Packaging--The view from the shelf

What does the package say about the product? It has to present legally required information, of course, and both protect and store the contents in a convenient size and shape, whether on the shelf or in the home.

Shoppers move through supermarkets at a fast pace and the package must attract attention and arouse interest quickly. As a result, marketing communication is one of the driving forces behind today's decisions about packaging. One study found that 64% of shoppers bought something new simply because the packaging caught their attention. In fact, 36% of the shoppers in this survey said they had actually changed brands because of packaging preferences.

So take a look at the packaging designs of the 1970s, recently in the news because a locked pantry was opened for the first time in decades. Heinz was recognisable, but Bold detergent looked dated (which makes sense, because it was updated in 2004). And that's part of the point: Marketers want their products to stand out on the shelf, make an instant connection with shoppers and represent the brand personality, not simply protect, store and inform.

A recent Marketing Week article mentions biomotive triggers designed into packaging--visual cues such as animals that will catch the eye and put a smile on your face. The packaging for Andrex toilet tissue features an adorable puppy that even has its own Facebook page (617,000 likes). The puppy is so much a part of the brand's personality that it's a convenient and positive shortcut for shoppers--see the puppy, recognise the brand and react by reaching for the product on the shelf, all in just a second or two.

Packaging changes can delight, intrigue, annoy, confuse or even anger shoppers, which is why marketers test and retest to understand possible reactions before rolling out new packages. In many cases, companies like Heinz post information to explain their packaging innovations so shoppers are aware and ready for new colours, shapes, sizes and materials. If new packaging is more earth-friendly, it can be a showcase for marketing sustainability, as well.

For more on design in packaging, browse the news in Design Week.

What about online ad blocking?

Ad blocking software is increasingly popular, installed by consumers who prefer not to see interstitial ads (which appear briefly while other content is loading), blinking ads, skyscraper banner ads (narrow and tall), pop-ups or pop-unders, and other types of Internet ads. E-Consultancy singles out ads that obscure online content as being particularly annoying.

Adblock Plus is only one of many web browser add-ons that consumers use to make online ads disappear. Yet Adblock Plus does allow some ads to be visible, if they meet its guidelines and pay for the privilege of being whitelisted (except for small advertisers).

If consumers don't see ads, advertisers won't reach their target audiences--and sites that rely on being paid for advertising may be hurt financially. So the Irish tech firm Pagefair is now offering websites the ability to install software that prevents ad blocking software from, well, blocking ads.

'Ad blocking costs websites money' is the headline on Pagefair's home page. Hundreds of websites use Pagefair to counter the blocking, and the company also aims to educate consumers about how ad blockers affect sites.

Pagefair's research suggests 20% of visitors to its clients' websites have ad blockers installed to prevent ads from being visible. Pagefair provides clients with analytics to evaluate the situation on their sites and the option to display ads requesting that consumers turn off the ad blocker and make ads visible.

Are ubiquitous or annoying ads necessary to keep the financial balance of the Internet? Should consumers care about the effect ad blockers have on websites' bottom line? How can advertisers encourage consumers to allow ads, through better targeting and better content and format? What are the ethical considerations for advertisers and for consumers?

Pinterest celebrates four years of pinning

Happy fourth birthday to Pinterest.

This strongly visual social media site tends to be most effective for highlighting products in context, either with related products or in a usage situation. Think of it as a virtual bulletin board where consumers 'pin' photos of products they like or want, 'repin' photos from other boards to their own and browse pins for social shopping.

Brands can use Pinterest as a way to understand what their customers (and prospects) are interested in, by analysing which and how many pins of their product photos (and competitors' photos) appear on consumers' Pinterest boards. Another way to use Pinterest is to connect with customers by repinning their pins, says a Responsys expert.

Encouraging customers to pin your product's photo engages brand fans and builds relationships. Kahlua's holiday contest campaign, which included Pinterest, attracted 8,000 entries and more than 10,000 pins. Topshop's holiday campaign incorporated thousands of Pinterest pins as personalised gift ideas, with a contest element to encourage participation during the shopping season.

Pinterest is, of course, extremely active in social media: It has a Facebook page (3.2 million likes), a Twitter account (1.7 million likes), a Flickr account (599 photos) and a GitHub account.

Scented ads are in the air

More marketers are using scented ads or brochures to attract consumer attention and increase memorability. We're accustomed to scented perfume ads but how many tourist brochures and newspaper pages carry the fragrance of the product being advertised? This type of sensory marketing is unusual and intriguing, a technique that engages the senses to heighten and reinforce the message. Although some people are sensitive to fragrances, many will find scented ads fun and, perhaps, motivational.

