Packaging Design: Successful Product Branding From Concept to Shelf, 2nd Edition

Phase 1:Observation, Immersion, and Discovery

Once all the initial marketing objectives have been reviewed, the research, analysis, observation, and immersion phase of the packaging design process begins. Immersion and discovery include understanding the brand's internal and external “truths,” as well as any consumer insights.

INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL BRAND TRUTHS

Initial research begins with investigation and discovery of what is often termed the brand's internal truths. Understanding the values of and beliefs about a brand—that is, what the marketer believes the brand stands for as well as its vocabulary, mission, significance, and personality—are all components of a brand's realities. A brand's external truths refer to how the brand behaves. The ways in which a brand lives in the mind of consumers, what it stands for, how it reflects the aspirations of and connects to its audience, and what gives the brand credibility are all aspects of the brand's external truths or realities.

For example, a brand's internal truths might include a company's belief that its brand is exciting, entertaining, and experiential. The external truths of that brand, however, may be that it is perceived as offering a less than engaging experience or a poor value reflecting a marketer that has invested little in it. These brand realities are discovered in a variety of ways. Interviews of stakeholders, company employees, and target consumers, along with competitive audits, research, marketing insights, and ...