Packaging: The art of dressing up a brand

Packaging is the dress code of any brand. If you get it right, you are sure to impress all those who matter. Gauri Chaudhri analyses some brands which got it right

"Not every good packaging idea comes with a price tag. A little creative thinking is all that is needed" - Gauri Chaudhri Brand Consultant FCB-Ulka Advertising

Pharma packaging has come a long way in India, but it still has a long way to go. Gone are the days when aluminium foil strips and amber coloured bottles dominated the scene. Today's pharma space looks a lot colourful with blister packs and transparent bottles peeping out of the chemist's shelves. Yet when we look at international packaging, we realize how much we lag behind.

There is little doubt that packaging adds to the overall cost of manufacturing. It can (though not always) reduce brand contributions. The marketer often faces the Hobson's choice of saving on packaging to help positively impact the brand's bottom line. Unfortunately, such thinking often affects the top line performance of the brand.

But what's important to keep in mind is that not every good packaging idea comes with a price tag. A little creative thinking is all that is needed.

There are several reasons why packaging is becoming crucial in today's context. Both the ethical and OTC environments demand better, more efficient packaging. There are many reasons why one should pay a critical attention to this important 'P' of marketing.

Packaging builds brand personality

Well, who wants to be friends with an untidy, unkempt person? And it's no different for a brand. After all, the medicine that treats an agonizing patient must look confident and trustworthy. This is one way packaging helps in building the personality of a brand.

Packaging way to differentiate

There are many examples in the FMCG industry where the brands are built on packaging innovation. Frooti is the case in point. Before Frooti, the market was dominated by the glass bottles which had to be returned to the shopkeeper after finishing the drink. A person who wanted to be on the move with his drink found it restrictive. Frooti addressed this need by bringing out a tetra pack. Such innovations have the ability to strongly differentiate the brand from its competitor. In fact they have the ability to create new markets.

Health specific needs are real and are felt strongly at a patient level. The doctors not only understand this but also value it. If such innovations are created and single mindedly promoted to the medical fraternity nothing can come between a brand and its prescription.

Retail revolution in pharma

The new retail format stores are giving non-prescriptive drugs an opportunity to interact directly with audiences. These stores have aisles that display medicines on the shelves. Unless a consumer is attracted to them, the medicines can never get picked up. Packaging here doubles up as an efficient salesman. And the ongoing retail revolution in India is sure to throw up more such opportunities.

Patients are increasingly becoming demanding

With the new health consciousness doing the rounds across the country, patients are becoming more and more informed about their ailments and the best possible treatments. Also, the internet has brought health out of the closet, opening a wealth of information. Tomorrow's patients, armed with this knowledge, are going to be extremely demanding. Packaging has to stand up to their expectations and fulfill their quest to be better-informed.

So what are the various ways to approach packaging innovations?

Innovations through pack design

FMCG brands do it best. Colgate endorses 'suraksha chakra', the sign that emphasizes the promise of complete protection. Rin depicts 'safedi ki chamkar' through a strip of lightning. Medicinal brands can take a leaf out of the FMCG book. A good example is Voveran's running man. There are a few more such examples but we need a lot more.

What's there in a colour?

Colour of the packaging is of an immense importance because colours speak a language patients understand. For example, the colour of a stimulant medication is believed to be pink or red by many doctors and patients across the globe. A stimulant packed in a pink or red pack is likely to enjoy enhanced credibility. Similarly, a research project observed that patients relate better to an anti-depressant packaged in a yellow pack and a sedative in a blue pack.

Vitamins are considered to be one of the most 'neutral medications'. They are not expected to have immediate and dramatic effects. As per a study published in the British Medical Journal 1996 by de Caraeren AJ, vitamins appeal more to patients when marketed in pastel shades than hot colours. Such simple studies can take brands a long way when formulations too live up to the promise.

Packaging that understands patients

How can packaging understand patients better? Here's an example -Tylenol the brand of an analgesic targeted at arthritic patients. Arthritic patients may have very different needs. We may not realize but opening the cap of a medicine bottle is one of the most difficult tasks for an arthritic patient. Tylenol understood this very well, and it led to the launch of a unique yet simple pack with a hole in the cap. The hole could be easily pierced with any pointed object like, say, a pencil which can be easily gripped too. (See Figure 1.1) And the best part was that the entire effort was done at no additional cost.

Novopen is yet another example. Novopen is an insulin brand of Novo Nordisk. The brand is available as a prefilled syringe but the most appealing part is that it looks just like a pen which can be pushed in the pocket and carried along. This kind of packaging innovation can be a boon for a diabetic who is on the move constantly.

Some patient needs are emotional

Not all needs are physical or functional. Take the Calcium Sandoz Woman. The brand was meant for women around the age of 35. The Draft FCB Ulka Healthcare team, along with the client, carried out research that revealed that a woman of around 35 years is busy, at the peak of her active period. She looks after her house, takes care of her husband's health, the education of her children and a hundred other things. And what about her own self? She needed something for herself. Research showed that she would appreciate it if something was created specially for her. The packaging of the brand was designed keeping this aspect in mind. The design team created and innovative pack with a crown - a kind of reward which the woman felt she deserved. (Figure 1.2)

Several unfulfilled needs

Most of the medicinal brands are consumed by the elderly. Research after research has shown that the elderly often express frustrations dealing with medicinal packaging.

The cause of this frustration can be traced to four main issues:

• Readability Reading instructions on the strip or bottle is an extremely difficult task even for younger patients. Often, the print is too fine and many express the need to highlight important information in bolder lettering. Black letters with red highlights have been appreciated by both the young and the elderly.
• Ergonomic difficulties Structural issues like opening, dispensing and closing the pack can be a real issue with elderly patients. Can brands understand this need and modify themselves?
• Convenience Many patients love to keep their medication in their wallets. A random survey of male patients revealed that as many as 75% of them carry their multi-dose medicines in their wallet. Why not create pocket-size packs? Something as simple as a square blister of nine tablets can help in a big way than a regular rectangular strip of 10's.
• Compliance This is an issue even in the mature, sophisticated markets. Among the many reasons for non-compliance, the most common is not remembering which medicine to be taken when. The elderly also need to take two- three medications at one time. This could lead to confusion about the different medicines and schedules.

Ulcikit, a brand for ulcer patients understood this very well. The pack was designed in such a way that it divided the strip in two halves. One half suggesting the morning dosing and the other one suggesting an evening dosing. (Figure 1.3)

This is merely an indicative list of product packaging reflecting genuine patient needs. But even this list can spark off several innovations which can make a difference to patients and therefore to doctors. Similarly, packaging for every ailment category opens up more innovative opportunities.

Brands Packaging is the 'first moment of truth' to engage with the doctors or patients. Get it right and the brand is on the journey of building a long term bond with doctors and patients.

(The writer is Brand Consultant at FCB-Ulka Advertising)