procarton “brand recognition of different types of ... · as frozen food, sugar, biscuits, rice,...

“Brand recognition”

“Cartons promotebrands”

A European report commissioned by Pro Carton

“Brand recognition of different types of packaging”

Pro Carton

HEAD OFFICE

Pro Carton250 Avenue LouiseB-1050 BrusselsPhone Belgium: +32 2 640 4955

Phone UK: +44 1635 298192

[email protected]

What is Pro Carton?Pro Carton is the European Associ ation of Carton andCartonboard manufacturers.Headquartered in Brussels, ithas offices in 11 countries inEurope who, through variouspublications, activities and events,promote the use of cartons andcartonboard to a wide varietyof people and groups.

Pro Carton

The effect of packagingon brand recognition

Association of European Cartonboard and Carton Manufacturers

Pro Carton

080006_PC_Recognition_Study.qxp:IRI_Studie_2006.qxd 11.02.2008 14:53 Uhr Seite 1

2 3

I am pleased to be able to introduce asummary report on the latest studycarried out by Pro Carton. With anever increasing number of productsbeing made available for sale andwith about 75 % of all purchasingdecisions made in front of theshelf, it is critical that brands are recognised quickly and those that are recognised more quickly willdoubtless be more successful.

With this in mind Pro Carton wantedto find out how carton packaging performed in comparison withother packaging materials and so commissioned TNS Dimarso* tocarry our research in six countriesacross Europe. A scientific approachwas used in this study using theTachistoscope method wherebyphotographs of examples of differenttype of packaging are shown to therespondent for six different amountsof time varying from 0.05 seconds to 0.5 seconds. It can then be established how fast the respondentrecognised the brand.

TNS Dimarso, in the summary oftheir report, state that “cartonboard communicates brands a lot betterthan other packs” and it is evidentfrom the report that a number ofother different characteristics ensurethat cartons offer the best chance of abrand being recognised and selected.

IntroductionWhy is brand recognition important? Page 3

Methodology and background An in depth look at how packaging influences brand recognition Page 4

Case study 1 Frozen food Page 6

Case study 2 Transparent packaging Page 8

Case study 3 Biscuits Page 10

Other examples and results Confectionery, mayonnaise and sugar Page 12

ConclusionsCartons are judged positively in all respects Page 14

Pro CartonContacts for further information Page 15

Pro CartonWhat is Pro Carton? Page 16

Cartons promote brands

TNS Dimarso was commissioned to carry the “brand recognition” researchin six countries across Europe: Belgium, France, Germany, United Kingdom,Poland and Spain.

Mike Clark,President of Pro Carton

Why is brand recognition important?

Introduction

Quality of print and strong colourreproduction are important as indeedis legibility and with cartons beingmade in a huge variety of shapes and surface textures, shelf standoutis assured. Respondents felt that cartons were easy to read and recognise and are simple to open and re-close. Also previous studieshave shown that consumers value the fact that cartons are made fromnatural, renewable materials and can, and are, easily recovered andrecycled. Cartons offer a rigidity that consumers value and feel comfortable with and find themnot only easy to recognise in theretailer but also easy to use at home.

In the following pages you will findas well as the results, details of themethodology used and I hope youwill find this report interesting and useful and an insight into how important packaging is to consumersto help them recognise brandsamongst the huge variety of productson offer. It is obviously impossible to report on every product thatwas studied, but Pro Carton will be happy to talk to people interested in getting additional details ofthis report and can be contactedvia www.procarton.com.

*www.tns-global.be

Index

“Brand recognition”Pro Carton



between countries. Products andbrands were chosen from across thespectrum and included such marketsas frozen food, sugar, biscuits, rice,pasta and many others.

For each category chosen in each ofthe countries studied, two productexamples were purchased from localretailers. In some cases both examples were of the same brand but packaged in different types ofpackaging. In others competingbrands were chosen again packedin different types of packaging.

Approximately 200 respondents werechosen in each of the countries

studied and they were selected asthose responsible for the shoppingfor their household. A variety ofage groups were selected to see ifthere were differences in responses.The testing was carried out usingthe Tachistoscope method andrespondents were shown photographsof the products for six different periods of time varying from 0.05

seconds to 0.5 seconds. The timeat which they were able to correctlyidentify the brand was recorded. All the photographs used in theresearch were taken to replicate the way the product looked on the retailer shelf.

