Even though Costco doesn't carry that many SKUs (only 4,000 compared to Walmart's 150,000), the size of the warehouse space and the variety of product can be overwhelming. During any trip I make to Costco, I always take a look at some of the Costco packaging and displays to note what grabs my attention and others that are just so-so. Since Costco is self serve, displays are the … [Read more...]
Epic Packaging Failures Consumer Technology Companies Make
Packaging can be one of your most important marketing tools for a consumer technology product. It provides a tangible impression of your brand and acts as a silent sales person in-store. You can have mediocre packaging but what if your packaging fails all together. Here are some ways to avoid epic packaging failures. 1) Seek input from potential retailers If you don't … [Read more...]
The earBudeez Brand Story
As a design agency, we are lucky enough to work with clients who trust us to deliver creative that fulfills their design criteria and creates brand advocates. We assisted with Audiovox's "Mobility Expanded" rebranding effort several years ago. One of the brands, earBudeez, took on a life of it's own. This earbud product line was focused on the tween demographic at a price point … [Read more...]
Ice-Watch Wins at Retail with Great Merchandising
I was in Macy’s several months back and the "Ice-Watch" display and packaging made it impossible to walk by without checking them out. This is exactly what great merchandising should do. I had never heard about Ice-Watch before this day. The Importance of Color and Merchandising At first it was the color overload that stood out from the conservative jewelry counters. Then … [Read more...]
Everlane’s Retail Transparency
What is Retail Transparency? Everlane, at least for me, was the first company I saw fully embrace the concept of retail transparency. I'm not even sure how I first became acquainted with the their online retail store, but I do remember why I signed up for their emails and website access. They were transparent about their costs to produce high quality merchandise. Part of … [Read more...]
Brick-and-Mortar vs Online Retailers: Is one the death of the other?
When online stores started becoming a more popular way to shop, pundits predicted the death of all brick-and-mortar stores. Here we are, more than a decade later, and we still have physical stores. There are some brick-and-mortar retailers that became giants on-line and there are some on-line brands that have opened a physical store. Some of the brands that opted to … [Read more...]
10 Steps to a Better Package Design
Follow a Process to Ensure a Better Package Design If you are new to package design or are part of the package design process, this BLOG may be of interest to you or someone you know. We have worked to refine and improve our package design process over the years and these are 10 steps you can take to improve your packaging development. 1. Prioritize. Prioritize. … [Read more...]
Can you Shop for Consumer Technology products like Groceries?
Years ago when I worked on the client side rather than the agency side, I was a merchandising manager for a consumer technology corporation. Consumer technolgoy retail chains were many and varied back then: CompUSA, Circuit City, independent dealers and lots of VARs. The industry was changing rapidly. I took a seminar focusing on retail merchandising and the consumer technology … [Read more...]
Shopping for Phone Cases is #$%# Complicated!
For an uncomplicated product, such as a phone case, it sure is complicated shopping for one. You used to be able to walk into a store and the category was organized by the manufacturer of the case. There were very few competitors back then---Belkin, Targus and Apple to name a few. I remember Belkin owned a corner of that market with their blue packaging. It served as a … [Read more...]
How to Sell Your Product to a Technology Retailer
One of the biggest hurdles to getting your product on the self of a technology retailer, is selling it to the category buyer. It is even more difficult if your product doesn't have brand recognition with the customers. We have worked with many start up companies who sell on-line but have trouble getting their product on the shelf of a technology retailer. Below are 5 ways to … [Read more...]