Is there also a pattern to innovation in packaging?

When it comes to innovation in domestic food packaging, there is one that has to be mentioned, and it is Nongfu Spring. Its products have won the Pentawards Award, known as the Oscar of packaging design, many times. Nongfu Spring is even more jokingly called 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 are also making efforts in products and packaging, but it is difficult to achieve similar performance returns.

Does packaging design innovation also have a "principle"? At present, there seems to be very little exploration. Just as Reese explored the principles of marketing, "On the Origin of Species" inspired Reese, so he created the book "The Origin of Brands" to explain the principles of the birth of brands. Is there a law to follow in packaging innovation?

Good design is long-lasting

Dieter, a representative of minimalism? Rams said that "good design is durable".

How did our ancestors drink milk? No, maybe our grandfathers and grandmothers never drank milk when they were children. It's just that now the prevalence of Tetra Pak pillows and Tetra Pak bags makes us accustomed to enjoying the taste of milk. "Tetra Pak pillow", it may not be art, but it has really changed our lives, making billions of people around the world convenient for more than half a century, isn't it in line with the concept of "good design is long-lasting"?

When it comes to packaging design, for consumers, Lenovo is more about "beauty", but "convenience" and "quality" are also indispensable, even preferring beauty, and packaging design can never be separated from craftsmanship.

For brands, the goal should be to be profitable and long-lasting. Long-term significance is significant, not only to enjoy stable income, but at the same time, long-term means to control costs (which seems to be a constant consideration for all brands at present). The purpose is not always easy to reach, before we can summarize the method, let's see which products are considered successful in packaging design?

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

The illustration design is charming, and the spring, summer, autumn and winter of Changbai Mountain tell us that the water comes from Changbai Mountain, and the picture is full of fairy tale sense and hints at purity. But the fundamental reason why I want to buy this product over and over again is that its cap touches me. This may be the first innovative cap on a drinking bottle in China, which can be opened and closed with one hand, and there is no need to worry about the water flowing out naturally when tilting or upside down, which is greatly convenient for drinking on the go.

The first time I saw Evian Fruits & Plants through 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 consumer trust in Evian.

Why a package, not a product? Because, this packaging represents too many products, and the list is endless.

The taste of "Earth Water" water itself is not unusual, but what matters is the technological sense of its packaging, the drilled surface bottle shape, the comfortable feel, and the performance of "ergonomic design and easy-to-drink performance on the go". When I learned about the humanized use of science behind a packaging, I felt more "forced" when I drank the water inside.

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

Hi! Milk

If you can only fix it on Tetra Pak to do design, it may be that your imagination is not good enough. Hi from Mengniu! Milk has embarked on a brand journey based on this packaging! I haven't experienced it myself, but it's very touching at first glance. What do you think?

The above successful packaging design can summarize how packaging design affects individual consumption decisions.

4 Elements of a Long-Lasting Product

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

1. The connotation of 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 has become an independent work of art.

Why do we say "Guilin's mountains and rivers are the best in the world" and "the five mountains return without looking at the mountains"? It is the pen and ink of the literati who give the power of product culture and multiply the value of the product. When competing on the same level in terms of products and functions, culture plays a decisive role.

Some people will argue that so-and-so products have achieved a significant increase in sales with innovative packaging, which I believe will have a certain stimulating effect. However, 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 passes, sales will fall rapidly.

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 the packaging itself can play a role in turning the tide.

2. The packaging design should be continuous

We see that there are a lot of packaging designs on the market that destroy their 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 also added star or cartoon images to their packaging. These brands are like retail investors who follow the crowd in the stock market, chasing hot spots again and again and lose their judgment. Brands have lost their individuality and are even constantly consuming their brand image. A brand with a clear positioning will definitely see the continuity of its design.

Christophe of Evian Fruits & Plants and founder of BETC Design shared in the FBIF2017: "Evian never involves things like vitamins, Evian doesn't think about whether things can bring energy or the magic of the formula. Evian considers our purity, we have created the entire brand system, even if some new elements are added, such as the three fruits on the packaging, but these three fruits together are still like three mountains, and 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 strategy", and your product does not need to cater to everyone's needs.

3. The packaging design should reflect the quality of the product

Satu Aalto, founder of Dotter Creative Group Oy, shared the Spring Aqua case study: "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 packaging to solve all your problems, even your own products. But the material of the packaging is also very important, which is a problem we see in many products in China, many products have very good designs, through the Internet, video dissemination, consumers are extremely excited, but after impulsive purchase, they find that the packaging presentation effect is not satisfactory. Every failed attempt can hurt consumers' impression of the brand image, and may even be irreparable.

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

4. Continuous innovation, impress consumers at multiple points, and establish emotional connections

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

Very few people will become loyal fans of Nongfu Spring because of an advertisement, a packaging, and an experience, but the strengthening of the "innovative" image again and again makes consumers sticky.

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

Nielsen Lynn Xu emphasizes "adding innovative elements to every link", and brands may wish to try to continuously optimize and upgrade the same product to bring more surprises to customers. Instead of treating all small improvements as costs. The stickiness and time of consumers will definitely give unlimited rewards to "attentive" brands.