Packaging makes a difference
New Borbello's Pizza Box Design
A common trend in the retail world is “clean stores”. A clean store limits or completely eliminates the signage and displays provided from manufacturers. All of the stand-ups, clings, banners, shelf talkers, inflatables, and anything else that tries to get your attention in the store aisles are disappearing. The reason is stores are trying to control their environment.
Many retail marketings subscribe to the philosophy that the most important action in to influencing the buying decision is to make an impression right before the purchase is made. Remember, just because someone walks in the store with the idea to purchase one brand or product, it doesn’t necessarily mean that they will walk out of the store with that brand or product. The “last chance” to alter the decision is right there in the store.
As mentioned, in a clean store we can effectively eliminate all extraneous marketing materials to influence the buying decision. If we assume that a salesperson won’t be offering an opinion, there then becomes just three onsite factors that play into the last minute decision. The first and second factors are related: shelf space and location in the store.
Shelf space, the amount of physical room the store has allocated for your product, has always been important. If you have more of your products visible than your competitors, it makes sense that you would have an advantage in getting your item picked up. Location can include position on the shelf; being eye level is optimal compared to knee height or above the customer’s head. But also, end cap locations, front aisle, near the registers, etc., are also factors. Anyone in retail knows that these are typically items that are negotiated between the manufacturer and the retailer.
But the wildcard in the retail game is the third item on our list, and that is the package itself. If your package stands out on the shelf, it automatically gives you an advantage. Just like any advertising, we believe there are two main rules. When I teach classes or give lectures I refer to them as “Randy’s Two Rules of Advertising“. Of course, they aren’t original to me, but hey, I’m the one in front of the group and I can call them whatever I want. The two rules are: Rule no. 1, Get Noticed. If you aren’t getting noticed, you are throwing your money away. Rule no. 2, Have A Strategy. Why are you doing what you are doing, what is the objective, how are you trying to influence the viewer?
Making Borbello’s Frozen Pizzas stand out on the shelves
If we apply the same thought process to packaging, our number one job is to get noticed. We recently created a new package design for Five Star Frozen Foods in Kaukauna, WI., the makers of Orv’s Pizza, for their upscale pizza product, “Borbello’s”. We created a new logo and completely redesigned the packaging. Each box features a photograph of a quarter pie on the front of the box, and when arranged together, the combined graphics creates an image of an extra large, complete pizza. Since many store displays have an area to show four to eight boxes (or more) next to each other, this allows for the opportunity to arrange the packaging to create what is essentially an extra large sign, right on the shelves themselves.
When combined together, the Borbello's pizza boxes make a bigger graphic display.
There is no doubt that, by displaying the packaging together in this way, the Borbello’s brand stands out in the frozen food displays.
The strategy? Our strategy was two-fold. We wanted Borbello’s to be seen as an upscale, quality pizza in the same category as a DiGiorno, California Pizza Kitchen, or other higher priced brands. Second, we wanted to showcase the abundant toppings that you get on the Borbello’s pizzas.
The black background color creates a very elegant look, reminiscent of an upscale restaurant. The supporting colors are bright, but not gaudy. The new logo is refined, perhaps understated, but still gives the perception of a fine italian eatery. The packaging is simple, but creates an instant upscale perception. If you buy this pizza, expect it to be better than the cheaper brands.
To highlight the amount of toppings, we did two things never seen before on pizza packaging. First of all, we turned what is commonly a required element of the package into a product feature: the weight of the pizza. We emphasized the weight by making it larger than we legally needed to, and highlighted it on the package by putting it in a colored oval to stand out. (We actually wanted it to be higher up on the package to emphasize it more, but we were forced to put it in the lower third of the package to get FDA approval.)
Another element that we’ve never seen done before is we showed a “cutaway” of the pizza. We sliced each pizza in two and positioned the camera at “eye level” to photograph it from the side. This straight from the side viewpoint showcases the thickness of the crust and the toppings piled on top. The cutaway photograph is featured on the backside of the package as well as on two sides of the package. On the sides, it is pretty close to being actual size.
Using the sides of the box gives us another chance to sell the product. In some stores, the extra stock is seen from the sides. By utilizing the side view in this way, we create another opportunity to get our strategic message to our potential customers.
On the back we included a cross-selling message that there are other toppings available. If you examine the boxes on the back closely, you will see that they don’t specifically name any topping combinations, giving our client the opportunity to change recipes down the road. On the back we also included very simple (and large) baking instructions. No need to get out the reading glasses to make a pizza here.
It makes a difference
Sometimes a new look is enough to create excitement. It must have worked with the new Borbello’s packaging as Roundy’s stores decided to pick up the brand after reviewing a sell sheet featuring the new packaging, before the packaging was even completed. Roundys is a Midwest grocery chain that includes the Copps, Pick’n Save, Rainbow, Marioano’s and Metro Market brands of stores. We’ll make the assumption that with the simple addition of the new retail stores that Borbello’s sales will undoubtedly increase.
PDF of other Gunter Agency Sackaging Samples. << Link to http://www.gunteragency.com/library/agencyinfo/ga_packaging.pdf >>
PDF of other Gunter Agency Food and Beverage Samples. << Link to http://www.gunteragency.com/library/agencyinfo/ga_food_beverage.pdf>>
This entry was posted on Monday, November 21st, 2011 at 4:29 pm and is filed under Business, White Paper. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.