DEVELOPING BEST-IN-CLASS PACKAGING GROUNDED IN CONSUMER INSIGHT

The other day I got a Google Photos memory reminding me that 10 years ago I took a two week business trip to Tokyo. Among many other wonderful sights and experiences, I fondly remembered how much fun it was to venture out food shopping instead of eating in the hotel restaurant. By not speaking Japanese, I relied on certain aspects of packaging to help me make the right choices at the store. Packaging structures allowed me to see the product inside, graphic aspects such as colours, patterns, pictures and fonts – they all had to work extra hard to ensure I got something suitable and enjoyable to eat. I did not starve, au contraire.

I had to smile realising – yet again – how much I appreciate researching packaging since I first got acquainted with it back in 2011. Based in Chicago at the time, I criss-crossed the United States and then the world working on hundreds of projects for dozens and dozens of brands, supporting them and providing actionable consumer insights while constantly learning and honing my own pack research skills.

A highlight was working on a global redesign initiative for one of the most popular brands of salty snacks when I first started in packaging research, and partnering with the same brand for a similar initiative once again as I was preparing to leave the United States in 2021.

Fast forward to 2024 and back in London with Walnut Unlimited, I once again have the opportunity to do what I love most, working with a team of experts led by Chris Peach, Walnut’s Head of Packaging and Design.

At Walnut, we see developing new packaging for a brand to be akin to embarking on a long haul journey with multiple pitstops. To make this journey as painless and positive as possible, our packaging specialists are on hand to accompany our clients every step of the way.

We have designed a suite of packaging tools which replicate the different stages of this journey by blending qualitative and quantitative methodologies to offer you a holistic picture, with clear and actionable insight throughout.

1. Are you questioning whether you should be changing your pack?

We can assist in determining whether you actually need to do so in the first place. This can be done via an in-store reality check that explores the category and the competitive landscape, then by digging deeper into the performance of your current pack to see how it fares in the context of all the other brands and adjacent categories. 

2. Do you need guidance with generating ideas for your new packaging alternative?

We can not only help you identify key visual assets to maintain in order not to alienate your current customer base, but also guide you as you start the creative process to understand opportunities and how far the brand can stretch. We can also assist you with ensuring you have the right messaging on your pack. 

3. Have you developed a series of packaging alternatives and don’t know which one to progress with?

We can explore all your options to identify their relative strengths and weaknesses, as well as how well they align with your brand positioning.  This allows you to eliminate the alternatives with less potential and improve the strongest option prior to final validation.  

4. Have your heart set on one design but want to ensure it is the right one?

We can validate your choice to give you much-needed consumer reassurance and help you navigate all the last-minute changes and optimisations prior to launch. Regardless of what stage in the development process you are, you can count on us not just to employ the right methodology but also to work with you throughout to best answer all objectives and meet budget and timeline requirements.   

Rather than be fixed to a single off–the–shelf solution, we have a range of tools, each designed to address specific questions at different stages of the journey: 

Being conscious that in this day and age time is often a luxury, we have also developed more agile services that can fast-track you to the finish line, while still giving you what you need to take an informed decision. From more time-efficient online qualitative methodologies to lighter touch validation methods, we are here to help. 

So, no matter where your packaging voyage has taken you so far and how long you still have until you reach your final destination, give us a call or drop me a line at Raluca.Usery@walnutunlimited to find out more.