Know your consumer—and even those who aren't your consumers. That has been a recurring theme among branding and marketing professionals whose thoughts have graced Shelf Impact!

When this important guiding principle in the creative process is given short shrift or bypassed all-together, any mistakes that are made can be costly. Case in point: A U.S. beverage company has come under fire from some consumers for recently releasing beverage cans and bottles bearing a label design which depicts a scene that some consumers interpreted to be racist.

The company says its intentions were pure in creating a visual architecture to capture the brand's essence. But in branding, perception is everything. The marketer has pulled the offensive packaging off the shelf, issued an apology, and announced it is preparing to return the brand to stores with a new label.

In this case, the company has learned a costly lesson. It has had to absorb the expenses of pulling the old packaging, commissioning an artist to design a new label, purchasing new or additional materials for the new label, producing the label, and putting the product back into distribution.

All I can add is this: Make every effort to talk to consumers before bringing any package to market. They might offer perspectives that never crossed the minds of those on your creative team. Even if the budget is extremely tight, you can leverage friends, family, and acquaintances as your "focus group." Just remember to recruit people that represent the market demographic you're after.

Run your ideas past your consumers, and also test them among those who don't purchase your brand. You can gain valuable insights that might help you avoid a costly "back to the drawing board."

By Jim George, Editor