august 2009
	recession proof your packaging Current economic realities are making most of us tighten our belts more and more. On average, consumers are spending 57¢ of every dollar on basic items. They are also saving money at the highest rate in 15 years. Both factors add up to less discretionary income, causing shoppers to become more judicious in the purchases they make. These very challenging times highlight the power of packaging. With traditional advertising outlets fragmented and increasingly ineffective, many companies have decided investing in packaging is a more efficient use of their dwindling budgets. Packaging is not just a necessity; traditionally it is a billboard, a brand ambassador and the final purchasing decision. The current marketplace demands even more, however. Current trends employ cutting edge innovation to differentiate brands and drive sales. Shoppers have become more savvy than ever. Companies must truly understand their customers and create brands around them if they are going to remain competitive. creating value Even with tighter household finances, people hate giving up quality. Everybody likes a bargain but no one likes cheap. One of the bright spots in the economy is private label sales. Job losses and salary cutbacks have forced many to try private label brands where they wouldn’t have before. When polled, 91% of these consumers said they have no plans to go back to higher priced national brands even after the economy recovers. This sobering news highlights the reality of a more competitive marketplace for national brands who need to convince shoppers that their products are worth the extra expense.
	Photo: Leibold Associates, Inc.		One strategy is to create extra value through packaging. Clorox® created trend forward counter top canisters which feature a wide, flip top lid making wipe dispensing easy. The product is the same as always but the packaging creates a sense of luxury lacking in other brands. Innovative ideas such as this also tend to have a “halo effect” spurring sales of the standard version of the product even when the consumer doesn’t want to pay a bit extra for the designer package. Kraft® Foods, Inc. redesigned packages for Ritz® and Wheat Thins® Toasted Chips giving them the look of a gourmet product while retaining their basic branding. The matte bags feature upscale photography, simple type treatments and renamed varieties such as “Dairyland Cheddar” and “Sweet Home Sour Cream & Onion.” Each brand logo is featured prominently across the top against it’s signature color. At shelf, they stand out from competitive brands which are packaged in similar sized boxes featuring busy graphics that get lost in a sea of visual noise. read more: downsizing vs. rightsizing package shape and closure innovation environmental features
	trade show success starts with your booth The International Plastics Showcase (NPE) at Chicago’s McCormick Place draws over 75,000 plastics professionals from 120 countries to join in a global conversation on the latest manufacturing trends and technologies. It is an important trade show for CMD Corporation because it allows them to showcase their newest plastic converting machines and technology concepts to a world-wide audience.
			CMD required new graphics for their booth this year to reinforce the branding on their web site and trade advertising. They also needed graphics to promote the new design of their pouch machines. Maintaining the message “Converting Concepts into Profits,” we created new backlit tower panels, an 8-foot by 5-foot side panel and four large lightbox panels. The theme chosen for the new pouch machines was “A Classic Reborn.” This theme was graphically represented juxtaposing a classic and modern Mustang on a 14-foot side panel and four light box panels highlighting the benefits of the new machines. Lisa Kain, CMD Corporate Market Manager, said after the show, “We had many compliments on the booth; the graphics worked out very well.”
	a winner yet again The Neenah Paper Classic Crest® Packaging that was featured in our May newsletter for winning a GD USA American Packaging Design Award has been selected as a winner in PRINT Magazine's 2009 Regional Design Annual. The design was selected from almost 5,000 entries and will be published in the magazine’s December issue.		Client: Neenah Paper Design: Leibold Associates, Inc. and Tom Wright, Neenah Paper Photo: Leibold Associates, Inc.
	Photo: Brand Packaging		happy birthday beer can 50 years ago Adolph Coors Co. introduced the aluminum beer can which replaced tin-plated steel containers that gave beer an aftertaste. The popular new can spurred a recycling movement due to the fact that it is less expensive to use recovered aluminum than to make it from scratch. reference: brandpackaging.com
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	green efforts Keeping your refrigerator full, but not to the point of overstuffing, will allow it to run at max capacity. To help retain cold temperatures when the fridge and freezer are less full, place glass or ceramic pitchers of water in their compartments. Like using ice in a picnic cooler, this will insulate the interior and keep it cold. Over- or under-crowding makes the fridge work harder to maintain its optimal internal temp (37 degrees F). click here for more green tips (reference: thedailygreen.com) Do you have a really great green tip? Share them with us, we’ll publish the best ideas in future newsletters. Plus, everybody who sends us a tip will be entered into our drawing to win a copy of “The Green Book”. click here for more details
	packaging design • marketing communications • photography ©2009 Leibold