New packaging can be a weapon

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Credit: Simon Howden

Retailers like Duane Reade, Safeway and Target have all repackaged their private labels, and have seen an uptick in sales. What does it mean? It demonstrates clearly that consumers respond to appealing package design, which on some level validates their purchase, even when they are on a tight budget. New packaging is giving private-label brands a critical advantage that goes beyond their value proposition.

Low prices not the only attraction

Private labels finally realize that purchase decisions are based on something other than just "low, low prices." These days, consumers expect good design. They want to feel both savvy and stylish, and they are looking to stores to give them the cues they need to make purchase decisions they can feel good about having in their carts and their homes.

So what does this mean for consumer packaged goods brands?

Even in a bad economy, it is not all about price. It is about raising your product's profile and standing out on the shelf. It is about considering all the ways your brand can resonate. People now want design as much as they want satisfaction, sustainability and value. Brands can no longer afford to treat package design as a commodity; it needs to be a critical element of any marketing strategy and a primary communication medium.

Quite simply, today's consumers are open to changing their purchase habits. They want to know how one brand stacks up against another. They are willing to explore new products. They are driven by the hunt and the satisfaction of the discovery.

So why aren't more brands changing up their package design to meet new demands?

Little control over environment

Unlike other retailers, CPG marketers often have little control over the environment in which their product is placed. They cannot design layouts, lighting, soundtrack and signs that are conducive to driving sales at the point of purchase. And now that private labels have new skin in the game, brands need to measure up when they are placed side by side on the shelves, where they can only boast the promises of their labels and their price tags.

Package design is a critical weapon in the battle between established brands and private labels. Design can bring your brand a sensibility -- whether it is chic or smart or both -- that can drive a purchase decision. A fresh look can be a reward for consumers, a highlight of their shopping experience. New packaging can be a weapon -- and give your brand an advantage -- now, when the competition is greater than ever.

Article courtesy of MediaPost