Here’s why it’s working and what to look out for when it doesn’t work.
Here’s why it’s working and what to look out for when it doesn’t work.
One stroll down the pasta aisle and you’re seeing Goodles. A shelf that was traditionally filled by the blue Kraft box and flat store-brand mac & cheese boxes is now being taken over by a vibrant-colored box.
Protein and nutrient rich, Goodles launched to wholesale only recently and is already becoming a great example of the shift to a newer style of packaging for consumers and why it’s working better.
It’s hard to point out a direct start in this new shift of hyper-colorful, artful packaging. Simply because artful packaging has always existed. The focus is why is it so popularized now?
We’ve seen tons of shifts in consumer preferences for how they view and buy products off the shelf, however one theme of preference always remains: does it stand out & speak to my values?
As newer generations push for wholesome products that are good for the body, and no longer want to buy from larger corporations we are able to find one key changing point.
Soda.
The major soda corporations have sat on the shelves for years, it was hard to access that shelf-space and hard for consumers to find alternatives.
When Olipop first came onto the scene, its focus was targeting the health conscious consumer who loves their diet-sodas but didn’t know there was something even better on the market.
When you see an Olipop soda can next to the deep red of a Coke-Zero, you feel a pull of curiosity to pick it up and see what it’s all about. And as the preferences shift toward a healthier alternative to drinks and foods we all knew and loved, as well as Gen-Z bringing back the vibrancy of y2k years, the newer generation got hooked.
Olipop started off strong, offering familiar flavors at a percentage of the calories, with all the added health benefits of probiotics. Their branding pushed vibrancy and fun- different colored cans for each flavor with iconography that stood out.
This branding is taking over the shelves. From coffee creamers to snacks. Newer brands are seeing the consumer shifts and are adapting their approach for millennials, gen z & alpha who have remarkably different values than their predecessors.
However, just because they are tracking- doesn’t mean it’s always working. There are plenty of success stories, but there are more failures. Why?
Hyper-Creativity & Its Conflict With Design Principles
Oftentimes as brands go for the hyper creative approach in their packaging- they can forget key branding principles or simply sacrifice them in the name of ‘looking cool’. But looking cool isn’t just what sells your product. Having a great product is what sells your product.
These two brands I saw at two different stores. While you can most certainly admire their packaging, it took me forever to find out what the right-image brand was selling. Crackers-they sell crackers. The left is so simple you actually are missing some key information that matters to consumers.
These brands that opt for packaging like this have to be careful not to fall into the trap of believing hyper-creativity has to mean you sacrifice consumer needs. Especially when it means your product won’t sell.
It’s easy too- to do it right. Take the time to research what your ICP cares about, and also the traditional information consumers expect to access easily.
Olipop didn’t sacrifice this, neither did Goodles. Their packaging both feature key items consumers love and care for.
It can be done right, but you need to be willing to do the hard work of research, and willingness to adapt design approaches to make sure your product makes sense to the consumer, and ultimately sells.
