During a discussion yesterday with the CAD department guy here at PSI, we were discussing a study regarding consumer eye tracking in a grocery environment. We were debating what exactly draws a consumer's eye in the first place. While the study shows the raw data of where the eye moves and how long it stares at a particular section, it does not capture how the consumer feels about the products they're looking at. Sure the bright and shiny packaging with blinking lights may draw their attention first, but only because as humans, we like - nay - LOVE shiny sparkly things. They may actually in fact have a strong dislike for that product upon further inspection, but their focus was indeed on that package for a while.
Merely an example, but nonetheless cool looking.
The image to the right shows the gazing pattern of a tested consumer. The darker the color (red) demonstrates a longer stare, while the lighter green shows a quicker gaze or a glance. The purpose of this study is to get an overall idea as to where the consumer's eye travels when walking down the aisle. Do they mainly look at the bottom, where the cheaper items usually reside? Do they stay more eye-level, where the premium name-brand products are stationed? Or are they merely looking at the price tags and shopping for the cheapest option? Obviously everyone is different, and every shopper is in the market for one reason or another. So it's obvious that wherever the majority are looking, that's where you'd want your product to be situated.
Pure packaging genius.
But that's not what we were discussing. We were talking about the individual. Charles (our CAD guy) says it's his understanding that a window in a box is what will ultimately drive him to at least pick up and look at a package. And granted, when done right, a window is probably the smartest thing you can do for your product. It gives the consumer a look inside, like you're giving them a sneak peak. For food packaging, you're letting them see what it actually looks like, as opposed to the glamour shot which probably isn't really edible on the front of the box. If it's any other type of product, one that doesn't need secondary packaging like a plastic bag, you're giving the consumer the added sensation of touch. People are tactile creatures, and thrive on touch, making this an added benefit.
The simpler the better.
Now to me, being a creative and design enthusiast, I am typically more drawn to simplicity and elegance with superb typography. This seems to be a cultural shift in modern society. People like simple. People are yearning for simpler times, so they are drawn to a design that may remind them of yester-year or their youth. Maybe people are tired of having advertising shoved down their throats and are just wanting to be left alone. Soft muted colors, no more bright in your face screaming cartoons. A lot of the big names are following suit - the "throwback" designs of cereal boxes and soda packaging are just a couple examples.
So what draws you to a certain package in the store? Are you the typical A.D.D. American who goes for the flash and glitz? Are you the refined and humble local and organic shopper? Do you lust after whatever is on sale that week? Regardless of what you're after, everyone has their own method to their madness.
The video below has little to do with this article, I just like it. However it is placed in a grocery store, so it has some relevance...
This was indeed the week for conferences. Earlier this week, I attended the Digital Summit, a conference aimed to social media marketers and digital strategists. Yesterday, my supervisor and I went to the Coca-Cola Company World Headquarters in downtown Atlanta to take part in the Summit on the Future of Packaging, otherwise known as "NextPack." Presented by the Institute of Packaging Professionals (Southeastern Chapter), the 5 1/2 hours event consisted of exhibits, a few professional speakers, and a student design competition.
The above video demonstrates what Coke did to celebrate it's 125th anniversary. I wish the conference was in the evening, just so we could see this in action. But I digress...
We first went to the exhibition to check out 20 different companies who were showing off their latest technologies in packaging. There were a few big boys we recognized, and a few we never heard of. Most were local (or at least had a local Atlanta branch), but there were a few that were out of state. There were some interesting things we saw and met some great folks. We used this as an opportunity to network and to get our name out there.
Peter Clarke
If only it were this easy
Following the exhibits we went down to the main lecture room to hear the keynote speaker, Peter Clarke. His main topic of discussion was innovation, and how it pertains to packaging. To sum it up, packaging and packaging professionals need to change. Historically, packaging has been thought of as an expense, and not as an investment. Companies have too much of a focus on short term goals, and not on the big picture (cliche, yes, but true). In order to "package for success" there needs to be definitive and dedicated teams, and strong support from upper management.
The bulk of his presentation went to his thoughts of what today's packaging themes are, which I'll flesh out here briefly:
Simplicity - less is more, purity of design, memorable and simple
Transparency - honesty and candidness, product visibility
Authenticity - genuineness, local food movement, handmade and homemade
Wellness - physical well being, natural, light and white
Sustainability - light-weighting, distribution efficiency
Control - ease of use, convenience, universal design
Affordability - right size, don't compromise experience
Responsibility - cause marketing, buying into meaning
His overall message was to invest in the smart change. You stay static, you die, more or less. His presentation was great and kept me captivated. It was a joy listening to Peter speak.
Student Design Competition
A little this, a little that, and viola!
