The IKEA effect: There is a total respect for design now that goes well beyond furniture and gadgets
Innovative packaging can really help smaller brands punch above their weight. But which food & beverage companies have really nailed it from a design perspective? FoodNavigator-USA caught up with Blake Mitchell, partner at food and beverage brand design firm Interact On Shelf, which works exclusively with grocery brands, to get his take ...
Sometimes it’s just about standing out with a great design on a familiar packaging format - such as Angie’s Boom ChickaPop popcorn, which comes in pastel shades, says Boulder, CO-based Mitchell (pictured left), who was speaking to FoodNavigator-USA at the Winter Fancy Food Show in San Francisco.
In other cases, new packaging can redefine a category, or create a new one, he notes (sales of Justin’s nut butters really took off after founder Justin Gold put them into portion-controlled squeeze packs, which could be eaten on the go).
In general, he says, “Thanks to companies such as Ikea, Target and Apple, there is a total respect for design now that goes well beyond furniture and gadgets.”
Retailers are also starting to up their game, he says: “Waitrose and Tesco in the UK are at the forefront but we’re seeing some more interesting designs here from retailers such as Target; retailers are also starting to hire big agencies to work on the packaging designs.
“I think premium is also being reassessed so while there’s still a lot of black and gold out there, something like Simply Balanced in Target says premium in a new more modern way.”
Pictured: SMÁRI organic Icelandic yogurt at the Winter Fancy Food Show. Says Mitchell: "I love this design, it's really eye-catching."
