Tag: brand marketing

Design for the Omnichannel Experience

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The post-covid retail landscape will become increasingly integrated, with brands leveraging both the widespread adoption of online shopping as well as a renewed interest in experiential brick & mortar offerings. With more consumers resuming a hybrid online and in-store shopping model, consistency is essential, as is understanding the nuances unique to each platform.

Design is a key tool in bridging the digital, in-store and at-home experiences that are crucial to brand experience. When approaching creative development, we look to create a universal, extractable elements that can function across platforms to create an engaging brand world.

Build Trust by Bringing Products to Life

We’ve all been duped by products showing up differently than advertised. Keeping digital assets in line with the reality of the physical products builds brand trust and gives consumers confidence in purchasing new brands and products online. Luckily, innovations in digital media, such as 3D wireframing, can create a bridge between the physical reality of a product and its digital translation to e-commerce.

When ZeroWater developed the innovative EcoFilter, they had the opportunity to launch the new product exclusively online before expanding their presence in-store. A combination of photography, video and 3D renderings provided the assets needed for a successful virtual launch. Quality wireframing enabled consumers to get a wholistic, accurate view of the product, helping to build trust and drive purchase intent. Technical videos featuring live product demonstrations ensured a seamless customer journey from discovery to purchase. By unifying the online and in-hand product experience, shoppers were given the tools and the confidence to engage with the brand every step of the way.

Prioritize Packaging

Packaging is an anchor for a brand’s story. It is the consumer touchpoint with the highest physical interaction, living on in people’s homes far beyond any marketing campaign. We’ve mentioned the necessity of having compelling digital content, but it’s also essential that the packing experience be just as delightful and, most importantly, consistent to the look and feel of other touch points. A sleek and on-trend digital presence coupled with outdated packaging creates dissonance and can take consumers out of the brand experience. Packaging also serves as a billboard for the brand at shelf and at home; distinctive packaging, especially when disruptive to the category, is a key driver of overall brand recognition and awareness. In addition to primary packaging, shippers and even SIOC (ship in its own container) provide additional opportunities to bridge the gap and create tangible, memorable experiences.  

Curemaster Reserve was looking to introduce a new, artisanal ham with elevated flavor varieties to the e-commerce space. As this was to be the first Hormel brand to launch exclusively via e-commerce, Smith was asked to create a unique, super-premium packaging and unboxing experience. The unveiling included a custom designed shipping box and inner package. The recipient envelope with grommet fasten detail housed recipes, cooking information and a personalized letter from The Curemaster.

Within the box, details like the hangtag, a reusable net bag and a custom printed paper wrap added to the overall authenticity of the product while reinforcing the Artisan Mastery positioning.

Expanding Brand Experience to the Retail Environment

More people than ever before embraced online shopping during the pandemic, and many will continue to enjoy the added convenience and expanded product selection it affords. That said, consumers will also be looking for enticing brick and mortar experiences that can engage and entertain in ways that digital offerings can’t. Retail activations are one way that brands can capture attention and continue the dialog “IRL”. We’ve partnered with brands including Reese’s and Green Giant to create eye-catching in-store brand activations to compliment digital initiatives and reach new demographics.

Looking Ahead

The changes of the last year will have lasting impacts on consumer habits. Expectations for online, in-store and at-home experiences are higher than ever, and brands should be prepared to meet them. Those who embrace and leverage the omnichannel experience will emerge as leaders in the post-pandemic market.

Check out the video below for more on our omnichannel capabilities. Interested in learning more about how to prepare your brand for the Omnichannel Experience? Let’s talk!

Charitable Packaging Shows Brands’ Softer Side

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It’s always nice to see brands support great causes, and packaging is a creative way to emphasize the importance of giving back.

Charitable packaging supports important causes by raising awareness. This packaging can also be a call-to-action, inspiring others to support the cause as well. Charitable packaging is often a smaller part of a brand’s overall partnership with a cause. Consumers have come to expect brands to make a conscious effort to give back to the community. Showing their charitable side through these partnerships help brands connect with their consumers on a human level. 

Dial® partnered with Big Brothers Big Sisters through the Healthier Futures™ program. Healthier Futures™ promotes healthy hygiene habits. To show their support, Dial® featured artwork on their packaging that incorporates drawings by the children who participate in Big Brothers Big Sisters. The packaging captures the spirit of Big Brothers Big Sisters so delightfully with scenes that represent the mission of the organization and raises awareness of their initiatives to support children and their communities. 

