Imaginative packaging raises products above the clutter

Packaging has a vital role to play in the communication mix and like advertising, product packs cannot afford to get lost amongst 'look-a-likes'. How to do so is largely dependant on the product, but a few basic principles should be standard practise.

On a primary level it is key to honestly evaluate the product against its competitive environment and highlight precisely where it is different, special, innovative, or even inferior to its competitors. Then identify or create a real distinction for the product to set it apart from its rivals and offer a unique proposition to the consumer. This doesn't always have to be a practical or tangible differentiator, although it often comes down to that. It can be as simple as a preferred flavour or fragrance.

If the product is essentially a commodity that cannot be easily differentiated such as flour or sugar, find alternative ways to create distinctions. The distinguishing factor could lie in the quality of the product, or added value gained through price or service. Both alternatives could be communicated through the packaging.

For instance, if brown sugar is on offer, through the packaging make it not only the best looking brown sugar ever seen, but ensure the packaging illustrates the wholesome values of the product. Select brown paper packaging rather than plastic to entrench that farmhouse natural appeal. Add a suggested recipe and accompany it with an appetising visual of the result. Be bold and add 50 cents to the price, to pay for the packaging. Consumers expect to pay a bit more for premium products.

Essentially the pack, like the rest of the brand communication, needs to speak to the consumer and say something different from its competitors. Above all, the product should stand out on shelf, but this doesn't always mean being louder, it may simply mean smarter.

Any advertising creative will tell you (if they're honest) that the most successful work they've ever produced, be it package designs or ad campaigns, emanate from sound strategies. When the strategic job is done well there will always be something extra, tangible or intangible, that provides the product with a clear differentiator, something the creatives can capitalise on and present as a promise to the consumer. It is then a matter of developing packaging that adequately expresses the product's specific values and qualities, distinct to those of its competitors.

Within this mix, and key to the process, is the consumer and their response to the product. Never attempt to oversimplify and pigeonhole consumers - they are after all individuals with their own likes, dislikes, and idiosyncrasies. They do not always fit as comfortably as one would like into simplistic segments. Expect and allow for responses that don't conform and view these as opportunities to create added distinction and character for the cause.

Packaging is an incredibly powerful tool but remember it is only one point of the total brand experience, which is affected at various levels through formulation and pricing of the product itself, to availability, distribution, merchandising and point of sale and advertising communications. Creating a winning and sustainable brand experience requires careful co-ordination of all marketing efforts and management at all levels.