Whether there is a law to follow in the innovation of packaging

When it comes to innovation in domestic food packaging, there is one that has to be mentioned, it is Nongfu Spring. Its products have won the Pentawards, which are known as the Oscars of packaging design, for many times. Nongfu Spring was nicknamed a "design company" by netizens. Not only that, Nongfu Spring's performance is still rising, from 5.2 billion yuan in 2010 to 15 billion yuan in 2016. However, not all companies have achieved this result. Some companies are not small in product innovation, and they also make efforts in products and packaging, but it is difficult to achieve similar performance returns.

Is there a "first principles" for packaging design innovation? Just as Reese went to the first principles of marketing, "The Origin of Species" inspired Reese to create the book "The Origin of Brands" to explain how brands are born. Is there a pattern to follow in packaging innovation?

Good design is long-lasting

Dieter, a representative of minimalism? Rams says "Good design is durable."

How did our ancestors drink milk? No, maybe our grandparents never drank milk when they were young. It's just that now the popularity of Tetra Fino, Tetra Pak has made us accustomed to enjoying the taste of milk. Tetra Fino, which may not be art, has really changed our lives and brought convenience to billions of people around the world for more than half a century.

When it comes to packaging design, for consumers, the first association is more "beauty", but "convenience" and "quality" are also indispensable, and even take precedence over beauty, and packaging design can never be separated from technology.

For brands, the ultimate goal should be to be both profitable and long-lasting. Long-term means a steady stream of revenue, and at the same time, it means keeping costs under control (something that seems to be a constant concern for all brands these days). The ultimate goal is not always easy to reach, so before we can summarize the methods, let's take a look at which products we consider successful in terms of packaging design.

According to the principle of "profitable, long-lasting", as a consumer, there may not be many brands that you admire in terms of packaging design and are willing to buy repeatedly.

The illustration design is charming, the spring, summer, autumn and winter of Changbai Mountain tells us that the water comes from Changbai Mountain, and the picture is full of fairy tales and hints at purity. But the fundamental reason why I want to buy this product again and again is that the cap impresses me. This may be the first innovative cap on the drinking bottle in China, which can be opened and closed with one hand, and there is no need to worry about the natural flow of water when tilting or standing upside down, which greatly facilitates drinking on the go.

The first time I saw Evian Fruits & Plants on the Internet, I was cute. The shape and color together convey a cute and soft image. I don't know how many consumers, like me, have been captured just by such packaging. In addition to the fascinating new packaging full of art, the brand's long history (more than 200 years) and the Danone Group behind it have strengthened consumers' trust in Evian.

Why a package, not a product? Because, this packaging represents so many products that the list goes on.

The taste of "Earth Water" water itself is not unusual, but the important thing is the performance of its packaging with a sense of technology, a diamond-faced bottle shape, a comfortable feel, and "ergonomic design and easy to drink on the go". When I learned about the humanized application of the science behind a package, I felt more "forced" when I drank the water inside.

Subsequently, it was found that a large number of products on the market are using this packaging, including the world-famous coconut water Vita Coco, which also started with Tetra Pak. More than 50% of the coconut water on the market today (the actual number may be higher) is in Tetra Pak packaging.

Hi! Milk

If you can only fix the design on Tetra Pak and make a design, it is very limited, it may be that your imagination is not good enough. Mengniu's hi! Milk's brand journey is based on this packaging! I haven't experienced it myself, but it was very impressive at first sight. What do you think?

The above successful packaging design can summarize how packaging design plays a role in individual consumption decisions.

4 Elements to Build a Long-Lasting Product

If the product is compared to the mutual attraction and trust between people, "starting from appearance, falling into talent, loyal to character" is a very appropriate metaphor. "Appearance" attracts the attention of consumers, the connotation wins the resonance of consumers, and the quality forms the stickiness of consumers.

First, the connotation of the packaging depends on the connotation of the brand

Packaging design is the means and extension of the brand, which means that the connotation of packaging comes from the connotation of the brand.

