Packaging is closely linked to branding strategy and is the consumer’s first point of contact with the brand, clearly influencing their purchasing decision. Hispack considers this important function of packaging in its commercial offer and activities and invites branding, marketing and advertising professionals to learn more about the latest trends in brand creation, management and positioning, as well as the generation of experiences through packaging at the trade fair.
The idea that a package is merely a container for an attractively designed product that seeks differentiation at the point of sale has long since been outdated. Packaging goes beyond containing, protecting, transporting and preserving: packaging communicates and is therefore linked to the branding strategy, whether for the corporate brand or for that of a specific product or service.
The president of the Spanish Branding Association (Aebrand), Cristina Vicedo, underlines: “Packaging is an expression of the proposition, promise and values that a brand conveys to the consumer. It is experience, preference, recommendation and connection with the needs of the user of a product”.
Branding tips
What requirements must packaging have in order to contribute to brand development? There are no magic formulas, but there are a number of recommendations to keep in mind.
- Alignment between the corporate brand and the product sub-brands, so that they all add to the corporate brand but also maintain their own individuality and identity
- Differentiation from the competition in terms of visual and design codes
- To thoroughly understand the target public we are addressing in order to create packaging that is useful to their needs and that generates a satisfactory user experience.
- Establishing a clear hierarchy of packaging elements
- Convey clear and simple messages; after all, the decision to buy a product takes less than 7 seconds
- Use environmentally friendly materials so that the design, production and recycling process follow sustainability criteria
- Originality and creativity to surprise the consumer
Muy Mucho: packaging restyling to reposition the brand
Muy Mucho. Image courtesy of Espluga+associates
Muy Mucho is a home decoration chain with 170 shops in Europe that sells home decoration products and household goods at a fair price. The agency Espluga+associates was in charge of repositioning this brand, which was perceived as a cheap bazaar. According to creative director David Espluga, “our work aimed to change that image, turning Muy Mucho into a space where quality, good taste and price converge”.
Muy Mucho. Image courtesy of Espluga+associates
In rethinking the project, Espluga explains that “the fundamental objective was to empower the consumer, letting people know that they don’t need to spend a fortune to live in a place they love and are proud of”. “Nice things at a good price” was the mantra that guided the project.
Muy Mucho. Image courtesy of Espluga+associates
With more than 1,500 items for sale in the shops, packaging was a key element in communicating the values of the new brand. Muy Mucho’s packaging focused on the quality and freshness of the product, while in-store communication made it clear that these were inexpensive items.
Simplicity, elegance and clean lines helped not only to bring order to the shelves, but also to add value to the product and the brand. For its part, the logo worked as the effective carrier of these values.
Muy Mucho. Image courtesy of Espluga+associates
For David Espluga, “packaging is a fundamental and indispensable element in creating and building a brand”. “I can’t imagine it any other way,” he adds. In his experience, all sectors have a similar approach to this discipline, although the objectives and target audience of the brand change.
Espluga is clear about the trends in brand packaging: “sustainability, sustainability and sustainability”. He also mentions a challenge he believes the sector will have to face, that of the coexistence of the online world with that of physical shops and the progressive decrease in the weight or even, in some cases, disappearance of retail towards a digital environment.
Botanical Origin, sustainable packaging at the heart of it all
Botanical Origin. Image courtesy of Batllegroup
Batllegroup created the brand and packaging design for Botanical Origin, a range of botanical-based household cleaning products (detergent, fabric softener and cleaner). The agency’s CEO and creative director, Enric Batlle, says that “FMCG brands or those that target the end consumer are the most aware of the importance of packaging in their brand strategy, but we perceive that B2B packaging is also increasingly valuing this function”.
The challenge was clear: to transmit naturalness and respect for people and the environment, promoting conscious consumer habits that connect with the needs and expectations of the new generations. And at the same time, boosting the efficacy and cleaning power of the entire product range.
Botanical Origin. Image courtesy of Batllegroup
In a mature category where codes are well established, there are clear buying factors and quick decision-making, the agency created a differentiating design in which transparency, shapes and colour became the main assets of the new brand. The branding sought to convey simplicity and naturalness and for the packaging of the new detergent bottle, which represents the flagship product of the new range, they were inspired by the shape of a drop, using colours such as amber and other shades related to nature.
On the labels, they highlighted the sensoriality of the botanically sourced ingredients and the main benefits, while emphasising the Natureclean technology. In addition, they were designed in transparent material to enhance the luminosity and naturalness of the product and the main colours of the botanical ingredients were respected, using them to code and differentiate the aromatic varieties.
Botanical Origin. Image courtesy of Batllegroup
All packaging in the range is 100% recyclable, and some of it is made from 50% recycled plastics. For the Batllegroup spokesman, this is one of the undisputed trends in the industry: “Brands seek to improve the sustainability of their products through the packaging and also the product itself, and to do so they must change and evolve to meet people’s expectations today, which are much more demanding than they were a few years ago”.
Digitalisation, the idea of less is more and the honesty and transparency of brands are other trends mentioned by Batlle. The innovative capacity of a sector that knows how to adapt and anticipate the needs of consumers is also an indisputable value in brand packaging.
AGREEMENT WITH AEBRAND
Hispack has reached an agreement with Aebrand to promote joint promotion, dissemination and networking initiatives that strategically address packaging as an essential element in building a brand and in the effective shopping experience.
The first of the planned activities will take place within the framework of the trade fair: a round-table discussion that will bring together brand managers, designers and agencies with the aim of presenting innovative success stories and sharing some of the keys and trends that are marking the evolution of branding through packaging.
Cristina Benavides, Hispack contributor
