RSS FeedLeverage Your Equity
Filed under: Packaging Design — Kevin Hemsworth @ 11:37 am
As any real estate investor knows, you’ve got to use the equity you’ve worked so hard to build up to your advantage. It’s a lesson that applies to branding as well, as the folks at Tropicana (PepsiCo) found out last month.
- Comparison of the old (left) and new (right) Tropicana packaging. The new packaging has been pulled and the old design restored as a result of consumer backlash
PepsiCo has announced that they’re pulling the packaging redesign of Tropicana orange juice, less than a month after it’s launch in January of this year. Negative customer feedback has prompted the return to the old packaging design, as customers called the new packaging “ugly”, “stupid, and “generic”. More troubling is that customers complained about not being able to as easily distinguish between varieties (pulp, no pulp, etc.) or from their competition.
First, hats off to Tropicana for innovating. It is always a risky proposition to introduce a revolutionary packaging design for a beloved brand. It’s far easier to make minor changes year-in, year-out to keep the packaging current and either hold steady or gain incremental market share, but sometimes a radical redesign can make a big impact on the numbers – in a positive way.
However, there are some valuable lessons to be learned here.
One of the things that Tropicana has spent years building equity in is the idea of the straw tapping the orange. This speaks volumes about the freshness and real quality of the Tropicana offering, and is one of the things conspicuously absent from the new design. It is also one of things that disgruntled Tropicana fans missed in the new packaging. Neil Campbell, president at Tropicana North America, admits that they had underestimated the emotional attachment of consumers to the straw and orange. One would think that some diligent market research could have avoided that mistake, and given cause to rethink their redesign strategy.
One of the most notable differentiators for the Tropicana product line is the way in which it distinguishes between varieties; I can pick out the “no pulp” version from three aisles away. Dropping such a strong design element that customers relied on to find their OJ was a major no-no. Again, research into the key identifiers of their product on shelf could have discovered this valuable information.
At the end of the day, credit should be given to PepsiCo for listening to their core customers and reverting back to their old packaging, although that does open a whole new debate about the value of the court of public opinion when trying to innovate. Historically, innovative ideas have been met with public opposition and outcry from the vocal minority: resisting the urge to appease the masses has led to some incredible discoveries over the years. In the modern era, feedback is all too available, and comes in many forms, almost instantly. Time will tell if the Facebook-ification of focus groups will help or hinder the progress of design. For now, I’m just happy that I can find my OJ.
Cascade launches 100% carbon offset beer.
Filed under: Jason, Packaging Design — Jason Hemsworth @ 7:15 pm
Designed by Landor.
Finally a beer we can all drink without feeling guilty.
“Cascade today announced the release of Cascade Green – a low carbohydrate, preservative free, 100% carbon offset beer.
Cascade Green, a full flavoured Lager, has been brewed entirely at the Cascade Brewery from locally produced ingredients. Packaging has been designed to minimise Greenhouse gas emissions, including a light weight glass bottle featuring a high recycled content. The 100% recycled carton has been printed with two-colour biodegradable vegetable inks.
“Environmental sustainability has long been important to Cascade Brewery. We’ve made improvements to our operations over the last ten years and we’re committed to doing more. We’re really excited to be launching Cascade Green and in doing so, provide Australian drinkers with a greener beer choice that tastes great,” said Cascade Marketing Manager, Ben Summons.
The greenhouse gas emissions associated with Cascade Green are offset. Cascade Green has achieved Australian Government Greenhouse Friendly certification and is among only a handful of products approved under the Greenhouse Friendly Program (GFP). Cascade Green has undergone an extensive, independently verified Lifecycle Analysis and also has an Emissions Monitoring Plan in place to meet the ongoing commitments required of GFP members.
“Reducing our carbon footprint makes good business sense”, said Foster’s Sustainability Manager, Scott Delzoppo. “The work completed to understand and reduce the carbon footprint of Cascade Green is an important input into our continuing group efforts to reduce our global greenhouse gas emissions.”
