In This Issue

Household cleaners prove less is more Wonder Tablitz Corp., Walpole, MA, is performing a sustainability sleight of hand with a new line of household cleaning and deodorizing products that yields 96 oz of liquid product per each empty 32-oz bottle sold.

Check touchpoints —and check them twice "Touchpoints" is a term that's become popular in marketing and packaging jargon, and I've discussed it previously in this space.

Packaging Gallery

¿Que pasa, USA?

By Tammy Vaserstein, Creative Director and Principal, Moxie™ Inc.

Hispanics have purchasing power of $860 billion, according to the Selig Center for Economic Growth at the University of Georgia, and all I get on my package is the translation of the words “black beans” to frijoles negros?

A bilingual label may play a key role in an integrated marketing campaign, but is it really enough? Copy alone will not truly capture the hearts and minds of the U.S. Hispanic consumer, but it’s a start.

We may be a complex group that hails from more than 25 different countries, with various levels of acculturation, but one element that we certainly have in common is the telenovela, or Latin American TV soap opera. Tell us a story as telenovelas do.  Telenovelas capture us, bring us together, make us cry, make us laugh, and even give us very naughty ideas. But what they do best is connect to some part of us.

Telenovelas tap into sensory emotions that connect us to characters. Just as their characters form a connection, so should your brand, your package, and your product.

Communicate and connect to us with your brand’s ability to tap into our emotions and senses. But, in order to do this, you must understand us first.

As I mentioned, we’re a complex and emotional group. We are passionate about our families, about our music, and of course, we are passionate about our telenovelas. As designers, strategists, and marketers, you must also tell a brand story that is consistent and cohesive, and that connects to a growing Hispanic market through all touchpoints of the brand.

If Ugly Betty can do it, and actually make us want to watch more, can’t this be achieved for a brand and its packaging? ¿Que pasa, USA?

Here are some considerations to achieve this objective.

“It’s made just for me” connection/Es hecho para mi unión

In health and beauty aids, Sunsilk is the first U.S. brand to include Hispanic-specific variants at launch with SKUs that address the hair-specific

enlarge

This is the basis of personalization...the “it’s made just for me” factor. Consumers want to think of their brand choices as uniquely their own. Hispanic consumers need to feel understood by virtue of the products for which they have established a comfort level. Start at this point when attempting to expand brand loyalty.

Hispanics are particularly interested in spending money on beauty products.

enlarge

While it’s true that not all brands may have the option to develop and launch an entirely new product line for the Hispanic market, inclusion can be achieved by incorporating specific SKUs into current product portfolios.

Keep in mind/Tenga presente: Several attributes should be considered when developing new products.  Create a cohesive brand image across all categories to command trust and recognition for your brand. Likewise, when introducing a new product for the Hispanic market into your portfolio, make sure you capture our sensibilities with vibrant color shades, strong fragrances, and the obvious inclusion of  Spanish language on the package.

Scents in non-food categories are a strong attribute with Hispanic consumers.  Preferences for citrus and berry scents along with fresh cinnamon and vanilla skew higher than the general market.

Watch out/Tenga cuidado: In the food and beverage categories, Grupo LaLa, the largest dairy product company in Mexico, penetrated the U.S. market by carefully positioning its milk in heavily populated Mexican areas. LaLa has been able to extend its native Mexican consumer base by following it into the United States. Consumer product companies should be aware of this strategy so they are prepared for the competition and become less vulnerable when companies like LaLa come to market.

In other categories, companies are aligning to target the Hispanic market. For example, Goya Foods is known as a leader in the Hispanic consumer packaged goods (CPG) arena, but does not market ice cream. Breyer’s is a leader in ice cream in the CPG arena, but the brand did not have a Hispanic

enlarge

following. The strategic alliance of Goya and Breyer’s in introducing Goya ice cream by the makers of Breyer’s—in flavors such as Mangos ‘N Cream and Dulce de Leche, which Hispanic consumers find especially appealing—is a smart strategy.

The reality/La realidad: Of concern to women in both the U.S. Hispanic market and consumers in general is having to sacrifice traditional quality time with the family to provide for the family. Product marketers can help solve this problem for women through packaging. Solutions that are quick and easy, and accompanied by simple instructions, will help the typical overworked, stressed-out, and multitasking woman.

To U.S. Hispanics, the value of a meal is more emotional than functional. The value placed on having time to eat dinner together as a family, coupled with the lack of time necessary to prepare a traditional-style meal, leaves mom feeling compromised. One way convenient meals can appeal to the Hispanic mom is by not having her feel as if she has to compromise tradition, nutrition, or using fresh ingredients.

The true winners are convenient meals and products that use labels to offer tips or recipes on how to incorporate fresh ingredients. Other winners achieve traditional style meals in a reasonable amount of time and allow mom to sit down and eat with her family without, guilt-free.

Keep in mind/Tenga presente: Appeal to this consumer through the heart, where values, customs, and traditions resonate. Communicate visual cues of family togetherness, colors, fresh ingredients, smells, and reminders of home. Evolve the design as your consumer’s assimilation level catches up.

