Within semester four you will be required to be a team member for a substantial collaborative project that simulates the experience of working in a design studio. This project is called the Integrated Marketing Campaign (IMC) - a concept of marketing communications planning that recognizes the added value of a comprehensive plan that evaluates the strategic role of a variety of communications disciplines—marketing, packaging design, information design, social media, and public relations—and combines these disciplines to provide clarity, consistency and maximum communications impact.

Packages and containers have been necessary for as long as humans have been able to find, gather, and produce more than they could use immediately. As societies—and commerce—evolved, so did the methods of storage and transportation. Napoleon called for methods of food preservation for his troops and was answered with food sterilization and hot-canning technology. Robert Gair invented the folding cardboard package, allowing for the quick, easy transport and assembly of affordable packaging. The list goes on and on.

Containers are meant to hold, protect, and transport their contents. Packages are designed to do everything containers must do as well as communicate messages.

The course discusses examples of changing technologies that have led to packaging alternatives. Glass bottle production, hot canning and preservation, the folding cardboard box, and the utilization and development of polymers and plastics have all ushered in new waves in packaging.

This course provides a design thinking methodology for developing packaging designs and explaining how those designs function as the marketing vehicles for consumer products. A condensed historical overview provides a perspective on the business of packaging design. The other sections thoroughly explicate the visual elements; design principles; processes from concept to production; consumer marketing strategies; and environmental, legal, and global economic issues that significantly impact packaging design.

Each member of your design and marketing team has a distinct function, yet all are critical to the outcome of a successful packaging design. You all are responsible for marketing,research and development, production and manufacturing, or design.

With all that is required, there are many stakeholders in the competitive business of designing consumer brands

The roles of the stakeholders in the business of packaging design had, in the past, been clearly defined. The marketer was the decision maker, and other industry professionals were considered service providers, or “vendors.”

GRA 410 IMC Product Series

IMC Objectives:

What is packaging?

The players

IMC Packaging Assignment

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GRA 410

We will be creating a series of small projects that come together to create an identity for a larger line of related products. We will use design thinking methodoloy to complete the scope of work.

The concept is that a new company has just developed a series of products to specifically meet the needs of a particular user group. Your job will be to come up with a broad campaign to introduce, market and package the new products.

A major constraint of the project: You will create at least three separate packages for ONE product line. For example, one product in the series may be a liquid, one a powder and onea solid or it may the same product in a series with a flavour, scent or product description. Your challenge will be to design packaging that addresses the product’s differences, but still maintain an overall design consistency and unified concept. You may choose whatever type of product line you wish to design for, but remember that the three ( types) of products must be ‘housed’ in suitable or identical types of containers.

• Develop company name• Logo design - Brand• At least three to four package designs for a series• Touchpoints for the product line • Social Media Awareness for the product line • Point of Sale Unit(s)

Keep these issues in mind: Your target audience will have a direct influence on your company name, logo, packaging and ads. Be sure your designs reflect the perceived goals, needs and image of the target audience. Remember, that all the different parts of this series must be strong enough to stand alone as well as together, sharing a common design voice to work as a complete series. If necessary for your packaging and your ad touchpoints, you may decide to photograph your products. We will cover some of the basics of product studio photography in class. All packages are 3D rendered.

Product Series Objective:

Case Study: Dear Crete’s Eclectic Series

Busybuilding design created new packaging for Dear Crete: The Eclectic Series.

Dear Crete’s Eclectic Series are hand-made cookies and biscuits, that are prepared in Crete with extra virgin olive oil and PDO ingredients

Design Criteria Example: “The main objective of the re-design was to position the product in a more niche and targeted way, showcasing its quality and taste on the one hand, and its local origin on the other, in order to enable the company to enhance its exports in Europe and North America. The first step was to rename the product series, replacing the initial generic name ‘gourmet’ with the word ‘eclectic’ which originates from the Greek word ‘eklektos’ meaning of special origin. Using the main ingredient of each recipe, custom illus-trations in form of patterns were created, which shape a unique visual ambient around each cookie, which is in turn shown in the front of the box via a side studio shot that enables the viewer to see each cookie in its natural size.”

h t tp : //www. thed ie l ine .com/blog/2014/6/30/dear-crete-the-eclectic-series=

