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Kleenex Hand Towels
08/17/2010 by Stacy Santos (0 comments)
The anti-eco product?
A couple weeks ago, I saw a commercial for a new household product on the market, single use Kleenex Hand Towels. Kleenex Brand claims "hands are only as clean as the towel used to dry them." My immediate reaction after watching this commercial? "How wasteful." In a time where "global warming" is a common term and during a time where the gulf oil spill is infuriating a nation, the great minds of Kleenex decide to come out with this product? Really? And we really like Kleenex products- check out past blogs where we rave about Kleenex!
FUNCTION: I just don't see the need for this kind of product. I frequently wash my hands. Multiple times while cooking, cleaning, etc I wash my hands and multiple times during the day I use hand sanitizer. Trust me, I'm a little crazy when it comes to clean hands. So, I wondered... are people upset about this new product? The parody below is just one example.
PACKAGING: I must admit, the packaging for this product is clever and makes sense. Instead of hanging your hand towel on its bar holder, you just flip the Kleenex box upside down and it gently dispenses new "towels" for single use.
Goodbye Erinn!
08/16/2010 by Stacy Santos (0 comments)
It is a sad day in the marketing department. After over a year of employment our outgoing, caring, banana costume wearing (picture above is from Halloween last year), sample packet sending, and blog writing Intern, Erinn Gormley, is moving on to the big city to start her career. This Red Sox fanatic, who refers to Fenway as her "Disneyworld", will be running the streets of Boston (literally, cause she likes to run).
Erinn graduated from Bryant University in 2008. She double majored in marketing and literary & cultural studies. We were happy to have her as part of our Dion family and although we are sad to see her go, we are excited for the opportunities that lay ahead for her. Good luck Erinn!
Fresh Express Extends Product Line…
08/13/2010 by Erinn Gormley (0 comments)
…While Reducing Plastic Packaging
Fresh Express recently introduced the latest addition to their product offerings: artisanal salads. The product is getting attention specifically for its packaging. Claiming to use 50% less plastic than their Spring Greens packaging, the salad bag uses a vertical window to see the content of the packaging. It won a 2010 Packaging Innovation award from the United Fresh Produce Association.
While I appreciate the sustainable effort, I’m also hesitant to not see more of the product, especially when wanting to buy fresh produce. The design and eco-friendliness get a thumbs-up, but I can’t help but give a thumbs-down to only exposing half of the product contents.
Standing Out on the Shelf
08/12/2010 by Erinn Gormley (0 comments)
Too Much Choice- Brand Packaging Magazine
The other day I needed to pick up a few things at the store which included face wash and conditioner. I wanted to try a different facial cleanser because I wasn’t pleased with my current one, so I took the time to scan through the product offerings based on price and product benefits. Searching for the conditioner was a completely different story. After trying the product my sister was using, I sped down the hair care aisle looking for the color of the bottle I was hunting down. No contemplating price or product quality because I already knew what to expect.
Herein lies the challenge for marketing products: what are your customers looking for? And what are their purchasing behaviors? Surveying customers on their buying habits has its obvious drawbacks, which is why some companies are turning their research towards observation. This article from Brand Packaging Magazine examines how customers go about making decisions in increasingly over-crowded shelves. Being overwhelmed with options means that consumers can sort through endless criteria before making a decision. But experts claim that the primary way to stand out from the crowd is through packaging. Brands that differentiate from the competition but maintain their brand recognition are the ones that are forging ahead.
For more on how to make your product stand out, read the full article here. And if you’re doing that with a label, tag, or shrink sleeve, click here to see how Dion can help!
Are you G?
08/11/2010 by Erinn Gormley (1 comments)
Over the last year or so it has been hard to miss PepsiCo’s revamp of its sports drink brand Gatorade. The G Series campaign has built upon the rebranding by extending the product line to powders and ready-to-drink formulations tailored to pre-, during, and post-workout sessions. After exclusive use in professional locker rooms, the company is now releasing the G Series Pro to the public through retailers such as GNC and Dick’s Sporting Goods.
