Counterfeiting in all shapes and sizes has spun badly out of control. In response, packaging and brand protection departments at packaged goods manufacturers are seeking ways to keep counterfeiting from doing further damage.

If you work in research, strategy development or design, the ninth annual Proof: Market Research & Strategy Development for Package Design conference is for you. Produced by the Institute for International Research, Proof will be from Oct. 1-3, 2007, at the Wyndham Hotel in Chicago.

When Wall Street is pressuring you to quickly revive a recently purchased slumping brand, the tendency often is to default to tactics such as “me-too” packaging. That was anything but the case at Procter & Gamble.

Mintel spots two products that make geographic considerations the focal point of product and packaging development.

Brand design is so much more than the artistic veneer it once was. It’s about orchestrating and delivering a total experience based on a deep understanding of what the consumer wants. When orchestrated perfectly, the design provides brand differentiation and delivers an experience that’s positive, memorable, and unexpected. In the fast-moving world of consumer goods, the opportunity for direct consumer experience with the brand is minimal. That is why Procter & Gamble’s previous way of thinking about design—regionally organized package and product design focused on simple aesthetics and technical aspects—gave way to a global design strategy based on the totality of the brand experience.

Over the years, in writing about the business of branding and design, I’ve found that some companies consistently develop products and packaging systems that truly hit home with consumers. One trait that these companies often share is the good fortune of having a top dog who understands the intoxicating power of design and actively nurtures it at all levels within the company’s culture.

You also had plenty to say about the following topic: Does your design process integrate graphic branding with structural functionality, or do you consider aesthetics of secondary importance?

Company Co-Founder Eric Ryan has been making the rounds at branding and design conferences, saying Method Products loves to break away from the utilitarian look as a way to challenge product category norms. The San Francisco, CA-based marketer has followed through on that approach in a number of household product categories, and is now bringing it to floor cleaner.