PHASE 1DISCOVERY

Set Goals & Objectives

Phase 1 Deliverables

Note: See templatesprovided

Immersion and discovery include understanding the brand’s internal and external “truths,” as well as any consumer insights. Second, an audit should note key envi ronmental factors, ranging from macro to micro, that have impact from the moment a consumer enters a store. Of critical note are thc following: • Category location within the st.ore. Hard to find? Impulse? Back of the store?• Neighboring product categories. When observing your product, what’s in your periphery? Does it matter?• Product slotting within the category. Central or fringe? Common neighbors? Top shelf or At eye level? • Categoy location within the store. Hard to find? Impulse? Back of the store?• Neighboring product categories. When observing your product, what’s in your periphery? Does it matter?• Product slotting within the category. Central or fringe? Common neighbors? Top shelf or At your level?• Scope of direct competition within the category. Multiple shelves/facings? What do the competitors own (color, messages, package shape, etc)?• Multiple SKU/line extensions. If your product is part of a line, how identifiable are individual SKUs? Do they sufficiently differentiate within your Iine and from the competition?• Stopping power. Does the product stand out or recede? Leader or me-too?• Additional marketing factors. Promotions within the category?• Shelf talkers or other merchandising or signage? Noteworthy price disparities with direct competitors?• Presence of private label + generic brands

Project Orientation & Team Collaboration Conduct or Review Research & Consumer Insights = Creative Marketing Brief Company Profile / Audience Profile / Brand Discovery Core Purpose & Vision / Mission Values / Competition Profile / Owning the Difference / Positioning Statement Product Launch Campaign Develop Marketing Brief Visual Audits/ Analysis /Key Words / Colour Palettes Shape Study of Current package or Parity products Shelf Study - Existing Planogram - Existing Store Locations Review Manufacturing Capabilities and Substrates - Cradle to Grave Cycle

1. What are the major concerns every package must address? The primary function of each package should be understood at the outset of the design. First and foremost, the package should contain and protect its contents. The package’s structure should make sense for the product within, and it should speak to the intended audience.

2. How is packaging material determined by the product within? Using the phrase “form follows function,” it should be evident that the package’s material must be appropriate for the product. Liquids must be contained within a waterproof material such as PET, glass, metal, or coated cardboard, while powdered products must be contained within a package that can hold minute particles. The package’s contents should determine the material used.

3. What is meant by the phrase “form follows function”? How does it pertain to packaging? In packaging, “form follows function” refers to the appropriate package structure for a particular product. What is the product to be contained? How is it best housed and protected for shipment and display? How well does it engage the interest, needs, and lifestyle of the consumer? The package’s “form” must answer, graphically and structurally, all of these questions.

4. What are the four basic forms used in packaging? The four basic forms in packaging, are: the cube, pyramid, cylinder, and cone.

Form follows function

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PHASE 2CREATION

Concept Build & Selection

A well-planned messaging hierarchy involves more than listing features and benefits in order of importance. It must also acknowledge the relationship between various messages. Strictly craft ing a package with a message hierarchy represented in order and/or by relative scale will lead to message overload and clutter. When elements are grouped by both sensible copy development and visual cornpartmentalization, a well-de signed package can say it all.

COMMUNICATING ACROSS MULTIPLE SURFACES: 1. Differences in size, shape, color, and packaging material can set a package apart from competing products.

2. The most common sequence in which a package’s panels are viewed is front, back, left side, right side, top, and bottom. Studies have shown that the vast majority of consumers follow this same sequence when viewing a package.

3. The main tenet of Gestalt psychology, as it pertains to visual perception, is “The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.” What this means for designers is that the overall perception of the many elements of a design has a greater meaning and impact to the viewer than the individual elements. Principles such as continuation, closure, similarity, proximity, and so on all come into play when complex designs are presented, and their effects and perceptions should be understood by the package designer.

KEY DESIGN TOOLS: Color: Suitable or established palettes that aid in shopability and ownership. Linking elements: Visual elements that either literally or conceptually tie multiple products into a family. Graphic architecture: The collective balance and composition of visual elements and messaging. Photography or Illustration: Powerful descriptive and emotive potential that can be either in the background or the foreground. Typography: Style and character via letter forms has an impact far deeper than the literal meaning of the words they form. Brand hierarchy: Strategic relationship between brand, sub-brand, and segment name through flavor or product description

Ideation & Brainstorming - Initial PDP Sketches Word Document of intended text and parent & subrand logos

Establish PDP Messaging & Communication Hierarchy - complete for your product and PDP Bubble Diagram

Style/Mood Boards / Word Associations + Imagery samples Colour Palettes and Linking Elements Typographic Settings - Fonts Photograph Explorations

Illustrative Explorations Explore Textures & Patterns Key Tagline

Explore Form & Structure - Wireframes

PHASE 3REFINEMENT

Final Packaging Sytem Approved

PHASE 4 IMPLEMENTATION

Content and DesignApproval for all SKUs

Refinement is the combined process of maximizing the effectiveness of a design direction and validating the direction itself. Strategies take tacti cal form, and ideas become executions. Most of the time, refinement involves taking preliminary sketches to a more tangible form. Solid concepts are often difficult for clients to choose among until they have been executed to a visual state that is closer to what the consumer will see. When time and budget allow, research can be used to validate choices.

