Annie Dow, managing director of Dow Design, talks of her concept of behaviour-changing design.
Your company may not have a million- dollar marketing budget but you have to invest every now and then in keeping your product and packaging modern so it stands out from the others.
So many companies copy someone else whose packaging they like, so the shelves are cluttered with lookalikes.
If you want to be a brand that has cut-through, you have to carve out a unique space and stand out.
What do you look at when you are first brought in to conduct a rebranding?
Dow Design works with the concept of behaviour-changing design, that is design that will make consumers change their habits, switch brands or become more loyal to a brand.
We want to turn the consumer into a brand advocate, willing to tell friends and family about your product.
For us to do this well it has to be driven by clear insight into your business, starting with the discovery of "nuggets" - critical underlying truths that may have been previously unseen or overlooked, but are relevant in the marketplace.
We look at the competitors, the environment and the business growth strategy, along with the product benefits.
When we rebrand our well-known range of products to give them a more modern look, how do we make sure we don't turn off our more conservative customers?
Often with conservative clients this can be tricky.
But through the insights, research and years of experience, we know where equity in the brand lies.
You don't just give a brand a "more modern look", and throw the baby out with the bathwater.
The new look has to be based on brand truths, what we call the "brandheart".
If the new positioning is insightful, apparent and faithful to the brand truths, it won't turn off conservative customers.
Rather it will make them feel more positive towards the brand, while growing a whole new consumer base at the same time.
Is the New Zealand market different from the Australian market in terms of what kind of changes it will take to a well-known product and how adventurous you can be with packaging?
Yes, very much so. Australia tends to be more conservative than New Zealand. And Australia can also be guilty of death by research, which can kill off more adventurous ideas.
The same is true in other areas of the world. We have to be aware of these differences as many of our clients are transtasman exporters. From Dow's point of view we are always looking for a unique positioning wherever that is in the world and part of our role is to give our clients confidence in taking their brand further.
How do we compete with other international brands who have far bigger marketing budgets?
New Zealand is a country of ideas and what we lack in big budgets, we make up in clever thinking.
Our market today is global and that's why government initiatives such as Better By Design are so important. These initiatives have the ability to lead thinking in all sorts of industries and show how design, and brand in particular, can enhance your company's offering to compete against international brands.
New Zealand companies have to think about spending more on brand development, but use that money more effectively where it has the most cut through. Advertising may have changed and become fragmented but everyone still goes to the shop to buy, be that in-store or online. So how your brand looks on-shelf or online is by far your biggest asset.
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