A winning combo

Retailers face somewhat of a challenge when it comes to packaging own-brand food and beverage products for children who are old enough to ask (OK, beg) mom or dad to make a specific purchase. The packaging not only must appeal to the 5- to 11-year-old-or-so mindset, but also must pass parental scrutiny.

Go bright and bold

To engage children, retailers might want to avoid subtlety.

“Bright packaging with the use of strong visuals tends to have the highest appeal among younger children,” says Jean-Pierre LaCroix, president of Shikatani LaCroix Design, Toronto. “Cartoon characters that are associated with TV programming or movies tend to have the highest interest, as there is a sense of familiarity.”

Scott Lucas, managing director for Brandimage, part of the global company SGK, agrees that “characters rule” in relation to children’s packaging, particularly for younger children. In fact, a 2010 Yale study found that 85 percent of children aged 4 to 6 chose the food product having a cartoon character on the package over one that did not.

“After a taste test, 55 percent of kids thought the same food tasted better if the package had a cartoon character,” he adds.

And Lucas also agrees with LaCroix as to graphical elements that appeal to children.

“Graphic elements that are bright, optimistic, energetic, bold and fun are the most successful at appealing to children,” he states.

As a bonus, bright colors and bold graphics also tend to attract the eyes of parents, particularly in crowded categories such as crackers, snacks and cereals. LaCroix points to a project his company worked on for Pepperidge Farm Goldfish crackers as an example of this strategy.

“We converted the character from a flat one-dimensional design to one that had more depth and, as a result, more personality,” he explains. “In addition, we ensured the packaging conveyed a lot of energy with the use of swirls and bold graphics.”

Other elements that attract kids to a package include metallic inks, reflective laminations and gloss finishes, notes Charles Hicks, director, design services for WestRock Co., Norcross, Ga. And retailers might want to look to backside print for messaging and brand reinforcement, as children between the ages of 5 and 11 are “more sophisticated than previous generations” and gravitate toward “cleaner, less-cluttered graphics, fonts and messaging.”

Storytelling-type designs with “kid-friendly themes” such as dance or sports also go a long way to draw kids, Lucas says. A package structure that encourages kids to “touch, feel and interact with the product,” meanwhile, can be effective, too.

Suzanna Abbot, senior director, global creative and marketing for WestRock Co, adds that the more “engaging and sensorial” the experience, the better.

“Kids are hard-wired to learn about the world around them by using all of their senses,” she says. “Adults don’t do that because we’ve already developed mental shortcuts from the experiences we had growing up.”

One mistake to avoid, however, is skewing too young with packaging design elements. As Deborah Ginsburg, founder and CEO of Oakton, Va.-based Strategia Design, notes, most kids “aspire up” when it comes to packaging choices.

“For instance, an 8-year-old will be drawn to packaging that is older, more sophisticated and ‘tween-looking,’ compared to a more youthful and simple package,” she says. “One of the biggest mistakes is creating a product that is visually irrelevant to the child by making it too plain or by cluttering the front panel with too many facts.”

And retailers also might want to avoid packaging that skews too narrow in terms of age appeal, Lucas suggests.

“A brand must truly understand its target, but also stretch it to ensure it doesn’t find itself off-putting to older or younger kids, limiting its sales potential,” he says.

Appease mom and dad

The final buying decision is up to mom or dad, of course, so retailers also will want to include parent-pleasing elements on kids’ packaging. Elements that can positively influence the purchase decision include nutritional claim callouts, resealability and messaging that reinforces the value proposition of the product, LaCroix says.

Ginsburg notes that today’s parents are drawn to non-GMO and organic claims, in particular.

“Other claims are important to ensure that the product is allergen-free for either their children or for their children’s friends, and that it is safe to bring to school,” she says. “Social impact/responsibility is also important to parents. Products that give back to a cause or the environment provide additional motivation for purchase.”

But the packaging also should reinforce a sense of fun and reward for the end user — the child, LaCroix stresses.

“The majority of purchase decisions are emotionally driven, and although claims are very important, they serve as validation for making the right decision,” he adds. “However, it’s important to note that parents are very concerned about their children not liking or wanting the given purchase.”

That emotional bond is important, Abbot agrees. But retailers also could help drive loyalty by catering to parents’ functional needs here. For example, packaging that helps “tame an unruly fridge” or makes it easier for kids to serve themselves caters to the desire on the part of moms to make life a bit easier.

Another plus in parents’ eyes is visibility of the product inside the packaging, Hicks says.

“Moms want to see what their child is eating,” he explains. “Specific statements that give moms a clear message of the product’s health attributes — such as protein for energy, made with real fruit, etc.,” also could sway the sale.

Ultimately, most parents want to make an informed purchase, so they want some sort of assurance when purchasing a product for their children, Lucas notes. That assurance can come in the form of claims and endorsements promising a healthful choice, a safe option — or something else.

“Parents want to know they are caring for their family with each food purchase, so health and safety messages such as natural and chemical-free resonate with their desire to nurture their children,” he says. “Parents also realize the importance of attracting the child to avoid ‘food fights’ — they want the child to enjoy the experience, too. The winning packaging design excites the child and assures the parent.”

Most kids “aspire up” when it comes to packaging choices.