Third-quarter results points to the need for combining structure and graphics to achieve innovation—with emphasis on simplicity and practicality.
Shelf Impact! and international brand consultancy Dragon Rouge present new findings from an exclusive quarterly innovation-tracking survey. This initiative began in the magazine’s March 2009 issue (to read the previous two articles, go to www.shelfimpact.com/archives.php and click on “Survey to identify metrics for package innovation success” and “Innovation survey takeaway: Dare to be different”). Each survey asks respondents to evaluate a sample of recent product-packaging innovations on the following criteria:
1. The product concept’s ability to provoke new ways of thinking about a category.
2. The product structure’s ability to present new ways of interacting with a product type.
3. The packaging graphics’ innovative cues that help bring the product positioning to life.
4. The packaging’s use of innovative materials.
5. The relative effectiveness of packaging production.
Results compiled for this article summarize responses from nearly 400 brand/marketing managers, designers, and materials suppliers received in June 2009. To view an image and brief description of each of the nine packages reviewed this quarter, go to www.shelfimpact.com/go/3.
The scores don’t suggest that any of the packages mentioned are not innovative; scores reflect the ratings of the packages relative to each other rather than in comparison to new packages on the whole. Our goal is to take package samples from different categories to establish key metrics that measure the success of new ideas and product launches in package design and innovation as a whole. Shelf Impact! will present these findings in the December issue.
Simple, practical, engaging
In the third quarter, survey respondents clearly pointed to two packages as being above the rest. Dole’s Squish’ems and EcoTraction’s salt bag scored highest across most criteria, rating best in their “ability to provoke a new way of thinking about their category” and offering “new ways of interacting with the product.” With its pouch-shaped container designed for easy gripping by little hands and a playful, re-sealable cap, Squish’ems makes it fun and engaging for children to eat fruit.
With a built-in handle and pour spout that facilitates transport, EcoTraction positions itself as the partner that is on consumers’ side in helping them manage the mess.
Interestingly, both products may not get the highest marks in terms of graphic design, but they owe their high overall marks to offering pragmatic responses through smart, simple design.
Dovetailing two 2009 macro trends (Dragon Rouge develops these trends annually), the survey’s results align with the notion that in today’s economic environment, consumers’ perception of innovation combines pragmatism with simplicity. The first trend, “simply better,” recognizes that consumers yearn for simplicity, in form and function, to help them reclaim control of their lives and reassure them of the efficacy and trustworthiness of the products they use. The second trend, “react,” recognizes that consumers are looking for ways to portray their good intentions with minimal investment. They want to view themselves as activists (by being a good parent in the case of Squish’ems and a careful and responsible neighbor when purchasing EcoTraction) without impacting their sense of comfort and routine.
Bells and whistles can backfire
Notably, two of the lowest overall performers in the survey (Kimberly-Clark’s tissue carton and Rémy Martin’s Coupe Fine Champagne cognac) get some of the highest marks for innovative graphic design. If Kimberly-Clark’s package design uses tongue-in-cheek graphic elements resembling a keyboard, and Rémy Martin artfully represents its core icon (the Centaur) to claim ownership of its heritage, then the results show that these lavish cues are not enough to convey overall innovation.
Is it that innovative graphics have become a price of entry in these categories? Or could it be that luxury is perceived as wasteful in this new economy? Have the bells and whistles backfired?
Most certainly. Foundations, another Dragon Rouge-identified macro trend, remind us that in the current economic environment, consumers disdain overt luxury, perceived waste, decadence, and sinful indulgence. Perhaps luxury brands and premium offerings need to earn back consumers either by adopting a lower profile or developing strategies that resonate with the value-conscious consumers.
If innovative graphics are not enough to drive overall perceived innovation, lack of graphic impact also can get in the way, the survey results suggest. For example, Nexxus’ Dualiste dual-dispensing shampoo bottle receives the lowest score for graphic innovation because of its lack of distinctiveness and subdued use of color. However, the structure rates well. Similarly, Kozy Shack’s Ready Grains multigrain cereal carton performs somewhat well in terms of structure but rates poorly on graphics that scream visual clutter because of a small package footprint dominated by text communicating product claims.
When it comes to maximizing your innovation budget, a first read of these quarterly results would seem to suggest that if you can’t do it all, at a minimum, you should develop an innovative structure that either engages consumers in a new way, speaks to a clear insight, or solves a problem for them.
But the real lesson is that an innovative structure or an innovative graphic alone won’t do the trick; they must work together.
A key takeaway from these results is that creative teams should not divorce the development of the structure from the exploration of the graphics.
-By Eric Zeitoun
The author, Eric Zeitoun, is President of Dragon Rouge USA, an international brand and design consultancy. Contact him at eric@dragonrouge-usa.com or
212/367-8800.
