Five Rules for Tasty Package Design
I Get So Emotional, Baby!
Our fantastic client, Creminelli Fine Meats, is a finalist in the coveted Sofi award for most innovative New Product (kudos!). The extraordinary cured meats in question come in packaging designed by Struck. So, we got to thinking — what constitutes truly good package design?
Most packaging is designed to appeal to the rational mind, yet it’s a mistake to think people always make rational and informed decisions (after all, brands have less than three seconds to communicate with consumers). In reality, most of the choices consumers make are purely instinctual. Before logic has the chance to come into play, decisions have been made based on such factors as color, shape and familiarity.
Our job as packaging designers is to create instinctive reactions, being aware of the emotions we want to trigger to make the brand stick with consumers. This is achieved with neuromarketing tactics like biomotive triggers: sensory cues that incite action before the conscious brain can respond. These cues make design more effective — the way packaging looks becomes less important than the way it functions, and the rational sell becomes less important than the emotional pull.
With this in mind, here are five basic rules to follow for package design:
1. Be transparent.
Every brand should express a clear and unique reason to exist. Likewise, consumers crave deeper relationships with fewer brands — so they want to feel good about the brands they do choose.
This rule is especially important for Creminelli, both figuratively and literally. The brand is the first in America to give consumers a new way to look at, and experience, premium charcuterie. This first-to-market package takes advantage of advanced technology, allowing for the preservative-free product to be enjoyed in an easy, grab-and-snack format.
2. Leverage the brand.
If the brand has a big name, or a big reputation, take advantage. For Creminelli, the logo does some heavy lifting. The name speaks to the Italian heritage of the brand, and “Fine Meats” is a pretty concise description of the product line, so we sought to build equity in our new logo across the brand portfolio.
3. Rely on authenticity.
Brands build lasting relationships with customers through authenticity. Effective packaging makes it simple to understand three things: who I am, what I am and why I am relevant.
Our goal with Creminelli is to democratize charcuterie: introduce it to new audiences and pair it with more than wine and cheese. So, we aimed for a package design that looked premium, yet also accessible. This is a product that is honest, delicious and hand-made. As such, we wanted to reassure consumers that they are paying for the product instead of the packaging.
4. Keep it simple.
It’s a bit counterintuitive, but in a visually frenetic marketplace, simple stands out.
The reason? Shoppers rarely experience calm, so they seek it out.
Creminelli is the real deal. With a premium product and impeccable craft, there was no need to oversell. In fact, too many bells and whistles would have implied that we had something to hide.
5. Become iconic.
Often, packaging is the only brand identity a shopper comes into contact with. Thus, biomotive triggers are key and can be artfully used to amplify the brand experience.
With this design we wanted to own shapes: the shape of the logo, the shape of the label and the shape of the package itself. A large “C” is vacuum formed into the structure of the package back: it not only holds the product in place, it becomes an important part of the trade dress, revealing itself when the product is removed. As for the hint of blue, it makes the package friendlier, more memorable, and provides a nice spot for key messaging.
All in all, neuromarketing tactics like biomotive triggers are effective in a retail environment where a brand has less than three seconds to communicate with consumers. This is why it is vital to go for the emotional (rather than the rational) sell.
If we have’t yet sated your appetite for package design, head here for a deeper look into our work with Creminelli on the brand’s identity.
Scott Sorenson is a Creative Director at Struck and America’s Sweetheart®. Join the tens of people following him on Instragram.
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