As we have seen, package design can often provide the whole reason for a brand to exist. In spite of this, the package is just one of several tools in the brand-building tool kit. Some products simply can't be sold unpackaged, so they are put in bags, boxes, bottles, jars, cans, cartons, or tied to a board or holder of some kind. Packaging can accomplish several functions. It can:
communicate brand identity (achieved by differentiating a product from its competitors, telling a story, conveying an image of value, and making an emotional impression);
attract attention in a busy retail space (the package serves as sign and advertisement);
position a product within a certain category or price range;
perform a useful function, even supplanting the product itself in importance (the package serves as container and protector, and carries instructions for use and information on nutrition, health, and safety); and
fulfill some corollary function (the package can serve as souvenir merchandisethink of jam jars printed with "collectible" designs, giving them a residual branding value long after the contents have been used upor as storage containers, like the plastic buckets that some LEGO bricks are sold in).
All of these are achieved through the astute use of design. Conveying |
|
Read more...
|