Following Mr. Clarke was the Student Design Competition. A few months back, a group of packaging students from different schools were given to task to re-design the packaging of one of the following items: lightbulbs, milk, beer or honey. There were 3 teams in the final round who presented their projects during the summit. These kids were doing amazing things, and here's the kicker - they had 48 hours to do it. The winner was a group who redesigned the traditional milk carton. With superb design, lasting sustainability, a wonderful presentation, and a funny video to boot, these kids easily deserved to win. It was a pleasure to see the up-and-comers doing greatly innovative stuff.
Pat Reynolds
After the crowning of the student competition winners, there followed Pat Reynolds with his presentation on What's Coming Down the Packaging Pike? To be blatantly honest, I felt his presentation, while thorough and well thought out, didn't quite pertain to me and my packaging interests as much as Peter Clarke's did. Mainly talking about robotics and automation, and speaking in more of technical and back-line terms, he did not captivate me much. Not many notes were taken.
Christine Mau
So many guitars. So awesome.
Rounding out the NextPack summit was Christine Mau, talking about Unlikely Inspiration. Her presentation was also a delight to watch. The main idea was to end the "sea of sameness". I felt her presentation was along the same lines as Peter Clarke's in it's message. Now, I did not take down many notes during her presentation either, but that was because I was quite enthralled and paid a lot of attention to her speak. She even ended with a great video of Jimmy Page, Jack White, and The Edge jamming to express the importance of collaboration and building a strong team. It was awesome!
All in all I really enjoyed attending the NextPack conference, and I highly look forward to going back next year. I wish there were more exhibitors and that the conference lasted a little longer, but overall I had a great time and a met some equally great people.
Day 2 After I left the first day of the Digital Summit 2011, I was feeling uber-inspired and ready for more! I promptly arrived around 7:30am for a free breakfast and a chance to further network and market myself. I could tell early on that while this day would be a long day filled with lectures and grand amount of information, I was mentally and physically prepared. Notebook and iPad in hand, I walked into the first series of the day, Search Marketing.
Search Marketing
This first great panel discussed the current state of search marketing, how to best embrace universal search, and how the time for mobile is now. They were awesome speakers and gave a wealth of information that I am anxious to put to good use. A main theme I noted was they each mention the importance of making a mobile site, and how it needs to be ultimately searchable. The popularity of mobile computing is staggering, and the percentage of mobile clicks has increased 230% in the past year! Another interesting tidbit I got was that 3 times more smartphones are being activated every minute than babies being born. Unreal.
Advanced SEO Now, while I'm no professional SEO strategist, or even fully comprehend all that goes into website SEO, I decided to go to this seminar pretty much just for kicks and to learn more about an unfamiliar subject. basically what I got from it is how much of a science SEO really is, and how underinvested it is. Again the mobile issue came up, and how more people prefer using mobile sites than apps (which is weird IMO). Most of this information was way over my head, I'll admit, however it did open my eyes to other things I should probably start looking into to better manage PSI's site.
Social Media Trends
Next, I journeyed over to Social Media Trends, a topic I was looking forward to hearing about. One main thing I got from these speakers was how social budget spending is on the rise, which is good! It is expected to triple in spending over the next 5 years, also good! Mobile popped up again, stating that a lot of the "deal" sites are driving commerce. As mentioned in day 1, "like" buttons are becoming the new links; 10,000 websites are adding the "like" functionality to their sites daily.
After this session came lunch, with the keynote lunch panel discussing the Future of Media. From what I gathered, each person had a differing opinion on where media was headed, and it got a bit intense and admittedly uncomfortable. Enriching experience nonetheless.
Usability & Design
Test. Test. And test once more.
The second to last session I attended was something more up my alley. What I got from these speakers was simplicity is key. Design for needs, not for more features. Cleaner is better. The proverbial "less is more" rings true. The usability discussion was nice to hear, because it opened my mind up to new ideas to better our website. Usability testing is watching people interact with your website so you can make it easier to use was the main message, and I can't wait to implement it!
Leveraging Social Media
There is no spoon...or milk; are poptarts ok?
The last and final session of Digital Summit 2011 was how to best leverage social media. This was a great panel and a fine way to end the whole conference. What I got from them was how important customer intimacy is; you're building relationships, people, not a mere contacts list. Short term traffic gains are fools' gold, it's all about the marathon, not the sprint. Also a great reference was how the customer is the Oracle (The Matrix), and they have the answers. Creating a personal experience is also a key factor.
On the Whole...
This was a WONDERFUL conference and I suggest any social media marketer or digital strategist to attend next year. I have a notebook and iPad filled to the brim with notes and contacts. The past 2 days Printed Specialties' Twitter page has even added roughly 30 followers! I got a lot out of this conference and I greatly look forward to going again next year!
Upon returning from the Digital Summit '11 at the Cobb Galleria, my head was still brimming with heaps of information. Presented by the folks over at Tech Media, the day and half event in and of itself was bursting with facts & figures, leaving it for us (the attendees) to soak up like a sponge. Seeing as how this was a long event with lots of speakers and data, I will be splitting this into two parts.
