Secondary package design with on-message, brand-building color and graphics can lift brand awareness and increase purchase intent when integrated into in-store marketing campaigns, according to a study released by Clemson University and Rehrig Pacific Company, a member of the Reusable Packaging Association.
According to the study, product in branded reusable crates received 54 percent more eye fixations, and was looked at for 46 percent more time than the same product in non-branded crates. The three-day study was carried out at Clemson University's CUshop, an immersive shopping environment used to test consumer behavior.
"The study highlights another value point of reusables," says Jerry Welcome, president, Reusable Packaging Assn. "Retailers can apply eye-catching graphics to their reusable secondary packaging to drive increased sales and increase their ROI on reusables."
"Brand equity is of the utmost importance to the owners of the world's best brands," emphasized Jerry Koefelda, senior director, new product commercialization, Rehrig Pacific Company, and author of the study. "Properly designed reusable packaging drives the brand's messaging where it is most effective—at the point of purchase where 76 percent of purchase decisions are made. On message secondary packaging with in-brand, visually arresting graphics and technology enabled promotions have proven to be an effective means of driving brand lift and building brand equity. It can be utilized in multiple locations in all retail formats and drive growth for all stakeholders throughout the value chain."
Securing shoppers' attention in the store is increasingly important. According to a continuing study spanning more than five decades, Point of Purchase Advertising International (POPAI) reports that shoppers are now making over three-quarters (76 percent) of their purchasing decisions in-store. The study goes on to say that the single greatest factor in their decision making is in-store marketing at the point of purchase. These results demonstrate the potential for secondary packaging to lift brand awareness and drive growth at the point-of-purchase.
About the study
During the testing at Clemson University, 89 participants were equipped with eye-tracking hardware as a means of recording the areas to which their attention was directed during a simple shopping task. In order to gauge attention patterns, the eye-tracking technology capitalizes on the fact that attention coordinates eye movement.
The specific types of secondary packaging used in the study were reusable plastic crates for 2-liter bottles of carbonated soft drink. The reusable crates were designed and manufactured by Rehrig Pacific Company. Specifically for this purpose, a new proprietary reusable crate was introduced, manufactured with the exact label colors and multicolor logo of a US beverage company. This branded reusable crate was evaluated against a standard crate in the industry. The standard reusable crate was manufactured in a non-specific shade of the same color, blue, and did not feature a logo in offset or company specific colors.