These are just three of a growing number of fragrance-infused promotional materials being used by marketers today:

• "Smell York" is a new campaign designed to bring tourists to York destinations. The tourist board's website explains: 'Smell is the stronger of the senses and the one associated with forming the strongest memories!' The brochure includes 12 photos, each accompanied by an appropriate olfactory hint, such as a chocolatey scent on the page promoting York's chocolate-making heritage.
• Johnson & Johnson, well known for its baby powder, recently arranged for an English-language newspaper in India to infuse the full-page ad with the scent of the powder. This approach also links the ad with the nostalgia of childhood (or parenthood).
• The Australian supermarket Coles is adding the aroma of hot cross buns to ads in Australian newspapers, just in time for the pre-Easter shopping season. Imagine opening the newspaper and inhaling the scent of freshly-baked buns? Maybe that's just the encouragement hungry shoppers need to stop off at the supermarket very soon.
  

Consumer behaviour changes? Look in the market basket!

The UK Office of National Statistics measures changes in the cost of living (inflation, specifically) by examining changes in the price of a typical household's 'market basket' of goods and services. Marketers are interested in the contents of this representative basket year to year because additions and deletions reflect changes in consumer behaviour and in the marketing environment, over time. Here's the ONS's explanation:

It is important when measuring inflation to take account of changes in the sorts of things people buy due to changing tastes and advancements in technology. If these changes weren't made, the basket (and therefore the measurement of inflation) would become increasingly irrelevant to households. For example, it wouldn’t make sense to base inflation nowadays on the price of mangles.

In 2014, the market basket consists of 699 items that might be purchased by an average UK household. Milk was replaced this year by flavoured milk; DVD rentals were replaced by on-demand entertainment rental services such as Netflix. The DVD recorder was deleted, due to much lower demand now that many consumers have other recording and viewing alternatives. Wallpaper paste was deleted. Canvas trainers were added.

The infographic above shows items (in green) that have been added at different times, and items (in purple) that have been deleted at different times. The mangle was eliminated from the basket in 1962; the microwave was added in 1987.

What will be added and deleted in 2015?

H&M for Stars, Brides and Sustainability

Fast-fashion retailer H&M is polishing its sustainability and affordability image with high-profile marketing initiatives.

At left, a custom designed H&M evening gown made from 'more sustainable' materials, worn by Penelope Cruz to the Vanity Fair Oscar party following the Academy Awards last weekend. From April, consumers will be able to buy a similar gown--sustainably made--in H&M stores. H&M has other sustainable products, including a collection of clothing made from recycled materials.

Providing clean drinking water is another sustainability issue supported by H&M. Each year, the retailer donates 25% of the proceeds from a summer swimwear collection to the not-for-profit group WaterAid. The 2013 promotion was supported by social media posts on Pinterest and Facebook. Customers and employees vote to select the causes supported by H&M's Conscious Foundation, including education, clean water and women's issues. 

At right, H&M's new wedding dress, priced at £59.99. From March, consumers will be able to buy this graceful gown in H&M stores. Other retailers (including M&S, Peacocks and ASDA) have launched affordable wedding collections in the past. 

Will brides buy from H&M? Or is the publicity generated by a pretty dress at a pretty price an affordable way to attract customers to H&M stores to look at the dress--and then buy something else?

Getty Images joins the 'sharing economy'

This week, the largest photo agency on the planet decided to make available, for free, many of the images in its database. With a right-click, bloggers and other noncommercial users can embed the code leading to selected Getty images.

If I wish to embed this recent photo of Joanna Lumley and Alesha Dixon opening the Kids Shwop Boutique in Marks & Spencer, I simply right-click, copy the code as shown below in the pop-up window, and paste it as HTML to put the image into my blog. Note that Getty's image identifier is on the photo, along with a photo collection identifier.

'Our new embed feature makes it easy, legal and free for anybody to share our images on websites, blogs and social media platforms', Getty's website explains.

Here's where things get interesting: Once a Getty photo has been embedded, Getty will be able to track views and possibly serve ads into that space or remove the photo at a later date, if it chooses. 

Content providers (meaning photographers) are unhappy that they receive no payment, however, which may complicate the situation. Still, Getty's move into the 'sharing economy' is an acknowledgement that images are being shared already, with or without proper credit or payment.

Entertainment streaming goes mainstream

Roku has just introduced a new product, the Streaming Stick, that plugs into a TV's HDMI port and allows easy streaming of programmes and movies via the BBC iPlayer, Netflix and more.

Like the Google Chromecast, which is widely available in the US but not yet on the market in the UK, the Roku's HDMI access is intended to replace a bulkier set-top box.

Apple TV competes with Roku and Chromecast, offering a compact unit that will stream content from iTunes, YouTube, Vimeo, Netflix and other sources.

In other words, more consumers are choosing to stream entertainment, accelerating trends reported in Ofcom's 2013 analysis of the media market. Consumers still watch TV but they also use a lot of devices to access content. And, of course, the tradition of watching TV live is eroding little by little. With on-demand content available for streaming at any hour, the viewing habits of the world are definitely changing. What will this mean for marketers who typically rely on TV adverts to communicate with viewers? Stay tuned.