Individual Package Assignment
Be sure to read the packing section of slides as a guide. Your task is to (1) conduct a comparative evaluation of the brand name and packaging of two brands of bath soap or body wash from the perspective of health- and environmentally-conscious married men, 35-49, who live in the top 20 U.S. markets; and, (2) recommend a brand name and packaging for a new entry in the¬ body wash category. Once identified, abbreviate names throughout your discussion, e.g., Irish Spring (IS).
1. COMPARATIVE EVALUATION Select two existing brands in the category to analyze. Use all of the criteria identified on the "Brand Name and Packaging Considerations" (see page 2) to organize your comparative analysis. Develop a concise discussion of each criterion in which you evaluate and contrast the two brands and indicate which brand performs best on each criterion plus which one does best overall in terms of (a) brand name; and, (b) packaging. Use the items on page two to compare the brands. Your analysis is to be from the perspective of a target of health- and environmentally-conscious married men, 35-49, who live in the top 20 U.S. markets.
2. NEW BRAND NAME, SPOKESPERSON, AND PACKAGE DESIGN Next, develop an appropriate brand name, spokesperson, and a package design for a new body wash that is targeted to these men. Note that women (the wives of these men) are the primarily purchasing agents and so the brand name and packaging needs to appeal to both the targeted men and their wives.
• You may assume that you can obtain the rights to use any existing person or figure or you
may develop your own original spokesperson.
• The new brand is made using 99.3% natural ingredients including a distinctive, fragrant blend of sweet orange citrus, aloe leaf juice and coconut oil.
• The body wash will be made from natural ingredients not harmful to the user or the environment.
In presenting your recommendations: (a) discuss your brand name in terms of the four brand name criteria; (b) explain why your recommended package design front view would be effective in presenting your brand at the point-of-sale in supermarkets (focus on only two criteria "shape and design strategy" and "promotion"); (c) provide a brief rationale justifying the appeal of spokesperson to the target; and, (d) draw a mockup of your package on one 8 1/2 x 11" page and staple it to your report.
BRAND NAME AND PACKAGING CONSIDERATIONS
BRAND NAME. The importance of a brand name to the success of a consumer product and advertising is obvious. An effective brand name provides a huge marketing advantage. Everywhere it appears, the brand name communicates some message about the product; the stronger and more appropriate the message, the better the communication. Four general guidelines for evaluating brand names suggested by Runyon are presented below.
1. Reflects Brand Concept. The brand name should never contradict the essential attributes of the brand concept. Ideally, the brand name should be supportive of this concept, such as Slim Fast (a diet product), Coffee-mate (a non-dairy creamer), Vitaminwater (a energy, health drink), UHaul (a truck rental company), and Easy-off (an oven cleaner). If that is not possible, the brand name should be neutral so that the desired meaning can be created with advertising and promotion.
2. Simple. The name should be simple and clear, easy to spell, write, pronounce, and recognize. Purina Dog Chow, Aztec (a suntan lotion), Crest, Ritz, and Hotpoint are good examples.
3. Distinctive. The name should be distinctive and not easily confused with other brand names on the market either by sound or appearance. This avoids trademark infringement and possible confusion.
4. Appropriate. The name should be tasteful and avoid unpleasant connotations that may offend consumers. There is no excuse for poor taste, particularly in marketing. The name should not be too cute, clever, or dear. In the search for a distinctive name, the temptation is strong to substitute clever for direct, contrived for simple, and phony for honest.
PACKAGING. A consumer product's package is an important channel of communication with prospective customers that occurs at the most crucial location in marketing -- at the point of sale. As with brand name, packaging should be designed to communicate the brand concept to consumers. Runyon stresses that four major strategy considerations in evaluating packaging are:
1. Protection. The packaging must protect the physical product during its passage from manufacturer to warehouse to retailer to consumer. Packaging must be sufficiently strong to withstand handling and often must be airtight and leak proof to protect the freshness and integrity of the contents.
2. Convenience. For consumers, convenience takes a variety of forms: easy to open packages; pour spouts; aerosol cans, and other dispensing devices; a wide variety of package sizes for different family sizes or usage rates; multiple packs; heat-and-serve items; frozen foods packaged in compartmentalized serving trays; boil-in-the-bag foods; dry mixes that the user can mix in the original package; and, recloseable packages.
3. Promotion. Packaging should provide visibility on the retail shelf and enhance the brand's appeal. In addition, packaging should convey the desired brand image, can describe the product's features and provide recipes, coupons, service suggestions, etc. Often, the package can be designed to be used as an attractive dispenser. (In terms of promotion, what does the package "say?")
4. Shape and Design Strategy. Package shape (both outer box and product container) has long been recognized for its perceptual implications. Smooth, rounded shapes connote femininity; square, solid shapes imply masculinity. Shapes can be designed to encourage in-home display and serve as a visual reminder of the brand. Design strategy involves shapes and materials. In addition, design strategy emphasizes colors, typography, pictures and symbols that enhance the brand in the consumer's mind. (In terms of design, what does the package "show?")
Bonus points will be given to the top 3 papers in each class. This will be evaluated on the analysis and creativity of the new package design.
Format your assignment according to the following formatting requirements:
1. The answer should be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides.
2. The response also include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student's name, the course title, and the date. The cover page is not included in the required page length.
3. Also Include a reference page. The Citations and references should follow APA format. The reference page is not included in the required page length.