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Packaging Research

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Package graphics and copy are critical marketing variables in many product categories, particularly for nonadvertised or underadvertised brands in self-serve shopping environments.

The package on a retail shelf is the last opportunity to influence consumers before they decide to buy. It's the final sales pitch at the "moment of truth," when the brand-choice decision is made. The better the package design and copy, the greater the likelihood that consumers will choose that brand. Any new package design, or significant change in an existing package, should always be subjected to the scrutiny of objective consumer feedback.

Decision Analyst offers the following packaging research services:

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PackageScreen®—A low-cost system to evaluate early-stage packaging ideas and concepts in batches of 10 to 20 at a time.

The package design process typically begins with the creation of a large number of "rough" or early-stage designs. The research objective is to identify the package designs that resonate with consumers, so that creative efforts can be focused on further development of the better designs. PackageScreen® is our Internet-based system to accomplish this winnowing task.

How Does PackageScreen® Work?

A representative sample of 200 to 300 target audience consumers are recruited from our Internet panel. These participants are invited to come to our encrypted web server and view the early-stage package designs. Each respondents sees all of the package designs one at a time (front panel only) on his/her computer monitor, in randomized order. Then, each person views the package designs a second time and answers a series of questions about each design. The answers to the survey are fed into a mathematical model to calculate an overall score for each design. The highest-rated designs are recommended for further development.

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PackageCheck®—A proprietary Internet-based, monadic pretesting system to evaluate early-stage packaging ideas.

The next step in the design process is to learn more about the better designs so that further improvements can be made. PackageCheck® provides this diagnostic feedback.

How Does PackageCheck® Work?

A representative sample of target-audience consumers are recruited to visit our website and view each package design. The respondents see only one package design (i.e., a monadic test) and then answer a series of questions about their reactions, including a series of open-ended questions. The report includes answers to standard questions, compared to Decision Analyst's action standards, as well as verbatim responses to open-ended questions. The verbatim detail is valuable to creative teams as they strive to improve the graphic design, as well as the copy, on the package. A typical PackageCheck® study is based on 75 completed interviews.

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PackageTest®— A comprehensive, Internet-based testing system to evaluate finished (or near-finished) package designs.

As packages near the end of the design process, a more complete evaluation is required, with comprehensive measurements to assess all of the important elements of package design.

How Does PackageTest® Work?

A representative sample is recruited from one of our worldwide Internet panels, and qualified respondents are invited to evaluate the package design. Recommended sample size is 300. Respondents first see the package's front panel, and later view the other panels. The research design is monadic (i.e., no respondent evaluates more than one package design). Then the respondents complete a battery of questions and diagnostic ratings about the advertisement. The report includes answers to standard questions, as well as the coded responses to all open-ended questions, along with our analysis and interpretation.

Our SellingPower™ mathematical model, based on a number of key variables, calculates an overall score for the package design and compares it to our action standards.

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Custom/Ad Hoc Packaging Research

Package Communication

What is the package communicating? What is the package failing to communicate? Depth interviews are typically used to explore package communication issues. Usually, the test package is shown at different time exposures (1/500 of a second, 1/200 of a second, etc.) using a tachistoscope. At each exposure level, package recognition and communication are examined. Then the respondents are asked to examine and to read the package in detail, with no time limits. The consumer's reactions to every detail of package graphics and copy are explored in the interview. The purpose of this research is to learn how to improve brand recognition and package communication.

Shelf Impact

Does the average consumer notice the package on the shelf? To evaluate shelf impact, we typically build representative displays of the test package in a competitive environment. These displays are photographed from angles representative of the consumer's perspective. The test package is rotated within the display. The best photographs (with correct rotations) are shown to a representative sample of consumers, at various time exposures (1/200 of a second, 1/100 of a second, and so on) with a tachistoscope. The respondents are questioned about what they see and what they understand, as the length-of-time exposure increases. This methodology helps determine the visibility (or attention value) of a test package, relative to competitive packages.

Simulated Display

The ultimate test of a package is whether it stimulates trial of a product. To measure a package's trial potential, a representative display of a product category (with all major competitive brands) is assembled. Matched samples of consumers are instructed to "shop" the display. Their brand decisions, and the reason for those decisions, are explored in post-shopping interviews. Simulated displays allow us to measure a package's trial potential and help us learn how to improve its trial potential.