Day 1
Gotta love free stuff.
Aside from getting a little lost (even though the event was 5 minutes from my house), finding the gig was fairly simple. After a quick check-in, I was given some instant schwag: name tag with lanyard, a wire-bound booklet with all the relevant info, a really nice notebook made from 100% recycled paper and cardboard, and a copy of Gary Vaynerchuk's new book "The Thank You Economy" (not pictured). One complaint I kept reading across Twitter using the designated Digital Summit hashtag of #DSum11, was that our name tags should've included our Twitter handles, which would've been nice. Or perhaps a QR code on the back that brought the scan-ee to our Twitter page even? Maybe next year...
Social Media Marketing
Anyway, the first session I attended was Social Media Marketing. This was a great general overview of social media (SM) and was a great way to start the conference. I really enjoyed taking in all the info from each presenter. The main ideas I took away from this section were lasting ones: •Fish where the fish are, •change how you market and how your brand (or company) is thought of & •'likes' are the new links. SM is an ever-changing medium, so as long as we know where our audience is, we can mold ourselves to meet their needs easier to ultimately drive more traffic to our sites and make more sales.
Analytics & Measurement
The second session I went to immediately following the first was Analytics & Measurement. This one delved a little deeper than SM Marketing, but it was still interesting to hear nonetheless. What I got from these presenters is how difficult it is to sift through all the data to get to the meat of what you want to find out if what you're doing socially is working. There are many different means of getting various analytics of your sites, but it's the filtering that's the challenge. And once you do eventually boil down the info, how can you determine the over ROI? All you can give them (corporate level) is the cold hard facts. An interesting phrase I took from the last presenter was that social marketing is a business tool, not a marketing channel.
Keynote Presentation w/ Gary Vaynerchuk
This was easily the highlight of the evening. If you or anyone near you right now has not hear of Gary Vaynerchuk, Google him this second. The proclaimed "King of Social Media" was the right person to kick off the opening night. Filled with energy, candor, and a little adult language this man captivated the audience in the first 5-10 seconds (or at the very least, me).
He started by giving his life story and how he leveraged SM to launch his wine business to cosmic proportions. This guy gets it, without a doubt. Once this presentation is available, all social marketers must watch because he will floor you with his methodology and thoughts.
Gary definitely set the night on fire and concluded a great first day of the Digital Summit 2011.
What followed that rousing speech was 2 hours filled with networking, talking business, and lots and lots of bottles and cans (which we won't discuss details here.)
Stayed tuned for the second day of Digital Summit coming soon!
Apple recently upheaved the mega web-giant Google in being named the world's Most Valuable Brand. Obviously there is something more to this $153 billion company that meets the eye, but what is it about Apple that is so dang fascinating?
He won't stop iBelievin'
Mr. Jobs and Co.
Take their fearless leader - Mr. Steve Jobs. Despite having deteriorating health over the last several years, he's managed to steer this company in the right direction even when he can't physically be there. Just watch a video of one of Apple's product releases, and listen to the crowd. It's like being at a rock show and Steve Jobs has turned into Steve Perry. Apple fanboys no doubt put Mr. Jobs on a high pedestal, and with good reason. Apple has skyrocketed their way from college teen's backpacks with the original iPod, to making their way into corporate offices with the iPad.
A great box and design only fitting
for a great product.
Package and Style
Now we'll take a look at them from a packaging/marketing standpoint (I'll be referencing an iMac box). Their boxes alone are walking advertisements. The front could easily be seen in any number of magazines. But what makes it sexy? Simplicity is the name of the game here. The product shots are phenomenal to say the least. Sharp and focused, color balanced and well printed. Even the font choice is a superb; a crisp and clean sans-serif. The physical layout of the designs are very modern and fit the identity that is undoubtedly Apple. A stark white background with a single product in the forefront. The product name is large and is pleasing to the eye. Overall, a brilliant box to look at.
Beauty. Wonder. iMazing.
The same style then translates over to their physical brick-and-mortar stores. It's like Chuck E. Cheese for grown ups (at least for me). I literally feel slightly overwhelmed every time I set foot in one of these stores. The way they set up the various products is to allow greater flow of traffic, and for good cause - there is always a ton of people there. I recall practically having to wait in line to just play with a new iPad 2 several weeks after it's initial launch date. Also the staff is quite fitting with the tone that is Apple - cutting edge and full of energy. While some may view them as snarky hipsters, I find them to be quite helpful and knowledgeable (granted I am part of their generation, so it sort of works for me).
The computer/phone/music/technology extraordinare definitely knows what they are doing. I just love that everything is streamlined from the stores, to the website, to their presentations. Black and whites. High contrast. High resolution photographs. Sharp and modern design work. More companies, technology based and beyond should try to emulate and follow suit. Apple's business plan works for them, and it shows in everything they do.
