Packing a punch

Brands are increasingly turning to specialised design firms to revamp the packaging of their products to improve their appeal and ensure ease of use.

This year, for the first time in India, design outfit Desmania, under the aegis of Procter & Gamble, organised a competition for innovative packaging ideas, Packinnova 2011. The company invited students from leading design institutes in the country to submit ideas on ‘packaging for small volumes’. Apart from throwing up some interesting ideas — such as shampoo packaged in a capsule or a waterproof clay diya filled with shampoo or detergent, sealed with a foil and branded — the exercise points in one clear direction: That packaging has actually gained in importance in the marketing mix as brand loyalty flags and consumers closely scrutinise more products as they cruise the retail aisle before purchasing. That presentation and the whole “experience’’ of a product are as important to the consumer as the product itself.

Little wonder the demand for specialised packaging firms and agencies that have proven their mettle in head-turning graphics is on the rise. Brands now want to create innovative designs from scratch, rather than choosing an available option from a manufacturer. Indeed, packaging professionals are often involved in the product development process itself, ensuring the product is delivered safely into the hands of the grateful consumers. Specialised design firms like Icarus Design (Bangalore), Desmania (Delhi) and Tata Elxsi (Bangalore) all claim that business has seen an increase in the last few years.

Until a few years ago, most multinationals that brought products in India from their international portfolio had the basic mould or the structure and design of their packaging done by firms in their home markets. There were others who chose structures from the existing catalogue of manufacturers (for example, Tetra Pak or Manjushree Technopak), while advertising agencies fulfilled the job of designing on-pack graphics. “Packaging design was like an extension of the agency’s 360-degree services,” says Sujata Keshavan, founder, Ray + Keshavan.

Of course, while the prospects have improved, the market is still very small. The design fees earned by specialists hover in the Rs 50-100 crore zone for FMCG packaging design (pre-production). But design firms are confident that the market will grow in the days to come. What will drive the growth? While most Indian brands are no longer willing to settle for cheap knock-offs of popular Western motifs, companies like Godrej and Marico believe that packaging is just as critical to building brand equity and marketing return on investment (ROI) as advertising is.

And it’s not limited to the big players. “Even small- and medium enterprises are getting ambitious,” says Anuj Prasad, founder, Desmania. For example, regional brands like edible oil brand KS Oils, or McNroe Chemicals, better known for Wild Stone and Secret Temptations deodorant brands, are betting on design to take on the biggies in their turf. McNroe Chemicals, for instance, roped in a specialist design agency for its moisturiser brand Heaven’s Garden.

Specialists obviously have an edge. “Ad agencies may not necessarily factor in the nuances of packaging material — say, plastic or glass — and focus more on the look and feel,” says the head of a design firm. “And the designs they came up with often falter during production or are extremely costly.”

Look and feel
Pack graphics and messaging is one of the most obvious ways through which design firms drive changes in FMCG packaging, and brands have traditionally tinkered with these elements to make the best possible first impression. What has changed now is the cycle time for upgradation in packaging. The various elements that provide label content and information — including marketing promotions, product specifications, ingredients labeling, bar-coding and branding — that come together during package design and development, are all put up for scrutiny. “With markets becoming cluttered and increasing consumer fatigue, on average brands now resort to change in graphics every year and a half, instead of the typical four years,” explains George Matthew, founder, Icarus Design.

What is also interesting is that multinational brands that are eager to chew up a bigger share of the Indian market are spending huge sums to carefully study the Indian consumer to bring in elements that appeal to them. “For instance, the latest Kellogg cereal packaging to hit shelves has created more drama around food to make it look more appealing,” notes Matthew, who has worked on the design. The point to note here is, with any graphic makeovers, change has to be brought in with care. “While it is important to contemporise the brand, the key visual hooks that give the brand its equity must be retained,” adds Matthew.

Such graphic interventions are only the tip of the iceberg. A bigger change that is taking place in packaging relates to the innovations in pack structures and moulding, wherein brands are collaborating with design firms to create ‘ownable’ designs that differentiate a brand. Whether it is a uniquely shaped bottle for a hand wash or an air-freshener, companies are investing more in creating structures and designs that satisfy the need of both aesthetics and consumer convenience. Ergonomics is playing a huge role in making these structural designs sophisticated.

Take the packaging for ITC Fiama Di Wills’ recent extension into talcum powder (south). Here, the dispensing mechanism has two options — single hole and double hole — influenced by salt and pepper shakers. The pack, designed by Tata Elxsi, a pioneer in the field, also has a built-in slider instead of the regular twist and dispense mechanism. “This was driven by the insight that consumers may want to use the product using one hand, instead of pouring the powder onto the second hand before application,” says Shyam Sundar, chief designer, Tata Elxsi.

‘Usability’ was kept in mind when Hindustan Unilever conceptualised Kissan’s foray into cream spreads. The bottle was designed in a manner that a regular spoon can be used to scoop out the product. Kissan has worked on other packaging innovations too. In 2009, Kissan ketchup introduced the ‘squeezo’ bottle, which stands upside down. While this helped differentiate the brand in a category dominated by glass bottles, it also ensured ease of use. “The packaging had a silicon valve that enabled dispensing of the desired quantity of ketchup. The technology also ensured the ketchup was sucked back, so that it didn’t leave behind a mess,” says Vimal Kedia, managing director, Manjushree Technopak, who has designed the bottle.

Even for Bru Exotica the packaging was created to upgrade the imagery of the brand. “So, unlike other coffee brands where you need to rotate the cap a few times before opening, the Bru jar has a 45 degree cap to bring in an element of sophistication,” says Sundar of Tata Elxsi. Tata Elxsi had earlier done another innovation for one of Bru Instant’s largest selling stock-keeping units by introducing a feature called “Aroma Lock”. “Generally there is a tendency to decant the contents to a bottle or use your own ways to seal the pack. The Aroma Lock was designed to give consumers an added convenience,” says Sundar. Tata Elxsi also built in consumer convenience when designing the bottle for Elder Pharma’s AM PM brand three years ago. For other mouthwashes, it was difficult to measure the amount of mouthwash unless one poured it into the cap. In the AM PM pack, this element was built into the pack.