Branding a package needs much more than just a pretty picture

A lot of hard work is involved in the process of package branding and design. Talking to Beckie Tomala, Vice President Client & Creative Services at Matrix Partners, makes that very clear. “Clients often have the misconception that branding is just placing pretty pictures on a bag. A beautiful package can sell, but with pet food, the main benefits of the food need to be clearly communicated,” she says.

Some clients want to list every single benefit of their product, but the Chicago-based brand and marketing communications firm recommends highlighting the 3 main ones.

“It is a learning process. We help them understand the brand hierarchy and why only topline features should be displayed front and center. Any more than that and the message gets muddled.”

Creativity takes time …
Creating packaging takes time, patience and inspiration. Undertaking the necessary research and the development of ideas are essential if you’re to find the packaging that’s the most suitable. This is where the work of a packaging design agency comes in. It makes a massive difference to the structuring of eye-catching product concepts.

Translating a brand’s values into packaging is Beckie Tomala’s “absolute favorite part” of the job. “The pet industry is full of entrepreneurs, and people who are just as passionate about the human-animal bond as I am. Listening to them, and understanding their ‘why’, is important. From there you can access what makes them tick, and how to creatively communicate this on a package,” she explains.

A designer needs to know where each ingredient is sourced, where it is manufactured, where it is packaged. Once the creative team has all this information, the agency carves out the main features and benefits of the product. “This will help differentiate the product and tell its story on the shelf,” says Beckie.

… and inspiration
“The brand story drives the entire creative process, resulting in an engaging and effective packaging design. Once the story has been created, you really need to dig down to fully understand the product, inside and out.”

Having identified the brand story, and the thinking behind it, a design team investigates ways of making the brand stand out. Looking at the retail channels where the brand will be on offer to the public is essential.

“I start my research in the channels where the product will be sold. If it is going to be on the shelves of independent pet stores, I always make rounds to 3-5 local stores that sell amazing products. I research all the packages in the stores, in every category, and take pictures of products that have the greatest shelf presence. But I don’t stop there. I research packaging at Whole Foods Market and other high-end retailers and find inspiration in every aisle.”

Certain key social trends always have to be kept in mind when designing pet food packaging. And first impressions count. If the packaging doesn’t appeal immediately, the shopper moves on. When shopping the pet food aisle, customers scan for graphic clues such as ‘Made in USA’ flags when they encounter an unfamiliar brand. “If they don’t see something relevant to them, they will keep on walking,” Beckie admits.

Brands that care
Beckie Tomala believes that it is “more important than ever” to showcase engaging images of pets on packaging, as people shop with their heads and their hearts.

Research conducted by the team at Matrix Partners concluded that public concern for rescue animals is at an all-time high. Therefore, portraying mixed breed pets rather than purebreds is a subtle way to show customers that the brand in question understands what they care about.

“Customers gravitate towards package designs that complement their home decor or lifestyle, especially when shopping for super-premium foods and treats. Once you’ve got their attention, they need visual and verbal reassurance that they’re buying the right brand for their best friend.”

Creativity is subjective
Designing a great pet food package consists of 50% inspiration and 50% perspiration. This is the theory but, in fact, designing a great pet food package can be frustrating – even for a skilled designer. “Creativity is a process. Sometimes your team delivers a packaging concept that is 100% on point, and the client simply doesn’t like it. Creativity is so subjective. At the end of the day, you want to deliver a design you and your client believe in, and one that you know will sell,” says Beckie.

She highlights the fact that designers should keep their eyes open every time they visit their local supermarket, because the human food aisles are where the next game changing pet packaging concepts will be born.

When asked about what makes great packaging, Beckie’s answer is simple: “Clean, simple graphics and clear, relevant messaging are concepts that will continue to reign when you’re building consumer packaged goods brands.”