Apologies for the rather long gap between this blog and the last. Over the past few months I’ve been doing a lot of writing for marketing publications, sharing practical knowledge built up on recent projects. I’ve already recycled opinion pieces on Packaging for Kids and Authentic Packaging into blogs, and coming soon it will be the turn of some new topics I’ve been writing about – neuromarketing and augmented reality.
But before getting into those meaty subjects, I’d like to offer some thoughts on a more pragmatic aspect of food and drink packaging: How and when to use food shots.
I say ‘when’ because it’s by no means mandatory to use them at all, and some brand designers would argue that avoiding them is the best thing a strong brand can do. After all, the brand’s real added value for consumers is often not the appetite appeal of the product; most products taste pretty good, and Private Label has become extremely adept at using food photography to boost its shelf appeal.
I’ve always argued that a brand is a story that adds value to the consumer’s personal story, and staying ahead of Private Label requires a bigger idea than ‘tastes good’. However when fully integrated into the brand story the food shot can play a key role, and is often the most powerful trigger to purchase. So, eyes open, mouth ready to water, let’s go tasting…