Crafting a Comprehensive Brand Brief for Packaging Success
In the fast-moving world of consumer goods, packaging is a brand’s silent powerhouse—shaping perceptions, driving sales, and building loyalty beyond its role as a container. A well-crafted brand brief is the key to this success, uniting teams, speeding innovation, managing total systems cost and steering creative execution. Best practices call for early collaboration, tapping insights from marketing, trade marketing, consumer research, packaging, supply chain, regulatory, product development, engineering, finance, and more. By focusing on six pillars—look and feel, form and function, emotional connection, inclusive design, sustainability, and the consumer/shopper experience—brands can create packaging that excels in a competitive market.
Defining the Visual Identity: Look & Feel
The “look and feel” pillar sets the package’s visual tone, capturing the brand’s essence—be it sleek and modern or rustic and classic—through colors, fonts, imagery, and textures. Perception of different materials and package shape speak volumes: a matte carton might exude understated elegance, while a glossy flexible pouch shouts bold convenience. Glass suggests luxury, soft-touch plastics feel approachable, and enhancements like embossing or foil stamping add tactile allure (Smith, 2022). A tech-driven drink might use metallics and sharp lines, while a heritage snack opts for warm tones and vintage script. Mood boards and competitor reviews sharpen this vision, ensuring the design stands out and communicates intent.
Leveraging Distinctive Brand Assets
Iconic “Distinctive Brand Assets” (DBAs) boost instant recognition. Think Coca-Cola’s contoured bottle, Tide’s orange or Tiffany’s signature blue—unique elements tied to the brand (Kapferer, 2012). This brief section pinpoints DBAs: a standout shape, color, or motif that lodges in memory. Does the silhouette cut through shelf clutter? Does its hue spark recall? Marketing and consumer insights identify what’s ownable; packaging teams confirm practicality. DBAs aren’t just style—they’re strategic, reinforcing brand equity and deterring copycats.
Balancing Practicality and Purpose: Form & Function
Great packaging blends aesthetics with utility. The “form and function” pillar defines physical needs—size, shape, and materials suited to the product. Squeezable tubes work for condiments; shatterproof jars suit cosmetics. Ergonomics (ease of use) and logistics (stackability, durability) are critical, checked by supply chain and engineering. Skipping this, risks designs that fail in transit or frustrate users, hurting trust. When function drives form, packaging becomes a reliable brand touchpoint.
Forging Bonds: Emotional Connection
Packaging bridges emotions to consumers. This pillar digs into the brand’s purpose—its story and values. Does it offer vitality, like a sports drink, or nostalgia, like a cookie? Pinpoint the target feeling—excitement, calm, prestige—and weave it into the design. Cozy coffee visuals evoke mornings; minimalist luxury hints at exclusivity. Marketing and product development ensure authenticity. Emotional packaging turns buyers into fans, strengthening loyalty.
Designing for All: Inclusive Design
Inclusivity is a must. This section ensures packaging serves diverse needs. Can shaky hands open it? Are labels clear for low-vision users with bold contrast and sizing? Are there opportunities to align with the Arthritis Foundation Ease of Use guidelines or leverage an Augmented Reality (AR) tool like NaviLens to help more consumers use your product? Imagery and tone should welcome all demographics. Regulatory and consumer insights refine this. With over 1 billion people with disabilities holding $13 trillion in spending power (WHO, 2023), inclusive design expands reach and goodwill.
Prioritizing the Planet: Sustainability
Sustainability is now a consumer demand. This pillar sets eco-targets: recyclable materials, lighter formats, biobased materials or reuse/ refill formats. Can local sourcing or renewables cut carbon? Supply chain and finance evaluate feasibility; regulatory ensures compliance. A snack brand might switch to compostable films, boosting green appeal. With 66% of consumers favoring sustainable options (Nielsen, 2018), eco-packaging aligns with trends and future-proofs brands.
Enhancing the Journey: Consumer and Shopper Experience
This pillar maps the consumer’s path from discovery to reuse. How does the package catch eyes in-store or online? Does it share key info—benefits, usage, origin—fast? Trade marketing pushes bold callouts; features like resealable flaps or QR codes add value. Unboxing should delight. Feedback loops refine this. Stellar packaging here drives retention and advocacy.
Collaboration as the Core
A strong brief hinges on cross-functional input. Engaging all stakeholders—marketing, packaging, supply chain, and more—from the start builds a solid base. Budgets for packaging and total systems cost understanding can be flexed to afford the right package for the product and brand. Regular check-ins keep the vision clear yet adaptable. Specificity (demographics, retail context, eco-goals) anchors it; flexibility fuels creativity. Prototypes test all pillars for visual and practical impact.
The Risk of Shortcuts
A weak brief spells trouble. Packaging is the brand’s face—poor designs signal cheapness, functional flaws spark returns, and bland looks lose loyalty. Exclusionary or unsustainable choices shrink audiences. In a world of instant impressions, weak packaging fades—think Lindt’s gold foil versus generic noise.
Conclusion
A robust brand brief transforms packaging into a brand amplifier. By integrating look and feel (with material/shape cues), distinctive assets, form and function, emotional connection, inclusive design, sustainability, and the consumer experience—backed by collaboration—brands create cost effective designs that captivate and endure. In a first-impression market, a stellar brief is the edge.
Ready to elevate your next brand brief into something game-changing?
Schedule a call with PTIS to craft a brief that turns packaging into a powerful brand amplifier—built to excel in today’s competitive market.