Discover your next big idea at PACK EXPO Las Vegas this September
Experience a breakthrough in packaging & processing and transform your business with solutions from 2,300 suppliers spanning all industries.
REGISTER NOW & SAVE

Contac's package facelift makes product easier to shop

More intuitive color scheme and attention to communication hierarchy helps Contac maintain consumer trust amid a clutter of competitive products in the cold and flu aisle.

Contac group
Contac group

Earlier this year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported, “As of mid-January 2013, flu-related hospitalization and death rates among people 65 and older increased sharply.” Of course, influenza affects people of all ages and has garnered considerable media attention this winter.

For generations, Contac has provided fast-acting, multi-symptom relief for cold and flu sufferers. But this season, Marietta, GA-based Meda Consumer Healthcare Inc., the U.S. over-the-counter division of Stockholm-based Meda AB, has given the venerable brand a package design facelift.

Meda’s product family includes OTC products and dietary supplements, with brands that include Geritol, Feosol, and Contac.

Like it did with its Feosol iron supplement packaging, Meda sought the expertise of Little Big Brands to give the product a new look on the shelf that would increase shoppability for the consumer and create a stronger brand presence in a saturated category.

“Contac was confusing to shop and that’s a real problem when your consumer is likely feeling under the weather to begin with,” says Shanta McGahey, brand manager, Meda Consumer Healthcare. “The new Contac takes a great stride forward to instill confidence in the brand and help consumers feel better faster by getting the right product into their hands quickly.”

Color, clutter add to consumer confusion

The first step in the design process was assessing the line to determine what could be enhanced, and what needed an overhaul. The biggest challenge was color. The daytime non-drowsy product was dominated by dark purple, and the nighttime product by a bright orange. Intuitively, it didn’t make sense, nor did it follow category norms. In the redesign, the SKU colors were flipped and bold icons were added to the top of the pack to clearly designate day/night.

Conveying Innovations Report
Editors report on distinguishing characteristics that define each new product and collected video demonstrating the equipment or materials as displayed at the show. This topical report, winnowed from nearly 300 PACK EXPO collective booth visits, represents a categorized, organized account of individual items that were selected based on whether they were deemed to be both new, and truly innovative, based on decades of combined editorial experience in experiencing and evaluating PACK EXPO products.
Take me there
Conveying Innovations Report
Annual Outlook Report: Automation & Robotics
What's in store for CPGs in 2025 and beyond? <i>Packaging World</i> editors explore the survey responses from 118 brand owners, CPG, and FMCG <i>Packaging World</i> readers for its new Annual Outlook Report.
Download
Annual Outlook Report: Automation & Robotics