Written by Linda Henley, Director of Package Development
Having worked in the packaging graphics area for over 20 years, one thing I know is that you can’t just make it pretty. As obvious as that may sound, time and time again I’ve seen companies focus on the graphic look without taking into account critical factors. Here are a few.
- Whether your packaging is targeted to consumers or trade buyers, branding and design are important. All buyers are people and will react similarly to design elements. So while B-to-B packaging budgets are typically smaller, it’s still important to avoid allowing the packaging to look generic.
- The packaging is the front line of the brand experience, often acting as an ad or sell sheet. It’s potentially one of the first places your target audience interacts with your brand. So even if your packaging design firm didn’t develop your brand identity, be a brand steward and make sure it strongly conveys the desired brand image. The packaging can drive the entire wheel. Branding should not be an afterthought.
- The functional purpose of label should not take a backseat to design. For example, when designing spice labels for fast-paced restaurants, kitchen observations revealed the importance of easy identification and differentiation.
 |
 |
|||
| McCormick ® Spices Old Label Design |
McCormick Culinary™ Spices New Label Design |
- Look at your competition. At the shelf it’s about choice. Which packaging draws them in better? Your package is next to someone else’s. You have literally a few seconds to entice them to your package instead of another. Always look at your competitors’ packaging before you begin a design project.
- Don’t operate in a vacuum—the corporate brand architecture should factor heavily into the packaging graphics. The specific product or product line’s relationship to the brand, relationship to other products in the line, other product lines under the brand, and other brands under the corporate umbrella should be considered in terms of brand graphic elements, logos, etc. What is the hierarchy and relationship between the brands? How it is reflected appropriately in the packaging?
- Understand the regulations that apply to your package, whether nutritional labeling, country of origin or other. Don’t leave it “for the packaging guys” to do later or it will seem like an afterthought or force fit. The same applies with production limitations.
- Production limitations are very different in packaging than in other types of print work. Designers may want to include gradations, spot color and backgrounds that beautifully convey the brand, but it may not be possible with the packaging printer. What works in offset printing may not work in flexo. Before you begin the project, find out who the printer is, because it will affect your design parameters, I guarantee.
Even seasoned marketers and companies tend to fall into these traps. Know what you’re getting into ahead of time. When it’s time to design the packaging graphics, deadlines are often screaming by and the temptation is huge to just get something on the package. Our responsibility is to advise our clients, ask all the right questions and provide guidance to help them avoid these common mistakes.
