Sensory experience and visual merchandising were heralded as the key elements in a brand’s success at an event held by the newly established UK branch of the Institute of Packaging Professionals (IoPP), at the London Museum of Brands and Packaging.
Karl McKeever, founder of leading retail consultancy Visual Thinking, and Dr Cathy Barnes, director of Faraday and professor of retail innovation, shared views on how to keep the retail sector buoyant and profitable in a difficult economic world with a mix of brand managers, marketers, designers, retailers and packaging technologists who attended the evening event in September.
Dr Barnes began her talk by demonstrating the huge increase in brand impact generated by creating more than one sensory experience, arguing that 83% of all marketing budgets currently focus on just one particular sense – sight.
A brand’s impact increases by 30% if one more sense is engaged into packaging design, and by 70% if three are integrated, she said.
“Designing a product’s packaging must not be done independently of the product itself,” she said. “It needs to form a cohesive message.
McKeever argued that if a product looks good and feels right it well inevitably sell more. “Point of purchase and visual merchandising solutions working together will create a bigger impact,” he said.
“Take the cosmetic industry for example: it’s good at creating a huge instore experience for what are essentially tiny products, and creates a huge brand message and magnifies this to the consumer.”
Joe Mazzilli, sales director Europe for rigid packaging supplier Tricorbraun – a long-time member of Chicago-based IoPP – added: “It’s fantastic that the IoPP is here in the UK, as it has instantly provided me with access to important contacts.
“The event summed up for me what the IoPP is all about. The speakers were really interesting and it was a great opportunity to network with people work right through the packaging supply chain.”
Until 5 Oct 2012, IoPP UK is offering an Earlybird membership rate for all UK packaging professionals. Those who join before this date will receive a membership at £99, compared to the regular rate of £125.