Careful/Sea precavido: Can my brand be Latino too? Understand your reason for being. Is tapping into the Hispanic consumer group right for your brand? If the nature of your product doesn’t necessarily resonate with the Hispanic consumer, don’t force it or you never will be believed. You simply can’t fool the Hispanic consumer.

Ask yourself/Pregúntese: Does my brand have any awareness among Latino consumers? Is my brand considered a new product or a familiar one with Latinos?  Consider how you can slightly modify an existing product to create something Latino consumers will want to try.

Household cleaners prove less is more

By Anne Marie Mohan, Senior Editor, Packaging World

Wonder Tablitz Corp., Walpole, MA, is performing a sustainability sleight of hand with a new line of household cleaning and deodorizing products that yields 96 oz of liquid product per each empty 32-oz bottle sold. The Wonder Tablitz™ line of four cleaning

enlarge

solutions relies on the company's patented effervescent-tablet technology and a custom spray bottle that holds tablet refills to provide consumers with an environmentally friendly and effective cleaning system, the company says.

The Schultz family, former owners of the Gonzo line of stain removers, developed the line. According to Wonder Tablitz partner Andrew Schultz, the company was attracted to the convenience aspects of tablet-style cleaners and the environmental implications of concentrated and refillable cleaners.

“From an environmentally smart standpoint, 18 months ago when we began developing the product, fuel was already extremely expensive,” he says. “So coming up with a package that would reduce the footprint of our product was very compelling.”

To provide consumers with a complete “cleaning system,” the company created a patented bottle with a recessed, 3.5” x 1.25” x 0.25” cavity in the front panel that houses three tablets in a polyvinyl chloride blister. The refills are held in the cavity by a resealable label that allows them to be stored until use.

A second unique feature of the proprietary high-density polyethylene bottle, according to Schultz, is a 28-mm opening on the side of the bottle fitted with a screw cap that allows consumers to easily fill the bottle from a faucet after adding the effervescent tablet. A standard trigger-spray dispenser tops the bottle.

Among the environmental benefits of the product and package cited by Wonder Tablitz are reduced carbon-dioxide emissions and less waste sent to landfills. Because water is added to the bottle after consumers purchase the product, the bottles weigh less during shipping, requiring less fuel to transport. And, because each bottle represents three 32-oz bottles, 66% less plastic waste is sent to the landfills, Schultz explains.

The first four products in the Wonder Tablitz line—Glass & Multi-Surface Cleaner, Citrus All Purpose Cleaner, All Purpose Cleaner with Bleach, and Fabric Refresher & Odor Eliminator—will be sold in large specialty and hardware retail stores, in grocery stores, and through catalogs, as well as at www.wondertablitz.com. The suggested retail price of $5.99 is an approximate 50% savings over 96 oz of competitive product, according to the company.

Check touchpoints—and check them twice

“Touchpoints” is a term that’s become popular in marketing and packaging jargon, and I’ve discussed it previously in this space. There are two definitions. In marketing vernacular, touchpoints describe each occasion a brand marketer communicates a brand message to a consumer.

A second definition refers to both the packages themselves and the actual physical contact that consumers have with them.

By either measure, touchpoints have significant implications for marketing communications and package design. But they are effective tactics only to the extent that designers design for consumers rather than for themselves. Consumers say designers still aren’t getting it right often enough. Listen to Fred and Elizabeth for two examples.

Fred purchased his favorite coffee brand, only to find that the manufacturer had changed the packaging. The new “easy-open” lid instructs Fred to depress the “Push Here to Open” tab on the side to pop open the lid. He tried repeatedly, but it wouldn’t budge.

Says Fred, “So finally, I used a hammer, and every time I wanted a cup of coffee, I banged a hammer on it to open the lid.”

Fred called the manufacturer, which received quite a few comments from consumers who the lid had likewise frustrated. “They were very much concerned that so many people called in, and they changed the package,” Fred says. “I’m going to miss my little hammer.”

Now, Elizabeth’s dilemma is even more basic with her plastic dispenser of pre-moistened disinfecting wipes. A graphic on the lid pronounces, “New Easy-Glide Dispensing Top.” The graphic shows the dispenser in the open position but doesn’t explain how to open it.

“You need one thumb up and one thumb on the bottom part, which is ridiculous to open. When you have arthritic hands, you can’t do this,” Elizabeth laments. She has taken the compensating behavior of packing the unused wipes in a plastic storage bag (a packaging opportunity for a competitor), and vows to switch brands.

Both cases cost the manufacturer. The coffee company incurred the time and expense of a new package design, and the cleaning wipes brand is undoubtedly not the preferred choice among people with limited finger dexterity and hand strength.

This offers further evidence that consumers’ interaction with packaging goes beyond color and shape. Take another good look at your package. Whether it’s a structural component or an instructive icon, have you tested each touchpoint on your package with consumers who will actually use your product? Is anything missing in the sequence of communication with your consumer? The answers might help sell your brand.

Our content will continue to be archived at www.shelfimpact.com.

I welcome your comments. Please call me at 630/897-7158 or contact me by e-mail.