The development of a packaging program for a licensed brand, when done correctly, is approached from a modular point of view, with its design assets seamlessly accommodating any potential structural configuration across a broad range of consumer product categories throughout the retail environment. Getting this right is … Read More
Packaging for toy and entertainment brands, whether licensed or non-licensed, can't be successfully developed without first considering its context at retail. After all, it won't exist in a vacuum in the retail environment, so it shouldn't be designed in one either. Gain insight by conducting a retail audit The … Read More
It's always exciting and challenging to work with any new consumer product brand or entertainment property, but for the owners of these brands, the learning curve can be a steep one. The first focus has to be on creating a unique brand and building equity from scratch, … Read More
When we think of a strong structural design strategy for a toy or entertainment brand's retail packaging, we imagine a dynamic, cleverly-conceived structural shape inspired by a dominant aspect of the brand that will resonate immediately with consumers. We envision that structural shape working seamlessly from blister … Read More
It would be an understatement to say that not all licensed consumer products sell through at retail, regardless of how hot a property may be. More often than not, we can pin this on a poorly-conceived, visually disjointed or underachieving licensed product packaging program. Unlike traditional consumer … Read More
Restless consumers are hunting more than ever for products that deliver additional value. Co-branding a strong national brand with an equally-recognized licensed brand is one way in which to accomplish that. The goal: to pump up volume and to gain a competitive edge by attracting and retaining … Read More
The trend of entertainment and consumer product brands from the past reemerging and banking on their rich heritage in today's marketplace continues to gain momentum. And I'm not surprised. While there are a lot of reasons brand owners are reintroducing these classics instead of investing in the … Read More
Have you ever noticed that kids often love the packaging that a toy comes in more than the toy itself? They usually find creative ways to integrate colorful packaging into their play. Even basic cardboard boxes are turned into dollhouses, spacecraft, robots, puppet stages or anything else … Read More
Culturally relevant brands are rare and cut from different cloth than 99% of all existing brands. They become iconic because they are transcendent and deeply meaningful to people's lives. Many marketers mistakenly believe that these brands are simply highly emotive and experiential, but they actually go well … Read More
Marketers and design experts have talked about the power of brand storytelling for a long time, including yours truly. As marketing guru Seth Godin put it: "Marketing is no longer about the stuff that you make, but about the stories you tell." Storytelling has the power to … Read More
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