24 | Regulars / Branding and design The art of effective collaboration: Infusing value from concept to cart A good label supplier, one who collaborates and innovates with customers, is oftentimes the winner in for the long haul, writes branding and design columnist, Vicki Strullecently, I read a LinkedIn post “If product packaging begins to look alike, by Adam Peek, a self-proclaimed packaging evangelist. In the post, R the category becomes a sea of sameness. he boldly stated that label printing is A converter with deep knowledge of a category becoming a commodity and explained that the differentiator is the value a good label is a valuable resource for a team” supplier can add to the process, not just what they add to creating the label itself. After reading comments, I could not help In fact, 62 percent of people watching they will pick it up, learn more and put it in but wonder about the value converters unboxing videos intend to make a purchase. their cart. bring to CPG brands and their sales. What For those of you with experience in The minimalist packaging trend that parts of the design process are ripe for corrugated packaging, you may have began 10 years ago was effective for the converters to add value and collaborate ideas about how to improve a brand’s frst two to three brands in a category, with brand managers and creative unboxing experience. Another opportunity but after that, minimalist packaging grew professionals? What ‘entry points’ are ideal to bring value. bland, and customers have had trouble for converters to step in and offer their differentiating brands on the shelf. If experience, advice and inspiration? Why do We need to show our customers we care product packaging begins to look alike, the some converters become valuable partners about the environment. category becomes a sea of sameness. Again, while others remain stuck in a cycle of Many of you may have customers who a converter with deep knowledge of a commoditization and order-taking? are trying to reduce their carbon footprint category is a valuable resource for a team.or make their packaging more sustainable Creative professionals also need to Collaboration begins with a need and recyclable. This is an area where understand the brand’s audience – their Just like any endeavor, designing a label not only converters but also suppliers demographic, geographic and ethnographic starts with a need. How many times have and original equipment manufacturers data. Who are the brand’s customers? you heard any of the following requests (OEMs) can educate brand managers, How old are they? What do they have in from your clients? packaging designers, production managers common? What do they believe in? Are and procurement managers about new they pet owners? What shows do they We need a line extension. innovative materials and processes that stream? The list goes on and on, but it This is typically requested by a brand that meet the brand’s sustainability goals helps to identify specifc existing and is expanding to more favors, formulas, and initiatives. potential customers. categories, etc. In the last issue, I discussed Recently, I worked with a client on a new a rebranding project I did for a specialty Research leads the way concept for a convenience store. One of food company, Wildfare, where I described After the need is defned and the creative the primary audiences we identifed were the design process and the various brief is approved and the paperwork is parents who like to walk their children to extensions within Wildfare’s product signed, the frst step for brand managers school, along with kids who are 10 to 16 lines. The brand’s need was for more shelf and designers is research. years old who would walk or ride their bikes appeal – to get shoppers to quickly notice Creative professionals need to to the store after school.its products on the retail shelf while also understand the ins and outs of the Sharing your deep knowledge and differentiating from its competitors. Most category. It’s not surprising that it’s experience within a category or with an converters I know have strong opinions very different to design packaging for a audience does not have a direct ROI to your about what gives packaging its shelf appeal, luxury cosmetic brand that sells direct- selling situation, but that doesn’t mean it whether it’s a fnish, a specialty effect, a to-consumer than it is to create a craft isn’t valuable. In fact, it defnitely adds to format or something else. Here is an entry brew label that’s sold in grocery stores. If your ‘ROR’ – Return on Relationship. Advice point for converters to add value by sharing a converter specializes in a particular niche and education build trust with your clients their opinion and experience. market, their knowledge and experience and prospects. within that category are valuable to the We need to create a ‘wow’ moment during creative team. Gathering inspiration our unboxing experience. Understanding the category also entails The next step is for the creative team to This is typically requested by a brand that researching the brand’s competitors so collect inspiration and assemble a mood sells primarily online. Unboxing experiences that the packaging design is differentiated or style board. During this phase, creative are valuable because so many people post from the other brands adjacent to it on professionals gather ideas for imagery, videos on social media as they open their the shelf or even online. Brands have very typography, color palettes, layouts, purchases, potentially reaching a vast little time to attract a consumer’s attention call-outs, fnishing techniques, textures and audience. Did you know that one of the – research shows it’s about eight seconds – formats. The inspiration on a board may not most popular ways that people shop today so the design, graphics, format, shape and solely be related to that brand or category, is by researching unboxing videos online? textures need to entice shoppers fast so and that’s a good thing. Instead, creative labelsandlabeling.com