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Category disruptors: You break it, you own it

Consumer brands that dare challenge the expected need to deliver their products in category-disruptive packaging. Breaking the status quo helps brands to own their categories; it’s what leaders do.

Hasbro packaged a special Easy-Bake Ultimate Oven for the brand’s 50th anniversary in a disruptive manner, targeting both girls and boys.
Hasbro packaged a special Easy-Bake Ultimate Oven for the brand’s 50th anniversary in a disruptive manner, targeting both girls and boys.

Packaging is the brand’s point of physical contact with the consumer. Now take a step back and look at the retail shelf: Which brands entice consumers to pick up a specific product? Category packaging is, frankly, a sea of sameness turning most product brands into commodities.

What we need is more disruption. Marketers discuss it in regard to innovative product development, but somehow, packaging has gotten lost in the conversation. It’s often an afterthought and then just as often dismissed as “too expensive.” The former isn’t a good mindset, and the latter isn’t necessarily true. When a few brands dare to rethink category packaging and develop a disruptive solution, it creates a stir in the marketing world, and more importantly, among consumers.

Disruptive package design is about more than creating buzz, although that’s a nice, to-be-expected dividend. It’s really about enhancing the customer experience in a meaningful way; one that elevates the brand among its competitors. Disruptive packaging delivers a unique brand personality in a memorable and emotive manner, defying product commoditization. Commoditization doesn’t lead the consumer to make an emotional connection with a brand; a unique personality does.

Innovative brands make their marks early and often as new products are launched. Method Home, Axe Personal Care products for men, and MGM Entertainment’s Lalaloopsy Dolls are good examples. Their brand owners rightfully assess packaging as a core brand value. These brands own mindshare not only because of their products, but also because of the packaging that delivers them. The best examples of disruptive packaging change the manner in which consumers interact with and use products. Standing out is only the first litmus test; consumers will gravitate to the brand packaging that disrupts, but then it must deliver more perceived value, as well. Graphics and unusual structure alone is skin deep. Consumers:“What else are you doing for me?”

To disrupt and win at retail, consider the following:

1. Innovative products demand equally disruptive packaging:

Think: Tide Pods. MiO liquid water enhancer. Creating new categories affords many opportunities. Brands that launch new categories can develop packaging that lays down a marker. As challenger brands appear, how many will mimic this packaging versus developing unique package structures of their own? Pepsico brought its own water enhancer brand to market recently. Rather than emulating Mio’s water droplet-shaped bottle, Dasani Drops are packaged in an hourglass-shaped structure, reinforcing its “0 calories” marketing message on pack, no doubt. That’s what leaders do. There is clear brand differentiation here, and consumers will purchase based on the visual and verbal brand communication found on the packaging.

2. Disruptive packaging can be focused on improving functionality or relevance to meet consumers’ changing needs:

Marketers must observe how consumer behaviors are shifting and how they use products, and then change package structures in an innovative manner before their competitors do.

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