Keep with the Strategy: It is vital to keep the brief front and center when reviewing design, because it is easy to forget why and become entranced by how. Sometimes refinement can become more about beautification thana proper translation of strategy into visual language.

Planogram ViewsIt is vital to look at a package design in planogram form to simulate the manner in which it will be encountered by the consumer. Cumulative effects and billboarding dynamics occur when products are arranged according to their ultimate planogram; these must be previewed. Dominant color equities express ownership or leadership in a category and how well a design communicates Who am I?, What am I?, and Why should you buy me? are valuable perspectives gained when viewing planogram simulations. I recommend doing piano grams (or shelf-sets) as early in the package development process as is reasonable.

Refine Selected Design(s) - 2D Generated PDP only Messaging & Executional Finalization - Final copyTypographic System - axial / radial / dilatational / random / modular / transitional / bilateral

Sensory Messaging Test Extend to Key SKUs - Prepare copy for other panelsPlanogram Visualization with new PDPSocial Media Strategy - Interactive component Structural Prototyping - updated wireframes Preproduction Meetings & Design Feasibility with Group

The scope of implementation may embrace major color variations, sub brand treatments, and adjustments to the established master architecture to aid in segmentation-even a variety of struc tures and forms. In these larger-scale situations, the approach to these variants is addressed in the previous refinement stage by developing representative prod uct samples from throughout the line to test the scalability of the design system. The time to realize a package design cannot support the range of products involved is not in implementation.

Complete Photography / Illustrations

Planogram Finalization

Finalize Label Design for All Package Surfaces

Final Line Extensions and Touchpoints Complete

Dieline Verification/ Complete Structural Review

3-D Renderings - Final structure renderings - XD

Final package line in a still life photo composition

Phase 2 Deliverables

Note: See templatesprovided

Phase 4 Deliverables

Note: See templatesprovided

Phase 3 Deliverables

Note: See templatesprovided

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PHASE 5 POINT OF SALE

Point of SaleRetail Display

Visibility in the retail environment is the most important factor. Forgetting to take shelf impact into consideration when launching a product can result in weak sales results.

In fact, getting lost on shelf may contribute to the reasons why so many new products fail. Stores present many obstacles to product visibility: a busy, cluttered physical environment, problematic lighting, awkward shelf heights and aisle widths, and so on.

Product facing (positioning the packaging design on shelf) and organizing an entire brandon shelf places significant responsibility for the visibility of a packaging design in someoneelse’s hands.

Pricing stickers, often placed directly over the brand identity or another criticalaspect of the design, are another often overlooked distraction from the impact of a product’s pack-aging in store.

Understanding how shoppers behave and experience different retail environments can inform the strategic designer.

Color blocking, proprietary structures, visual merchandising tools such as planograms (diagrams that provide the retailer with a map of the preferred on-shelf productplacement), and retail-ready packaging or point-of-purchase (POP) displays—which housesthe product in a secondary or tertiary container that can be displayed in store without set up or price labeling—can all improve a packaging design’s visibility in store.

Visit: Retail Design World and Pintrest POPAI Awards 2016: The winners - Retail Design World

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PHASE 5 POINT OF SALEPROJECT

In this project, you are to create a 3D rendered model of a point of purchase displayfor the product series. The acronym POP means “point of purchase.”

The P.O.P. should be presented as it would appear in the store, and should serve as display, presentation and marketing for the product series.

Keep these issues in mind: Your target audience will help determine the structure and style of the P.O.P..

If the series depicts sports equipment, for example, the P.O.P. would probably have a sports theme.

Be sure your designs reflect the perceived goals, needs and image of the target audience. Consider, also, where and how the P.O.P. will be placed; in a shopping aisle, at the endcap, at the register? Let the whole concept of theme, product display, and placement direct you in the design of the P.O.P.

POP PROJECT OBJECTIVES:Getting the package noticed is a primary goal of package design. The P.O.P. display can help achieve this goal and influence a sale. Effective displays lure consumers not only looking for the specific item, but those ‘impulse buyers’ that did not intend to purchase the product when they entered the store. Understanding the goals of the consumer and ways to attract them, while presenting the product in its best light, will increase sales and the product’s presence in the market.

