Package design has traditionally focused on the “look” of the food or drink by featuring the product in a delicious, mouth-watering presentation designed to get you to say something like, “That sure looks good! I must have one!” That is changing with technology.
We have always known that taste was really mostly olfactory; that is, in a way, we taste with our noses. The packaging industry has never used a taste or smell appeal but mostly appealed to either sight (the luscious-looking dish or drink) or to our imagination. That is changing. An outfit called ScentSational Technologies wants you to smell the contents of the package as well, understanding the major role olfactory senses play in taste. The following linked article is interesting and may be something you can use as part of your next package design. More…
The Saints didn’t make the big game, but they did give New Orleans and much of the rest of the country a reason to hope. It was a good year; unfortunately it ended before the Super Bowl….Speaking of the Super Bowl....
We are coming to what has become the advertising event of the year. Yes, the game is a big reason most will turn on their TV sets that Sunday, but there is a second reason: the Super Bowl ads! This is one time of the year when most of us turn the volume up instead of down during the commercial breaks.
And for good reason: This is when advertisers try to outdo each other in producing the best TV spots. And, at $2.6 million a pop just for the time they had better be VERY good! Usually we aren’t disappointed, and I don’t expect we will be this year either.
We can expect some outstanding and very funny commercials from the likes of Coke, Emerald Nuts, Bud Light, Careerbuilder Honda, Toyota, Pepsi, and others. For a look at past year’s offerings here are some links that havethe old ads up for your viewing pleasure. Many of those advertisers from 2006 will be back with bigger and better spots this year. Here is a link to comments on the best and worst of the 2006 Super Bowl ads.
And it is no accident these ads are showing up on the web after the big game. This furthers the reach of the ad as viewers seek them out and view them again as entertainment.
Some advertisers are injecting some new elements this year. Coke and Doritos have “commissioned” their customers to create a Super Bowl ad to run during the game. Doritos has some of their entries already up on YouTube. My personal favorite (so far) is this one.
I like it because it does such a good job of presenting the product in a context that appeals to our emotions. You can’t help but feel sorry for the love-struck driver after his accident. He is kind of goofy-looking, and that enhances his appeal. Then you are hit again when his “new girlfriend” comes to his rescue. They manage to invoke sympathy for their new relationship and the hazards associated with it – and present the product in a very memorable way.
Some of the Doritos entries are pretty lame, and some must have been done by ad agencies as a chance to get their work out there before a wider audience and a big client like Coke or Doritos. The advertiser gets the benefit of having very creative work done for "free."
There is a fairly new trend in advertising, where companies invite their customers to create ads for them. It has been done before the internet age but never as effectively. Giving your customers the freedom to create your ads and publish them is both risky and daring. If a customer or "spamer" has a grudge against you, it becomes a chance to vent that anger on a very public stage. So, advertisers must be prepared to deal with the bad as well as the good. Strange as it seems, this is called “listening to your customers.”
Several companies are doing this in connection with the Super Bowl this year. Chevrolet tried this last year with a program called “Chevrolet Apprentice” (in connection with the television show “The Apprentice”). Customers could go online and build their own Tahoe commercial, using elements already posted for that purpose on the site. (You didn’t even have to get the digicam out!)
Chevrolet took huge risks doing this, because it was possible to build a commercial that trashed the product, which is exactly what some did. Many in the ad community thought Chevrolet was crazy to allow this, but advertisers should be prepared to understand and address customer’s negative perceptions of their products. If you don’t, you won’t stay in business very long in this information age. If your new product turns out to be a dog, the whole world will know about it in a matter of days! To Chevrolet’s credit, they left those negative ads up there for all the world to see! See the comments by AdRants and others. Other companies have recently tried this as well, including JetBlue, Sony, and MasterCard.
(Note: Evidently, Chevrolet has taken the site down because I cannot find it, and the old link goes to the Tahoe page on the Chevrolet web site.)
So, what are the positives of taking this risk? This build-your-own-ad trend also builds a relationship with your customer. They “buy into” your product, which creates brand loyalty, and loyalty can be a very powerful tool promoting your product. Often the ads end up being posted on sites like YouTube, and if they are good enough circulated in e-mails around the world. You can't pay for that kind of exposure! In the long run the benefits outweigh the risks in most cases. Even Chevrolet and the Tahoe, which is somewhat controversial these days, is seen to have benefited from their efforts in spite of the "spamer" ads.
This trend isn’t for everyone, but you need to understand it, and more importantly, what is driving it. Such awareness will help you understand the web world of business we function in, which is rapidly changing the business world in ways we can’t even imagine yet.
Like it or not, your customers are talking about you and your products, and it may be behind your back – but very public! They are saying things good and bad about you that you ought to know about - and probably act on. I am talking about the internet. David Siegel wrote about this in his book Futurize Your Enterprize. Some of what he said back in 1999 IS happening today.
“The customers are in charge, whether you think they are or not.” David Siegel in Futurize Your Enterprize.
The web is a very public place and everyone seems to have an opinion on something, and that "something" may be you, your company, and/or your product. Do you know where that commentary is taking place? Or what is being said? If not you may have a problem that is going unanswered.
To find out just what your customers are saying about you visit web sites, blogs, and forums where your product might be discussed. I can guarantee there is a forum somewhere on the web that discusses the kinds of products you make and sell. Find it, lurk around and look for what your customers are saying, and even sign up and post to solicit customer responses. You may be surprised what you learn about your competition, your products, or even yourself.
Understanding what your customers (or potential customers you might steal from a competitor) think about your products or services can be a fabulous piece of learning. That information can be used to make improvements in your product, distribution system or customer service. You can bet your competition (if they are savvy) is doing that.
If you find a forum that discusses your products or services, sign up as a user and become an expert on your kind of products or services and respond to questions others may have. This builds credibility for you and has the added benefit of driving traffic to your web site if you have a link-back in your sig. It can be great PR!
One warning though: Sometimes what you find on forums are the 1%ers who are vocal, either negative or positive. You need to sort through that and get to the real issues, but don’t write off a rant by someone just because you don’t think it should be taken seriously, because others DO take it seriously. Perception is often reality. Analyze what your customers are saying and act on that information. Be prepared to acknowledge your faults and what you are doing about them. This candor is greatly appreciated by customers.
Remember what David Siegel said? - "The customers are in charge, whether you think they are or not.” And you need to be listening to them.
There is a strong movement taking hold to reduce the impact of packaging materials on the environment. Not only must trees be cut down and environmental damaging emissions produced during production of some packaging materials, but we have to deal with all those empty plastic clam packs and cardboard boxes that are left over after we remove the goodies from inside.
Pangea Organics, a line of organic cosmetics, has taken a novel approach to the problem and attacked it from both ends of the spectrum. Not only have they attempted to reduce the impact of packaging on the environment at the production end, but they have created a package that actually returns something positive to the environment. You might call it "packaging that grows on you." Read the article here that spells out what they have done.
