Keep it simple
With consumers’ interest in health- and wellness-positioned products showing no signs of waning, many retailers have been bolstering offerings here. But the packaging for such products sometimes suffers in the quest to attract attention, educate consumers and call out specific health and wellness benefits.
“Very often, packages become a compromised jumble of too many ideas, too many claims and disconnected elements that don’t work together,” notes Jill Ahern, consulting services senior director for Packaging Technology Integrated Solutions, a division of Downers Grove, Ill.-based HAVI Global Solutions.
Communicate positioning
Effective design for health- and wellness-oriented store brand products requires retailers to clearly establish the brand’s positioning, says Michael Duffy, managing partner for Equator Design, Batavia, Ill. That positioning can take one of two tracks: 1) a better-for-you brand that meets strict criteria for specific benefits in comparison to mainstream alternatives (e.g., low in sodium), or 2) a natural and/or organic brand with “cleaner product formulas” (the absence of unwanted ingredients) than those of the mainstream alternatives.
It’s also important to remember that the attributes associated with health and wellness differ from consumer to consumer, Ahern says.
“While one consumer might be most concerned about weight management, another might focus on natural and organic products, and still another on strength and energy maintenance,” she explains, “so it’s important to understand exactly what the product aims to communicate and deliver.”
That positioning will influence the information, including callouts related to product benefits, to be included on the packaging itself.
“All these key callouts have to be communicated on pack while not compromising the integrity and clean styling of these brands,” Duffy says. “This can only be achieved by skillfully crafting all the visual attributes by creating simple callout systems that are managed consistently across large ranges and rolled out on multiple pack formats.”
But don’t go overboard on claims and callouts, Ahern stresses. Consumer research her company has performed shows that excessive copy actually can be a deterrent to purchase.
“Consumers will generally only spend a second or two for initial evaluation, so immediate connection to images and overall packaging design is even more important than claims or callouts during that time,” she says. “Another consideration on this topic is the importance of universal design. Not every consumer is able to read small copy on your product due to language or visual barriers, so relying on written claims to communicate is risky.”
Make a connection
As Ahern stated, images and overall design are more critical than claims and callouts in making that immediate connection with the shopper in store.
Color palettes generally run the gamut from “fresh greens and bright whites to warm earthy tones,” Duffy says, with a light base such as white or cream. Photography boasting simple staging and “natural uncluttered styling” reinforces the idea of product purity.
“Typography is also clean with little fuss,” he notes, “depicting a more honest message without the dated over-Photoshopped effects [such as] bevels and drop shadows.”
The brand’s or product’s positioning also should influence color and design decisions, Ahern suggests. Packaging for natural and organic products, for example, could benefit from natural-looking materials, matte finishes and muted colors.
“Somewhat the opposite is true for products targeting strength and power claims,” she notes. “Bold, dark or vibrant colors and sturdy and functional packaging tend to connect with this trend.
“As with any design, the first objective is always to understand the consumer’s driving force,” Ahern adds. “What does he or she strive to attain by choosing the product? The role of packaging should be to connect to that need state.”
Even that connection might not be enough, suggests Deborah Ginsburg, founder and CEO of Oakton, Va.-headquartered Strategia Design, as the primary consumer and the end-user might be two entirely different people.
“For children’s OTC and body care, it matters that there be imagery and colors and flavors/scents that appeal to kids, but the packaging also has to be functional and easy to navigate for the mom or dad purchasing it,” she explains. “Today, you have many people shopping for aging parents. In this case, the packaging has to be easy to open, use and consume. The information may need to be larger or have imagery that clearly defines the product benefits.”
Consider the category
Certain product categories — such as beverages and health and beauty care (HBC) — present unique challenges on the health and wellness packaging front. For beverages, for example, many companies are calling out only calories in regard to Facts Up Front nutritional labeling because of high sugar content, Ginsburg says. And many are making the decision to downsize these sugared beverages in terms of ounces for health and wellness positioning.
“It is critical to understand in beverage all of the different substrates that exist across a line and how to design to maximize the consistency and quality across them all,” she maintains. “For example, there are case-pack cartons, poly wraps, metal cans, overwraps for case packs, etc. Designing a line that will look the same across all is very important.”
On the HBC side, a quality structure and a unique shape can be good differentiators for store brands, Ginsburg says.
“This is a good area of the store to invest more money in colors, substrates of bottle structures,” she adds. “Illustrations work well for kids’ products, but skewing too young can alienate many ‘tweeners.’”
Put it all together
With so many elements to consider, creating a design that truly works for health- and wellness-positioned store brand products definitely isn’t easy. But it can be done.
Jennifer Gaeto, creative director for Equator Design, points to two brands that succeed here: the Fit & Active brand from Batavia, Ill.-based ALDI Inc. and the new Simply Roundy’s Organic brand from Roundy’s Supermarkets Inc., Milwaukee.
The Fit & Active brand takes a “bright, clean and honest approach” when it comes to design, Gaeto notes, using a blue logo with “energy” to point to an active lifestyle.
“Key callouts, communicating the benefits, are contained together to create easy-to-navigate pack communication,” she explains. “The photography heroes the food and draws the focus to the quality product offering. The neutral color palette of green and white instinctively communicates this as a better-for-you option.”
As for the Simply Roundy’s Organic brand, Gaeto says it boasts an “approachable and airy design aesthetic” showcasing attractive photography against a clean-looking white backdrop that suggests product purity.
“The natural-looking tag logo, combined with … handwritten type, creates a friendly and accessible organic brand,” she says. “The brand uses the green organic coloration and contains the important ‘free from” statement, which is followed by the key callouts.”