A point-of-purchase display attracts consumer attention, draws the consumer closer, distinguishes the featured product from its competition, and functions as a direct advertisement at the moment of purchase.

POP must consider these factors: • It must compliment and augment current advertising campaign. • It must show the package in its best light • Each POP should be able to answer the identified marketing goals in tone, character, structure and placement.• The display if short lived must reinforce promotion / sale / rebates or time sensitive events • The display should be able to be shipped and easy to assemble on site

Many promotional displays are intended to reinforce a current advertising campaign or promotion, so displays often are crafted from inexpensive or disposable materials such as cardboard, foam core, or corrugated vinyl, although they may be constructed of many other materials. Permanent kiosks or displays intended to remain in place for a long time often are constructed to be much more durable. They may be made from wood, steel, aluminum, or molded plastic, or from other materials that can hold up to continued use and consumer contact.

When deciding where to place a POP display, the goals of the presentation must be prioritized. Displays for new products may be placed near other similar, established products. End cap displays may attract buyers who did not intend to shop for the specific item and may separate the item from a competing one. Additionally, high-dollar items often are displayed near the entrance of a store, at the beginning of the shopping experience, when consumers feel they have more money to spend; smaller, less expensive products usually are displayed deeper within the store or even right next to the checkout registers to encourage consumers’ last-minute purchases.

Final POP Display(s) - Interactive or Stagnant Instore Retail Display - Counter & Floor Stands / Bins Advertisement - Billboards / Interior & Exterior Experiential Signage Indoor and Outdoor Posters / Window Displays Tags / Shelf Talkers - Danglers / End Caps / Stickers /

This P.O.P. displays inline skate

accessories on a wood, metal and

presentation board floor display.

The base of the display is made

of bent plywood, bringing to mind

the curved ‘vert ramps’ used by

skating and skateboard profes-

sionals.

(Design by Matt Bender)

A POP MUST SHIP DISPENSES AND PROMOTE THE PRODUCT ALL AT ONCE

Phase 5 Deliverables

Note: See templatesprovided

PHASE 5 Final ArtworkChecklist

PREPRODUCTION CHECKLISTThe following would be provided to the printer:• Digital mechanical files• All fonts• Color proofs• All high-resolution image files• Identification of layer separations, color channels, etc.• Color specifications (i.e., four-color process, spot color, etc.)• Specifications for finishing techniques (i.e., coatings)• Specifications for die cuts and/or windows

High-Resolution File Preparation to Spec before Digital 3D RenderColor Correction - CMYK Pre Check/Print out the dieline to see overall flow Double check your spellingCreate Standards and or Packaging Style Guides for TouchpointsArchiving Asset Management of fonts / images / illustrations

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GRADING

In this assignment, it is important that the student demonstrate graphic and structural design abilities, along with an

understanding of product series relationships.

Packages in the product line should “feel” like a series of related products, graphically and/or structurally, and should reinforce each other.

The packaging elements and information data should be integrated across all surfaces which support the product division, brand position and retail

position

A = All three packages and POP are functional and complete;

High degree of creativity in structure and graphics;

Excellent craftsmanship is demonstrated. Dieline and printer’s flat is accurate and complete.

B = All three packages and POP are functional and complete;

Above average degree of creativity in structure and graphics;

Good craftsmanship is demonstrated. 3D / Dieline and Printer’s flat is accurate and complete.

C = All three packages and POP are complete;

Average degree of creativity in structure and graphics; Average craftsmanship is demonstrated.

3D / Dieline and Printer’s flat is complete, but may show some inaccuracies.

D = Fewer than three packages and POP are complete;

Below average degree of creativity in structure and graphics; Below average craftsmanship is demonstrated.

3D / Dieline and Printer’s flat is incomplete or missing.

Important Packaging Sites:

http://www.packagingdesignarchive.org/

https://www.luerzersarchive.com/en/magazine/200-best-packaging-design-2017/18.html

http://www.thedieline.com/

http://www.thedielineawards.com/

https://www.pinterest.ca/explore/vintage-packaging/

http://www.swedbrand-group.com/blog/the-coolest-vintage-and-retro-packaging-designs

Mockups for Prototypes:

Adobe Dimensions – Creative Cloud - See Gord Frazer links

https://yellowimages.com/

https://www.designcuts.com/

https://www.pexels.com/

https://pixabay.com/

http://compfight.com/

https://www.istockphoto.com/ca

http://www.livesurface.com/

https://graphicburger.com

https://www.pexels.com/

https://graphicburger.com/ https://stocksnap.io

https://gratisography.com/

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