging images and associated data is available for any selling situation—via kwikeesystems.com. Find out more about getting your products in Kwikee now.
