Basic HTML Version
41
Your market also determines the package. If your
product is sold primarily as a gift, it may require a
slightly different presentation than a product sold
primarily in a food store, alongside mass-marketed
products.
The packaging should give consumers an idea of the
cost of your product. If you have a slightly higher
retail price, your packaging should reflect that. It
implies that the product is a specialty item, and
consumers should expect to pay a bit more.
The use of the product may influence decisions
about the flexibility, the overall size, the closure and
other issues. Availability and shipping costs are also
a consideration.
Also think about store display. Shelf space is limited
and some grocers and retailers have requirements for
your product. If your package deviates from the
standard shelf height for products like yours, you
may find it hard to get your product into certain
stores. Talk to retailers, grocers, distributors and
container manufacturer about these issues.
The characteristics of a package which make it
consumer friendly include:
• environmentally friendly (reusable, recyclable,
minimal packaging)
• tamper evident or tamper proof
• easy to open
• convenient (sizes, re-sealable, etc.)
Check with local, provincial and federal departments
of environment to identify any packaging restrictions
that pertain to your product. Contact numbers can be
found in the blue pages of your phone book.
Label Design
By now you have given some thought to your
product package and size, and to mandatory labeling
requirements. What about the design of your label?
The label helps to convey the personality of your
product. It is one of your best advertising
opportunities.
Naming Your Product
The name of the product should tell consumers what
it is. The name is the product’s identity. Like its
design, it helps to define the personality of the
product.
Many specialty products are named for the person
who created the recipe or for the place where the
product is manufactured. These names help to lend a
personal touch to the product and establish its
personality. That is part of what lends charm and
uniqueness to specialty food products.
Here again, it is important to think of your market.
If your product is primarily a gift, you may want to
consider using a location in the name. That would
make it a nice souvenir for travelers to keep or give
to friends. If your primary market is a specialty food
store, an offbeat name that shows a bit of innovation
may be in order.
Try out some names on your family, friends and
anyone else willing to give you an honest opinion.
Gauge the response to each.
Label Copy
Think about ways you can build on a sense of place
and personality in your label copy. Leave a panel
open to tell a little about who produces the product
or where it comes from. It gives your product a
personality that a mass-market product does not
have. That personality is a strong selling point. It is
one of the things that make specialty products
appealing to consumers. Also include information on
how to use the product. That information helps to
broaden your appeal to a less sophisticated audience,
who may not know exactly what to do with a certain
type of seasoning, sauce or condiment.
Hang Tags
Also consider hang tags as an additional selling
device. A hang tag is the tiny tag that hangs off the
neck of many bottles. These usually carry recipe
suggestions that add perceived value to your product
and help to personalize it. A hang tag is also another
way to increase the use of the product and to
establish a connection with the consumer. If you
have a family of products, this is also a place to
cross promote.