Packaging conveys your brand’s visual message to consumers – it’s a tool used by branding experts to ensure that the right message is conveyed, in the most effective way. It’s not just about an aesthetic look – it’s a visual conversation you can have with your customers.

Branding 101

Branding is your company’s most valuable asset. It’s the essence of a company and its products. It builds your relationship with your customers. It needs to immediately communicate your unique value proposition, because it is the branding that creates the market’s perception of your company, products and/or services.

Packaging is a critical part of branding. When a consumer sees a product on shelf, the packaging is the first thing they see – and those first few seconds are critical in influencing a customer’s purchase decision.

Choosing the right aesthetic design is critical to conveying your brand’s positioning, personality, and unique differentiation from the competition. Your overall brand design must extend to all aspects – from the packaging to the marketing and sales materials, and even to your PR and social media. This will create a consistent, strong brand image and identity, which are key to building brand awareness and recognition.

Mistakes to Avoid

Many companies want to go straight to product development or creative design, whether they are developing a new brand or rebranding an existing one. But the result is wasted time, effort and money.

Instead of just creating a product, changing a package or updating a design, brands should be thinking about the ‘big picture,’ which includes your overall branding initiative. A brand needs a firm strategic marketing plan to guide its positioning and development, and act as a strong foundation.

Another mistake companies often make is to update their packaging without evaluating their brand equity. You need to first understand what is compelling to current consumers so that you don’t lose them in the process. Then you can determine how to rebrand and perhaps broaden your reach to new consumers — while maintaining whatever equity you have built in the brand thus far.

The key is to end up with a smooth transition and a brand image that is compelling, unique and “disruptive” at the shelf level.

(See example – Beesemyer recently worked on rebranding Derma-e – here’s the “Before” and “After”).

Tips to Remember

Think of every single component – from your logo to your choice of packaging components – as a billboard for your brand.

If each component complements the other by communicating the same message, personality and image, your customers will soon recognize your brand – which is the first step to creating credibility and demand.

Branding always starts with your brand and product positioning. For example, if your product’s unique selling proposition is ingredient driven, then emphasize the ingredients in the product name and graphics. Ingredient-driven names and claims that communicate product benefits are effective because they quickly present a ‘reason to buy.’

Things that you can do with your packaging, such as color-coding, or calling out a specific benefit with an ingredient driven name, will help make it quick and easy for either a retailer to recommend a product, or will help a consumer choose on their own. This should always be your goal.

The Bottom Line

The key is to begin with a strong strategic marketing plan and complete the necessary due diligence to ensure that you are uniquely positioned for success in a very prolific marketplace—whether you are a start-up or an established brand.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Formerly International Marketing Director of Neutrogena, VP Marketing of Jafra/Gillette and Dermalogica, Cynthia Beesemyer founded The Brand Initiative in 2002. Her clients have included Derma-e, Colgate, Hugo Naturals, Jessica Cosmetics and Marula-The Leakey Collection. She works with companies of all sizes, even start-ups.