Medical Device Link.

Originally Published PMPN December 2003

NEWS

The color orange and the image of a clock were used to enhance the shelf appeal of Children’s Motrin.

The New York American Marketing Association held a seminar on October 14 as part of its “Perspectives on Effectiveness” series. Titled “Does Your Brand Package Reflect Your Brand Personality?”, the seminar, held at Lighthouse International in New York City, was conducted by Christopher Binner. Binner is the director of business development for The Bailey Group (Plymouth Meeting, PA) and a 23-year veteran of the marketing industy. He spoke about various brands, critiquing their packaging and marketing efforts. 

Binner began the evening speaking about the soul of a brand. “Brands have a distinct personality, which has to be conveyed in different ways—and packaging is one way.” Binner continued, “Package design is a critical step. It’s the only part of the marketing process when a cus-tomer actually comes in contact with the brand, one on one.” 

According to Binner, in 2000 there were 19,500 new products introduced, and only 4% are still around. Another 70% of all buying decisions are done in the store. Taking into account the number of different products on shelves and the average time it takes for a consumer to walk down a store’s aisle, a product has about two-tenths of a second to get a consumer’s attention and make an impact. 

Motrin was one brand that Binner spoke about in detail. The Bailey Group redesigned the Motrin packaging last year, and its new look hit shelves last January. According to Binner, the problem with the line was a weak shelf presence, because Motrin’s adult, children’s, and infant’s formulas were split up on store shelves, without a unified look.

“You have to find out exactly what your brand stands for—which attribute is most important to your customer— and then convey it on the shelf,” explains Binner. 

Through research, marketers learned that the fact that Motrin works for up to 8 hours was extremely important for Motrin’s Children’s Formula customers—the working mom and busy full-time moms. These mothers need their children’s medicine to work for 8 hours—to last through a day of school or a full night’s sleep. This attribute was buried on the previous package. 

An image of a clock was added to the Children’s Formula carton to convey how long Motrin lasts. The color orange was intensified on both the Adult and the Children’s Formula packages to unify the brand. Now, for the first time, the entire Motrin line is visually tied together.
“The key to a good strategy is simplicity,” states Binner.

Binner ended the evening with a color quiz, saying, “Color accentuates your brand’s personality, and it depicts different emotions.” For information on upcoming seminars, visit www.nyama.org.  

Copyright ©2003 Pharmaceutical & Medical Packaging News