Quality Cues

It is fitting that this month’s blogs are about packaging, as we are full swing into creating a lot of it for various clients this month.

People often think of packaging as simply a protective container to move and store a product that sits on a shelf. This is true, but it is only part of the story, because more importantly it is your brand and advertising message at the same time.

Packaging is a touch point where perceptions and conversations can begin between a consumer and
an organisation.

Ask yourself how many times do you purchase a bottle of wine based solely on the label, myself not being a wine buff I have to say often. I will pick off the shelf a bottle based on its visual appeal, followed by its tactical appeal. (For other products the tactical nature may be more important, but lets face it, there isn’t a huge scope to be too tactile with a bottle of wine.)

So off to the cash register I go and pay my money for a bottle of wine without even knowing if the wine inside is any good or not, as well as being from a winery I haven’t heard of before, why? The reason is because the packaging resonated on some level with me.

So what is it that achieves this conversation with me? The one that said “pick me, pick me.”

The design, but more importantly the way the design uses quality cues. Quality cues range from the style of typography; the type of paper used for the label to various embellishments such as gold foil printing techniques and bottle shape.

Perhaps I am off to a summer evening bbq where a quaffable wine is the go. In this case a label with quality cues that would meet this demand could include: some quirky name in a contemporary sans serif font; quirky hand drawn graphics; lots of colour and printed on a gloss white stock.

On the other hand, if it is a dinner party with the well heeled, then a label that is traditional in design with a look of prestige would be appropriate. Quality cues to achieve this look may include: a traditional serifed font with a gold dropped line; a story speaking of the heritage of the winery written in a script font; a crest, and all printed on an uncoated cream stock.

It is this use of quality cues that turns a plain old label or box into more – packaging with a message!