Given consumers’ rapid decision-making in crowded aisles, brands are challenged with designing packaging that isn’t necessarily the most attractive, but maintains brand recognition and communication and drives conversion, according to Andrea Fraboni, global practice lead, pack and design for Nielsen NIQ.
The global analytics firm’s annual NIQ Design Impact Awards highlights innovative packaging redesigns across CPG. This year recognized eight food and beverage brands, including Hostess Cakes and Liquid IV.
However, modernization and brand recognition can still work together without losing relevancy.
One of the biggest redesign mistake is changing familiar visual assets, such as colors, logos, typography and shapes, that consumers rely on to find them.
“Not understanding the unique visual equities of the brand on pack and inadvertently changing them. In most categories, shoppers spend about 20 seconds at shelf, so much of the work packaging does is non-conscious and highly visual. Our brains are constantly using shortcuts to make quick decisions in a crowded aisle. As a result, changing ownable visual equities such as fonts, colors, shapes and other recognizable cues can disrupt a shopper’s ability to quickly find what’s familiar on shelf,” Fraboni said.
Aesthetics and visual appeal are part of a design process, but brands should note that it doesn’t necessarily drive sales.
“Flat or declining performance, either in research or after launch, is often a sign that aesthetics have been prioritized over what actually drives purchase,” Fraboni said.
Rather, Fraboni cautions a redesign should focus less on a visual refresh and more on solving shoppers’ problems. This could mean adding call outs on nutrient content or health claims that provide the shopper with a clear, easy-to-read solution.
“If new packaging doesn’t address existing weaknesses or improve how the pack works across the shopper journey, from standout to active shopping to conversion, overall performance is unlikely to change,” she explained.
One way to develop an effective redesign is to compare packaging with other brands in the category.
“It’s recommended that teams conduct an audit of the existing packaging against competitors before beginning a redesign. This helps identify the strengths and weaknesses of the current pack,” Fraboni said.
Signs a packaging is saying too much
Between the myriad claims and nutrient call outs and design elements that brands can implement on packaging, too much information can create confusion and hurt performance.
Successful design creates a smooth visual experience that allows the eye to quickly and efficiently navigate core messaging, Fraboni said.
“Self-assessment: Is the packaging highlighting more than three to five elements on pack? Another indicator is eye-tracking. Has the pack created a scattered viewing pattern, rather than a smooth path through the design, whether that’s top to bottom, left to right, or counterclockwise around the pack?” she said.
So, which brand assets should be included in packaging? Depending on the brand and packaging, Fraboni says teams should identify which visual elements consumers associate the most strongly with them.
“Teams need to understand which assets are truly ownable and approach changes to them with care. For some brands, that may be the logo or font; for others, it may be colors or a distinctive visual element. Once a team identifies its key visual brand assets, it doesn’t mean they can never be changed. It simply means those changes should be made thoughtfully, whether through more evolutionary updates or by reinforcing recognition through other elements on pack,” she said.
Where aesthetics can play a role is in contrast and clear shelf presence – such as color, shape or other visual cues – that are easily recognizable by consumers “from six feet away,” Fraboni explained.
How brands can measure whether packaging is working
Measuring standout, searchability, effective communication and purchase intent will help brands determine how impactful a brand redesign is on shelf. However, research should validate packaging before it reaches shelf, Fraboni advises.
“It’s important to conduct quantitative, in-context shelf research prior to launch to ensure the packaging performs across the shopper journey. In particular, brands should make sure the new pack does not erode standout, findability, key communication or purchase intent,” she said.
Fraboni added, “Evaluate it in a competitive context. Before redesigning, make sure you understand the pack’s strengths and weaknesses from a shopper perspective, as well as the brand’s ownable visual assets.
