The 2020 holiday season is like no other we’ve likely experienced before and I’m sure we’re all desperately trying to lift not only our own spirits, but our family members and friends, as well.
How do we do this? Through Food? Drink? Shopping? All three? Yes, yes and YES! I think everyone wants to feel some sense of nostalgia and tradition around the holidays, to return to some sense of normalcy. How can we feel that and remain safely tucked away from COVID?
That got me thinking about how CPG companies tailor their packaging during certain holidays to evoke all those feelings out of their consumers. In a recent article in the DIELINE, KFC was being featured for their commemorative buckets of chicken, designing the “heritage” bucket to be a marriage of previous holiday buckets of “Christmas Past.” The designs are certainly nostalgic, but how successful are these brands and is the short-term change to their graphics worth it? We’ve made a short list of some pros and cons to help you decide if it’s worth it for your brand.
The positives:
Adding seasonal or nostalgic graphics and offerings to your packaging could increase revenue by tugging at the emotional heart strings of your consumers, really getting them into the holiday buying spirit.
Seasonal packaging can attract new consumers to your brand, converting them into repeat purchasers.
As we’ve said, this year is an emotional time for many. When the graphics on your packaging reflect these sentiments and are executed correctly, the product can become the perfect “gifting option.”
If your product has had the same look for a long time, seasonal packaging can energize and boost the look of your tired graphics. Be sure to really show off your brand’s personality.
Lastly, certain seasons can afford brands the time to test new innovations or offer limited edition flavor combinations, further enticing consumers to purchase. Nestle’s® Coffee mate® does this all of the time.
The (slightly) less positives:
It can be hard to predict trends. Consumers wants and needs are constantly changing, making it challenging to know what customers will gravitate towards.
Cutting through the holiday clutter will be extremely difficult, especially if your graphics are more traditional. For example, Christmas can be tough because everyone uses red, green and gold. Thinking out of the box will help differentiate your brand on shelf and online.
Predicting demand. Yup, nobody wants to be left with green leprechauns staring at you on shelf after St. Patrick’s Day is over. Therefore, chose your messaging wisely so if the inventory is high, there may be another selling usage for the leftover stock.
The wrap up (yes, that was intended) on seasonal & limited-edition packaging. Do your research to see what is trending and in demand. Think outside of the box. Explore product innovations and new holiday flavors. Above all, have fun with the graphics but stay true to your brand and its personality. If you’d like to talk through some seasonal ideas, reach out, we’re just a jingle away!