In This Issue

Simplistic Slowdown: The way we were… and are today One of the most pervasive socio-cultural movements currently driving consumer behavior is the development LPK Trends has dubbed "Simplistic Slowdown."

Dissecting the new simplicity My colleague Jim Chrzan and I have been talking a lot in our Shelf Impact! Package Design Workshops throughout 2009 about the trend toward simplicity in packaging, especially given the current state of economic affairs and its impact on consumers.

Greener Package unveils industry-first 'anti-greenwash' guidelines

Package Gallery

Adaptable labels are pouncing on marketing opportunities

By Jim George, Editor-in-Chief

The marketing power of the label is expanding into roles that go beyond merely identifying a product. And marketers who clearly understand their objectives can join the evolution toward more sophisticated labels and achieve their goals more effectively.

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New ways of thinking about the shelf impact of the label are reflected in three trends that are emerging on retail shelves today.

• Marketers are finding new and relevant ways to make the package and the Internet team players in engaging consumers in the experience of their brand.
• Attention is beginning to focus on other areas of the package, such as the cap, as additional billboard space to speak to consumers and bring a call to action in promotional efforts.
• Counterfeiting is a very real concern for product brand owners, and they're responding with labels that pull double duty.

Kids want to drink their favorite beverage out of bottles that show fun and adventure. Clear Beverage Corp. signals this thinking with its Kid Fuel naturally flavored water. The package's colorful full-body shrink-sleeve label highlights a distinctive bottle shape resembling a sports bottle.

PET label designs for each flavor variety in the line were created by Brand Engine and satisfy two marketing objectives, says Tony Rago, Clear Beverage CEO. First, they entertain kids. Color animated graphics introduce them to Professor Smart, who leads kids on an educational journey.

Overall, marketers of premium products often give short shrift to the potential of a label's emotional cues. And when a package's visual appeal doesn't reflect the quality of the product, brand equity erodes.

Tyson Foods, working with Interbrand, overcame this challenge by conducting consumer research and repositioning its Wright Brand thick-cut bacon as "More of what you love about bacon." The label, from York Label, features a gold-outlined shield/crest area containing red, white, and gold elements on a blue background. The label leaves ample room for viewing the meat through the clear, flexible brick pack.

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In the soup aisle, Campbell Soup Co. has cultivated seeds for more than 70 years that American farmers use to grow tomatoes for its soup. This year, Campbell's has modified the iconic label on its tomato soup cans to announce to consumers a special program and remind them of the source and quality of the ingredients in its condensed soups.

Working with Anthem Worldwide, a Schawk Strategic Design Company, Campbell produced 7.5 million special-edition labels for its "Help Grow Your Soup" campaign. By going to www.HelpGrowYourSoup.com and entering the code on any can of condensed soup they purchase, consumers received a free pack of Campbell's proprietary tomato seeds. With each request for seeds, Campbell's also donated 100 seeds to plant gardens in urban communities and schools across the nation.

Read more about these and other labeling approaches.

INTELLIGENCE ON DESIGN Simplistic Slowdown: The way we were… and are today By Valerie Jacobs, Group Director, LPK Trends

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Part one of two

One of the most pervasive socio-cultural movements currently driving consumer behavior is the development LPK Trends has dubbed "Simplistic Slowdown." After years of tracking this development, LPK Trends has identified the forces behind Simplistic Slowdown, and some consumer packaged goods companies are beginning to understand it to develop trend-forward brands, products, and packaging that resonate with consumers.

Simplistic Slowdown is defined as slowing down and finding fulfillment in time's woven narrative, where the touch of the hand reminds us of real, honest goodness. As we breathe a cultural sigh, we pursue new paths to meaning and reconsider our way of life. We reconnect with our humanity and each other, and redefine worth and what is truly worthwhile.       

Today, the dramatic downturn of the global economy has accelerated a shift in consumer attitudes and values. Exhausted from this status race, fatigued with techno-addiction, and wary of chaos and corruption, we take a collective sigh and begin our evolution as consumers. We desire to immerse ourselves in stories, authenticity, metaphor, and fantasy. The chapter of conspicuous consumption has concluded. Now, we seek honesty rather than "reality" and transparency, constructing stories with layers of meaning to fulfill our need for fantasy. Importance no longer is placed on consumption of things. More important is the effect that time has on our things. The most valuable luxury is that which cannot be easily replicated, forwarded, downloaded, or zipped. We create collections with connections that craft the tale of our personal narrative.

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Several packages have been redesigned based on the Simplistic Slowdown trend. In the food category, Nabisco's Oreo and Ritz brands have kept their respective brand colors intact and also greatly simplified their packaging. Each letter of the product name is capitalized and encased in a circle that provides impact. Crisp photography of the Oreo cookie and the Ritz crackers adorns the packaging.