The packaging design of any one product cannot be independent of the brand itself. If the brand itself lacks connotation and does not have a "touching story", then the packaging is like a castle in the air, and no matter how good the design is, it becomes an independent work of art.

Why do you say that "Guilin's landscapes are the best in the world" and "the return of the five mountains does not look at the mountains"? It is the pen and ink of the literati who give the power of product culture and multiply the value of products. Culture plays a decisive role when competing at the same level in terms of products and functions.

Some people will argue that a certain product has achieved a substantial increase in sales with innovative packaging, and I believe that this will have a certain stimulating effect. However, if a product can continue to grow steadily, or maintain a stable sales position, it needs to rely on the brand, otherwise, the packaging is just an independent marketing event, and after the heat, the sales volume will fall extremely quickly.

Therefore, before optimizing the packaging design, the connotation of the brand should be prioritized, and the packaging can also play a role in strengthening the connotation. It remains to be seen whether packaging itself can turn things around.

Second, the packaging design should have continuity

We see that there are a lot of packaging designs on the market that destroy their own brand image, and when the text bottle is popular, a large number of them are following the trend, and when the fan economy is prevalent, many brands have added the image of stars or cartoons to their packaging. These brands are like retail investors who follow the trend in the stock market, chasing hot spots again and again to make themselves lose their judgment. Brands lose their individuality and are even constantly consuming their brand image. Brands with a clear positioning can definitely see the continuity of their design.

Christophe, designer of Evian Fruits & Plants and founder of BETC Design, shared in FBIF2017: "Evian never involves anything like vitamins, Evian doesn't think about whether something can bring energy or the magic of the formula. Evian thinks about our purity, we have created the whole brand system, even if some new elements are added, such as the three fruits on the packaging, but the three fruits together are still like three mountains, the essence of Evian's pursuit has never changed. We design the packaging of new products, but still maintain a fresh and pure tone, and we show our purity with transparent elements. ”

I once saw a sentence in the circle of friends: "Restraint is also a strategy", and your product does not need to cater to everyone's needs.

Third, the packaging design should reflect the quality of the product

Satu Aalto, founder of Dotter Creative Group Oy, shared the case of Spring Aqua and said, "The packaging itself is not enough, the quality of your own product is also very important. If you just make it very beautiful on the packaging, and then open it and find that the quality of the product is not satisfactory, this will actually disappoint consumers. ”

Also returning to the product itself, the object of packaging design is the product. Never expect to solve all your problems, even your own products, through packaging. But the material of the packaging is also very important, this is the problem we see in many products in China, many products have a very good design, through the Internet, video spread, consumers are extremely excited, but after impulsive purchase, they find that the packaging presentation effect is unsatisfactory. Every failed attempt may hurt the consumer's impression of the brand image, and may even be irreparable.

Under the premise that the difference between "contents" is not obvious, the aesthetics of packaging design, the material and feel of packaging materials will affect consumers' judgment of product quality.

Fourth, continuous innovation, impress consumers at multiple points and establish emotional connections

Why did you go to a movie? Maybe we can rarely be moved by advertisements, but no one can stop the "wave after wave" of sharing in the circle of friends.

Very few people will become loyal fans of Nongfu Spring because of its advertising, packaging, and experience, but the strengthening of the "innovative" image again and again, making consumers sticky.

Just like a brand doing marketing, it will never just do a case, but continue to roll it out. Coca-Cola's nickname bottle, lyric bottle, sharing bottle, etc., all continue to tell us, "I can bring joy", and customers have strengthened their impression of Coca-Cola in many marketing sessions.

Nielsen Lynn Xu's emphasis on "adding innovative elements to every link" suggests that brands may wish to try to continuously optimize and upgrade the same product to bring more surprises to customers. Instead of treating all the small improvements as a cost. The stickiness and time of consumers will definitely give unlimited returns to the "attentive" brand.