Discover the power of packaging rebrands: driving sales, capturing new audiences, and fostering brand loyalty through strategic design updates that balance modernity and brand recognition.
The importance of brand packaging
Three packaging rebrands that hit a home run
What to consider when you're thinking of rebranding your packaging
Before we dive into this week’s digest on the power of packaging, we wanted to shout out a client we’re currently doing a packaging discovery for. Bellcate School Dog Treats is a Vermont-based company focused on creating all-natural dog treats and empowering youth with disabilities. Order some delicious treats to support your pup’s health while aiding in their mission to give students with disabilities meaningful education and employment.
A packaging rebrand can make or break a brand’s success. Take Tropicana’s rebrand in 2009 as an example. Tropicana is one of the most popular juice brands in the game, and the brand did everything right regarding its rebrand. It incorporated creative design elements— like an orange for the cap, created a cleaner design with less text, and upgraded its font to fit current trends.
But, there was one problem— the new packaging was unrecognizable to consumers. Removing the iconic and familiar orange with a straw resulted in a loss of over $50 million in sales. Take a look at the importance of brand packaging and the most successful rebrands— as well as some of the ones that flopped.
In today’s crowded and competitive marketplace, it’s more important than ever for brands to make a strong first impression. Strong packaging inspires potential customers to engage while being functional, cohesive, and aligning with brand values and personality.
A product’s packaging is often your brand’s first impression on a consumer— you have just a few seconds to catch someone’s and create enough interest for them to engage. Distinctive packaging allows your brand to differentiate itself from competitors. But it’s not just about looking different— effective packaging finds the perfect balance between current trends and a timeless design. This packaging design stands the test of time while remaining visually appealing and “Instagrammable” when targeting Millennial and Gen Z markets.
Going beyond aesthetics and incorporating innovative features will enhance the user experience and excite them to make future purchases. We’re fans of Heinz’s upside-down ketchup bottle, designed to make the ketchup easier to squeeze while reducing its exposure to air. Consider how your packaging rebrand can improve your product and customer experience
Your brand’s packaging should serve as the physical manifestation of its complete brand identity and marketing. The packaging’s look, messaging, and vibe should directly align with your values and personality as well as your website, social media presence, ad campaigns, and more. Your packaging has the power to send a message about your brand’s priorities and values. If your company values sustainability, you might choose a more minimal design with recyclable or compostable packaging. If your main focus is spreading positivity, instead opt for bright and colorful packaging. Are your products more high-class and prestigious? Choose a sleek, durable, and high-quality packaging design.
Strike the right balance between beautiful design, functionality, and brand alignment to create compelling packaging that boosts the customer experience and fosters brand loyalty.
Packaging is a crucial touchpoint for brands to reinforce their identity and connect with customers. When iconic brands like Canada Dry, Capri Sun, and Pepsi take on packaging redesigns, they must carefully navigate modernizing their look and preserving the elements that make them recognizable.
Keurig Dr Pepper recently shared its new packaging design for Canada Dry— a 120-year-old brand that hasn’t seen a design update since 2010. The brand decided not to make too big a splash when upgrading its packaging. It incorporated the design elements fans know and love, like the shield, crown, red text, and green and gold colors while making the overall design feel more modern. The brand is still recognizable to loyal customers walking through the soda aisle at the grocery store while inspiring new customers to try it for the first time.
When you think of Capri Sun, what do you think of? We picture the small, silvery pouch with the straw attached to the front. When consumers asked for a bottle version of the popular drink, Kraft Heinz, owner of Capri Sun, faced a problem. How would people recognize the brand without its recognizable packaging? To solve this dilemma, Kraft Heinz put the familiar pouch on the front of the plastic bottle. The company knew the importance of brand recognition and took it to the next level.
To celebrate its 125-year anniversary, PepsiCo decided it was time to update Pepsi’s packaging. The company wanted to create “a new look that connects our cola brand’s storied heritage with our bold vision for what’s to come.” PepsiCo’s strategy for creating a new design was nothing if not unique.
The brand asked consumers to draw the Pepsi logo from memory. Most people drew a circle with the red, white, and blue stripes, and they also added the brand name in the center of the logo. However, the name actually sat off to the right side of the logo. This inspired PepsiCo to make a change and match the Pepsi logo to audience perception. Instead of throwing away its logo to try something new, PepsiCo turned to the fans to create a new logo that exhibits “confidence and energy that the brand really represents.”
Rolling out new packaging is a major undertaking that requires careful thought and planning. As you take the leap to new branded packaging, explore these core considerations:
Perform an analysis of your current packaging. What’s working, and what isn’t working? What elements of your current packaging do you think are the most iconic? Assessing your packaging through the eyes of your audience will give you an idea of the graphic elements you would like to change.
Perform surveys and test prototypes with real consumers to gauge the status of your current packaging. Ask current customers what they like and how they would like to see your packaging change. Survey potential customers to ask why they haven’t purchased your product.
To execute a thoughtful rebrand, you must consider the “why.” Identify the goals of your rebrand to point your design efforts in the right direction. If your packaging rebrand is all about sustainability and your environmental impact, the design focus will surround materials. On the other hand, if you want to increase sales, you should focus on the graphic aspects of the packaging.
While refreshing your brand’s look can reinvigorate sales and capture new customers, making changes that obscure your brand’s iconic elements can come with risks. The ideal rebrand walks a tightrope— evolving the look and feel of packaging while preserving the core essence that resonates with loyal fans. With careful strategy, a packaging rebrand offers new power to compel, captivate, and cultivate deeper brand devotion.