The importance of creating a robust pack architecture in branding & packaging design. (Edition 9)

Getting your hierarchy right on pack can be the difference between standing out or disappearing on shelf.

Implementing a clear, cohesive brand architecture across core and extended products is imperative both for shelf standout and to aid consumer navigation. This architecture provides familiarity while introducing cues that differentiate offerings. Done correctly, it helps consumers navigate the range in an efficient way.

A solid architecture creates consistency. Customers appreciate it when a business has a consistent brand. In fact, consistent presentation of a brand has seen to increase revenue by 33 percent (Lucidpress, 2019).

So why is this important? It takes between?5-7 impressions?to even start creating brand awareness. When creating packaging design, especially on large ranges or ranges with multiple offerings, brands should make sure they repeatedly emphasise the brand uniform and assets in a consistent way, as this will help recall.

Simply put, architecture defines were all the important bits should go.

Driving Shelf Standout

Effective pack architecture should make the core brand assets prominent to capture attention. Generous negative space and clean zones around the brand logo, benefits and icons maximise their visibility and shelf impact. This draws eyes to what matters most.

Additionally, a strong brand colour sharpens brand recognition from afar, signalling the product line to loyalists well before a brand logo.

Consistency Builds Equity

In order to cement relationships and perceptions built by a parent brand, maintaining aesthetic and messaging consistency remains critical.

Extensions displaying familiar brand assets executed in a similar way, intrinsically signal an offering will align to the values they expect.

From typefaces and colour palettes to the positioning of imagery, repeating these identifiable brand equities immerses consumers in familiarity while still introducing something new. This consistency cements positive brand perceptions and integrity.

Sub-Brands Can Clarify Navigation

As portfolios expand into more specialised segments and consumer priorities splinter, introducing sub-brands can further aid navigation.

These smaller brands within a brand denote specific value propositions. For example “natural”, “classic” or “light” lines each target particular consumer needs and preferences. Establishing distinct yet linked visual cues makes shopping interactions much more seamless.

A sub-brand is there to divide your portfolio into different segments in order to signal how each segment meets different consumer needs.

Whilst it’s important to ensure that the sub-brands provide differentiation and improved navigation, it is important to ensure that these are handled both consistently, and in a way that re-enforces the core brand story.

Monolithic packaging architecture creates great standout as you have a large amount of consistency and colour blocking, however navigation within this can be an issue.

An endorser brand architecture allows for greater flexibility, but this is where special care should be applied to ensure the brand story runs throughout the whole portfolio in order to create linkage.

Watch Outs

Never highlight too many claims/benefits without hierarchy. Cramming packs with information diminishes impact of the most important product attributes that should drive selection or usage. Declutter and streamline.

Any brand that doesn’t get their communication clear, can risk creating a subconscious distrust from the consumer.

If you have a key benefit, push this. Be the brand known for that. Cramming on everything you know about the product can be detrimental. Consumers will score claims and information on a pack in order to reach a mean average. If you’ve got underperforming claims on there, it’s only going to drag down the overall performance and clutter the whole pack.

Conclusion

Defining and maintaining a strong, flexible brand architecture for both core and extended products ensures offerings stand out on shelf while enabling easy consumer navigation.

Keeping brand equities prominent and consistent, highlighting key differentiators, implementing visual hierarchy, and extending versus departing too drastically from stylistic norms, all enable success on shelf.

?? Some key points:

• Architecture provides familiarity while introducing cues that help to differentiate offerings.
• Repeating these identifiable brand equities immerses consumers in familiarity
• Any brand that doesn’t get their communication clear, can risk creating a subconscious distrust from the consumer.

?? Featured podcast episode:

This podcast episode looks at the branding and packaging design for Tate & Lyle Golden syrup and the issues faced by FMCG brands managing heritage and classic brands.

You can follow the show here , it's available wherever you get your podcasts. (If you are an Apple podcasts purist, you can find the show here )

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?? And thats a wrap!

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