Patients of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital showcased their artwork on Green Giant’s limited edition packaging. The cans featured illustrations of vegetables; sweetcorn growing tall, dancing green beans and sunny blue skies are all featured prominently in the colorful labels. The cans are one of the ways Green Giant shows their support of St Jude. The brand also donates money towards St. Jude’s amazing research, and encourages their employees to support the cause as well. In 2018, B&G Foods donated $350,000 on behalf of the Green Giant brand. 

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Hormel Foods raised awareness of childhood hunger with their limited edition Chili can designs. The limited-edition label represents the first time the brand has shifted away from its conventional yellow, orange, and red color scheme on its Hormel®Chili No Bean variety in more than 80 years. The cans represent the brand’s partnership with professional football player Adam Thielen for a campaign called “Thursdays with Thielen”. For every yard Thielen gained during a game, Hormel Foods donated Hormel Chili to Second Harvest Heartland in the Twin Cities. Hormel Foods was able to donate 20,000 cans, which provided about 15,000 meals. 

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Now more than ever, consumers need to see that the brands they support are kind, caring, and human. The brands featured above are going beyond a charitable donation by making a powerful statement on their actual packaging – a proud and bold declaration of support to their causes.

Importance of Brand Planning

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When you think of successful entrepreneurs or brand teams what are the first things that come to mind for how they became successful? At first glance, you might attribute their success to things like smart, confident leadership, a great product, competitive drive, or a great marketing campaign. However, the unsung hero, the backbone of their success is often their brand planning. Planning is not sexy, it’s not the part that people talk about and share, but it universally serves as the guide they follow to achieve success.

Planning is not a one-size-fits-all process, some may have more elaborate plans than others, but regardless of the size of your business, you still need a plan that lays out even a basic roadmap for how you will achieve your goals.

Why is brand planning important?

A brand plan aligns everyone in your organization behind the same vision, strategies, tactics, and costs needed to make your brand or business venture a success. In this cluttered world of overwhelming options, writing a brand plan will help you and your team stay focused, guide the way you allocate your limited resources, and consistently express your brand offering to your target consumers.

What should your brand plan include?

  1. Business Analysis & Issues – specify how your brand or business is currently positioned in the marketplace. Who are your current and/or potential customers? What are their needs and wants?  Who are your key competitors and how are they performing? What are your current strengths and weaknesses? What potential opportunities and threats exist that could impact your brand. 
  2. Objectives – your plan should spell out what it is you want the brand to achieve.  Your objectives can be defined both in terms of long and short term goals, for current or future customers and/or specific business outcomes like sales, market share, brand awareness, brand image, customer loyalty or more. 
  3. Strategies – here you will lay out how you plan to achieve your goals, what channels and tools you will use and how you will focus your resources.  Depending on your product or category, key decisions to align on could include which product you will prioritize, how will it be designed or positioned, how will it be sold and priced, and how will you engage your target.
  4. Tactics – stemming from your strategies, tactics are the specific tasks you and/or your team will execute to work towards your goal. What will your team work on, what are the resources available and what is the budget and timeline you will allocate to each task.

You may only write your brand plan once a year but as a business leader you should always be in planning mode, that is to say, you should always monitor your brand’s performance, identify key learnings and areas of improvement.   As you learn more about your customers and your key competitors, you can adapt your plan to help you stay on track and keep working towards achieving your goals.  

– Emma Medina, Director of Brand Strategy at Smith Design

The “Heart” of Giving

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Cupid still strikes for retailers and brands, even with fewer people celebrating Valentine’s Day. Dramatic changes in spending and the emergence of an ‘anti-Valentine’s Day’ sentiment have motivated retailers to find innovative ways to keep Valentine’s Day meaningful and relevant. While there are fewer adults celebrating the holiday, those that are celebrating are spending more money than ever before. Brands are thriving by rolling out strategies that appeal to everyone, regardless of whether they love or hate February 14th. Check out our guide for a crash course on what to expect this year – and what to watch for in the years ahead!
Source: NRF®, NRF’s Annual 2019 Valentine’s Day Spending Survey, conducted by Prosper Insights & Analytics: https://nrf.com/valentines-day-data-center