Kraft's latest salad dressings labels also illustrate the Simplistic Slowdown trend. Consistent with the core values of Simplistic Slowdown, the new Kraft labels are printed on clear acetate for a transparent quality, with images of lush, fresh vegetables. 

Yogi™ herbal teas are created with 100% natural ingredients and organic green tea. Elements of ayurveda-inspired design and the use of a rich, saturated color palette and calming illustrative product elements convey a sense of wellbeing and delight and also a hand-hewn quality.

Read Valerie Jacobs' complete article, and be sure to read the Oct. 8 issue of Shelf Impact! for part two of her discussion on the trend of Simplistic Slowdown.

The author, Valerie Jacobs, is a seasoned design forecaster whose strategic approach melds  research, analysis, and the translation of trend data into actionable strategies as they relate to design, for consumer brand initiatives. She has worked more than 15 years in marketing communications and design.

THINKING IN 360° Dissecting the new simplicity By Jim George, Editor

My colleague Jim Chrzan and I have been talking a lot in our Shelf Impact! Package Design Workshops throughout 2009 about the trend toward simplicity in packaging, especially given the current state of economic affairs and its impact on consumers. The simplicity movement involves more than just producing a less-cluttered-looking package. The packaging components involved, and how they are used, also help consumers redefine what is truly meaningful in their lives, and demonstrate how a brand can play an important role in that transformation.

Earlier this summer, we asked Valerie Jacobs, one of the savviest design forecasters we know, what she makes of the simplicity movement. Beginning with this issue of Shelf Impact! and continuing with our Oct. 8 issue, Jacobs, of LPK Trends, responds with two articles that eloquently define this shift in consumer sentiment as "Simplistic Slowdown." She also explains the drivers behind the trend.

Labels are one of the first places to look for any creative team considering a package design that reflects the movement toward simplicity. In this issue, we introduce five recent labeling applications that just might inspire your creative team.

I welcome your thoughts on the trend toward simplicity in packaging and how package design can reflect this concept with consumers, at george@packworld.com.

P.S.: In our Aug. 6 newsletter, Shelf Impact! discussed packaging ideas that put eco-friendly in the brand mix. Kevin Leibel, President of Innovation Management LLC, responds with the following thoughts:

"We've been working with a number of CPG companies on their sustainable packaging strategies and have conducted numerous research projects with consumers.  The big ‘aha' is that consumers are not sure what any of the terminology means. So, when we say ‘green,' they say ‘good for the environment.'

"When we ask why, they say ‘because green must be good.' When we ask consumers to define recycling, they know it means to separate their bottles and cans from other waste. When we ask about compostable packages, they have no idea what that means, how it may benefit them or the environment, or why it may be different from recyclable materials.

"There is a need to educate consumers on the various ways that one can be green. So far, it doesn't seem that any one company is leading the effort."

Greener Package unveils industry-first 'anti-greenwash' guidelines

Picking up where the Federal Trade Commission left off in devising parameters for sustainability claims, Greener Package, operated by the owners of Shelf Impact!, has released the industry's first comprehensive guidelines to packaging sustainability claims.

Developed by Environmental Packaging International (EPI), with input from Packaging Knowledge Group LLC (PKG), the Greener Package Guidelines to Sustainability Claims will be used as a basis to review claims made by suppliers submitting their product data to the Greener Product Database. The guidelines are available for immediate download at www.greenerpackage.com/guidelines.

Says EPI CEO Victor Bell, whose consultancy, along with PKG, will be reviewing product data at the suppliers' request at a nominal cost: "Consumer demand for sustainably produced products is a key driver in promoting progress at the manufacturing level. Third-party validation is critical in combating greenwashing, which—if left unchecked—could erode consumer confidence and ultimately the public's interest in buying sustainable products and packaging."

Larry Dull, PKG partner, concurs. "We see verification as a necessary, final step in the process and a point of differentiation for any company selling in a competitive marketplace," Dull says.

The Greener Product Database offers consumer packaged goods companies a way to research and compare sustainable packaging materials, containers, and suppliers. Products approved through review will be marked as such within the database and will be given favorable placement. The data also will feed Walmart's Packaging Scorecard Modeling Software.

As Sam's Club director of packaging Amy Zettlemoyer-Lazar told Greener Package in May, "There has been a lot of confusion in this space in the last couple of years, and it has the potential to lead to greenwashing. Greenwashing is a concern because we really want to make sure that we are communicating accurate information to our customers and members, and we want to be sure that they have better information to make better purchasing decisions."

HBA Expo to spotlight private label

Consumers are paying closer attention to price, and 45% of consumer packaged goods companies in the health and beauty segment are looking for resources to help them produce their products. This year's HBA Global Expo will address these topics and more, and the show will run from Sept. 15-17 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York City.

HBA Global Expo also will feature a conference and a Private Label/Contract Manufacturing Pavilion. Attendees will receive current information on how to position private-label brands and walk away with the right resources to gain market share.

For registration, conference, and exhibitor information, visit www.hbaexpo.com.