Cascade Green has initially purchased certified carbon offsets for the Hobart Landfill Flare Facility, approved under the GFP and developed by AGL Energy Services, and will continue to purchase offsets on an ongoing basis.â€
Source: The Dieline
Cully & Sully Packaging by The Brand Union
Filed under: Jason, Packaging Design — Jason Hemsworth @ 6:28 pm
This packaging by The Brand Union conveys the mood of the fun and enjoyment that goes into a great home cooked meal. It is whimsical, but looks delicious. The snapshot of the final meal feels like a personal way to show what the end meal will look like. They expanded the offering to a line of resealable fresh soups with an emphasis on fresh ingredients.
“Due to changing consumer purchasing and eating patterns there was significant opportunity in the Irish ready meals sector for delicious, nutritious and enjoyable meal solutions. Young entrepreneurs Colum O’Sullivan (Sully) along with Cullen Allen (Cully) from Ballymaloe House set about developing a range of gourmet ready-to-cook meals to target this category which is estimated as growing at 13% per year.
Our initial challenge was to create a brand proposition, name, identity and packaging design for the new range. It was important that Colum and Cullen’s passionate food credentials were communicated to the customer so that they would trust the products. The brand also had to be a fun and quirky experience and convey the founders’ youthfulness. At the same time food is a serious business, so the brand could not be too whimsical.
The Brand Union developed the brand by focusing on the personalities of owners, Colum and Cullen, and the fun they have selecting ingredients, recipes and preparing meals. We worked closely with them in developing the market positioning, brand personality and brand name.â€
“Following the success of the ready meals range Cully & Sully asked us to create packaging for a range of fresh soups that would differentiate them in a very competitive category.
The creative team built a unique look-and-feel based on the duo’s personalities and passion for good food. The accessible, homely and friendly packaging style re-emphasises the authenticity of the fresh ingredients and delicious flavours of the brand. Real food values are reflected through the blackboard menu idea which was unlike any other ready meals packaging on the market. This allowed Cully & Sully to have a friendly and informal voice to the consumer on their packs, while their brandmark reflected a serious attitude towards real food.
We created hand-drawn sketches which along with on-pack personal recommendations from Cully & Sully speak directly to the consumer.
The ready meals range was successfully launched in September 2004 and Cully & Sully now have 2.1% of the Irish ready meal market (Europanel June 2006). In October 2006 a range of soups was added which took an unprecedented 15% market share in Musgrave SuperValu Centra stores after just three weeks.â€
As seen on The Dieline
Maleta Sparkles at Wine Awards
Filed under: Kevin, Packaging Design — Kevin Hemsworth @ 4:27 pm
As a welcome way to ring in the New Year, we have discovered that the 2006 View Old Vines Brut sparkling wine by Maleta Winery has won Silver at the recent Canadian Wine Awards and American Wine Society International Competition events, while their 2005 Meritage has won Bronze at the same events.
Congratulations to Maleta on these notable achievements, and on their continued success. The Winery has also recently become part of Wineries of Niagara-on-the-Lake. As one of our earliest clients, we always enjoy hearing news of Maleta Winery’s achievements…almost as much as we enjoy their wine!
Click the link to take a peek at the beverage packaging design we developed for Maleta.
Kellogg targets younger audience with new All-Bran
Filed under: Kevin, Packaging Design, Press Releases — Kevin Hemsworth @ 1:05 pm
The kid in you might just find something old that’s new again on the shelf in your local supermarket. The new All-Bran packaging, developed by Jump in partnership with Kellogg Canada, puts a new spin on fibre, and was designed to attract a more youthful demographic to the brand. New flavours and formats are all part of the repositioning by Kellogg, which we were extremely excited to be a part of. The new packaging designs hit the shelves in the Summer of 2008.
To read more about this project and to see our work, click here.