Take a look at this video showing the evolution of Gatorade. My favorite part of the TV advertising campaigns has been the effective use of color. Dulling the action to black and white while highlighting the color of the drink gives the product extra attention. The clip also shows the product placement during professional games which may seem subtle, but the fans idolizing the professional athletes are keenly aware of the products they use.
For more on the G Series and G Series Pro, click here!
QR Codes Exposed!
08/10/2010 by Erinn Gormley (0 comments)
Originally developed in 1994 to track vehicle parts, QR (Quick Response) codes are taking on a whole new role. These two-dimensional barcodes are a hardlink in advertisements, on product packaging, at a business’s location, or any physical object to virtual content that can range from basic contact information to a company’s website. The codes can be read by QR scanners and, more relevantly, mobile devices with a camera and the appropriate application. Growing in popularity, QR codes are a great marketing tool for connecting your message to consumers in both the physical and virtual worlds, especially as technology allows your audience to carry that virtual world in their pocket. Look for them to pop up more on product packaging!
Yummy Tummy Koalas
08/02/2010 by Stacy Santos (0 comments)
Cute, functional and... yummy!
I like to be up-to-date with packaging techniques and new product launches in various markets. So today I decided to check out thedieline.com and came across Yummy Tummy Koalas. These mud cakes are individually wrapped in printed pouches and then packaged in the printed box above. Included in these packages are fun stickers in which you can decorate your bear! I was never big on Barbie's growing up, but coloring and arts & crafts (proves how being in marketing was my calling) were totally my thing... I wish these chocolately treats were available when I was growing up! Here's more from Landor Sydney, creator of this packaging (from thedieline.com):
"Context
The client approached us with a product idea and asked us to create a sub-brand that would be thoroughly distinct from any other brand in the supermarket. The brief was simple, to create a sub-brand that had character and personality, capitalising on the koala product format, from the box right through to the rewind, with a level of interaction for kids.
Relevence
Top Taste identified a truly differentiated, single serve, individually wrapped, product format that would be difficult to replicate by private label and competitors. The creative team were excited and inspired by a truly differentiated product concept.
Difference
The result? A fun, playful, evocative brand with a refreshing identity, loaded with personality. We extended the idea of the characters to every face of the packaging through a fun and cheeky visual style, influencing the brand beyond packaging and creating a new dimension to bring the characters Kevin, Bruce and Cath to life."
Activate your vitamin intake!
07/29/2010 by Erinn Gormley (0 comments)
The founders of Activate drinks were tired of taking daily supplements in giant pill or unappealing powder form—something we can all mostly likely identify with. Through research they found that vitamins and other nutrients lose their potency as they sit in water, making vitamin-enriched waters less effective. So they developed this clever bottle that stores its nutrients in the cap until it is mixed just before drinking. The naturally sweetened drink contains only 5 calories and is available in a variety of flavors with different health benefits—vitamin, immunity, energy, antioxidant and workout.
What’s ahead for the global bath and body market
07/28/2010 by Erinn Gormley (0 comments)
By looking at last year’s trends, experts have analyzed the future outlook for various segments of the global bath and body care market. Here are some of the major findings according to GCI Magazine:
- Although the global economy is showing signs of recovery, consumers will continue to be attracted by budget products.
- There was a marked decrease in footfall in specialty stores and department stores in 2009, which had a negative impact on sales of premium-priced bath and body care products.
- Globally, growth of liquid soap rose from 7% in 2008 to 13% in 2009, driven by consumer demand for products with anti-germ and antibacterial properties.
- The male body wash segment presents substantial growth opportunities and has proved to be relatively resilient to trading down.
- A major factor behind the decline in sales of anti-cellulite products was a lack of notable success stories in key Western markets.
Francis Coppola Reserve
07/27/2010 by Erinn Gormley (0 comments)
When you hear Francis Ford Coppola’s name you probably think of The Godfather trilogy, Apocalypse Now or even his Academy Award-winning daughter Sophia. You may not initially think of a passionate wine maker. However he and his family have been making wine since purchasing a vineyard in California in the 1970’s. For the recently released Francis Coppola Reserve, a very colorful label was created for the limited edition wine. For more images of these unique wine labels, click here!