Do you remember the ‘Generic Brands’ experiment? It was the opposite of creative packaging. It was generally a food product with a white label and a word that described the contents of the can or bottle. The theory was that the manufacturer, distributor and retail store could offer the products at a much lower price because there was no advertising or marketing done for the product. The label was as austere as possible.  It was cans with white labels and words like “Beans, Soup or Cola” in bold black san serif type.  It was bland and most unappealing.

Generic brands were the exact opposite of brands.  They were flaunting that their only difference was their low price (understood was that quality was not there).

The generic brand experiment failed because the generic package with the white label was so severe and devoid of anything creative or appealing—even the type fonts were unimaginative.   The shopping experience was reduced to buying cans and boxes with one-word descriptors.   The shopper did not see herself shopping for the ingredients to prepare a healthy meal for her family. She felt she was buying something of inferior quality.  The only emotional tie was probably guilt.  We form emotional ties to what we purchase.  If good design creates a positive emotional tie, and I think it does, then it is reasonable to think that something devoid of design and inspiration, which is packaged like a socialist version of a second-class product, will probably create an emotional tie resembling guilt for purchasing something of such poor quality.

Henry J. Heinz, founder of H. J. Heinz Company said, “To do a common thing uncommonly well brings success.” If you provide a service are you providing it “uncommonly well”? Show it with creative packaging.  Enhance your brand. Everything has a package—tangible and intangible—services and products. Intangible products have more creative packaging than tangible products because they need the packaging to help establish the value.

• Is your service packaged as if it were providing something special?

• Does your packaging create emotions?

• Does your packaging position your product/service at a higher value?

• Does the packaging differentiate you?

These probably aren’t questions you can answer about your own services.  Hire someone to give you an evaluation.  Then listen to what they have to say.

Think design, think creative, it may be the only way you can differentiate your packaging.

Great brands are often differentiated by design and creative packaging. Good design may be the easiest way to make your  service or product different from the competition.  Good design is creative packaging.

Advertise, it pays.