Methodology and background

An in depth look at how packaginginfluences brand recognition

Methodology and background

Brand recognition at the point of saleis one of the key areas to ensure asuccessful product. The numbersof products available on retailer’s shelves is increasing all the time andamongst those products more andmore variants of the same productare being launched. The consumeris therefore faced with a vast arrayof different items and with mostpeople having less and less timeto spend shopping, it is vital thatbrands attract the eye and appealto potential buyers.

Recent research has indicated that,even after making a shopping list,about 75 % of all purchases areunplanned. Whilst a consumer mayknow they wish to buy a product,which exact brand they will finallyselect is usually left until they arein front of the range of productson the shelf. Eye tracking researchindicates that the time the eyeactually looks at a product is veryshort and so instant appeal of theproduct on the shelf is criticalfor a product’s success. Also, asconventional advertising has becomemore and more fragmented, a greaternumber of brand selection decisionsare left until the consumer is actuallyin front of the shelf and the packagingitself becomes the advertising forthat product.

Communication of brands is thereforevital and packaging plays a significantrole in this. Packaging has a multitudeof roles to perform. Safe transportationof the product from manufacturerto retailer, legibility of instructionsand contents so that consumersunderstand the product and its useand secure storage of the productthroughout its life. In addition thepackaging has to be safe, easy topick up, easy to use in the homeand simple and convenient to disposeof, preferably to be recovered andrecycled. As elderly people forman increasing proportion of thepopulation throughout Europe, itis also necessary that packagingsuits their needs where legibilityand ease of use are two of the mostimportant considerations.

It was therefore against this background that Pro Carton decidedto look in depth at how packaging can influence brand recognition.

Some years ago Pro Carton ran asimilar study but only in Belgiumand for this new study it was decidedto look at six different countries.Belgium was once again chosen butthis time similar studies were alsocarried out in Germany, UK, Spain,France and Poland to see if there were any significant differences


Ready to eatFrozen foodConfectioneryBiscuitsSugarCakeMayonnaiseRicePastaSoupSoft DrinksDental CareCanned food

Belgium France Germany UK Poland SpainCategoryxxxx x

xxx

xxxx x

xx

x

xx

xx

xxxx

Each respondent in each countywas shown three different setsof examples and each was alsoasked questions afterwards covering their likes and dislikesof the packaging they had beenshown. All the research and fieldwork was carried out between 11th June and 2ndJuly 2007.

Categories tested by country

“It was thereforeagainst this background that Pro Carton decidedto look in depth athow packaging can influence brandrecognition.”



4 5


Frozen food

BelgiumIn Belgium, similar potato productswere tested packed in both acarton and a flexible plastic bag.Respondents were measured on thespeed with which they recognised

Frozen food packaging was tested in several countries and there were both similarities and differences inthe results obtained in the study. This is a large diverse market and with so many products on offer, fastand accurate recognition is vital.

Case study 1 Case study 1

United KingdomIn the UK, testing a very similar resultwas obtained using a well knownbrand packed in a carton compared

the brand and the results of thesetests show that the speed ofrecognition of brand was much fasterfor the carton packed product thanthe flexible packed product. The graph

below shows clearlythe greater speed of recognition.

PolandIn Poland however, the results werecloser. When it came to recognisingthe brand, the cartonpacked brand wasrecognised 50 % morequickly with 54 % ofrespondents identifyingthe carton packed brandin comparison with only36 % recognising the bag packed brand.


Carton PackagingOther Packaging

0.05 0.10 0.15 0.20 0.35 0.50seconds

100

50

0

25

75

% Frozen food - Poland

1014 12

16 17

34

24

46

29

54

36

5


5 %

17 %

27 %

34 %

28 %

5 %

9-10

7-8

5-6

1-4

Don'tknow

Grade

0 %

6 %

24 %

16 %

16 %

3 %

9-10

7-8

5-6

1-4

Don'tknow

Grade

Frozen food - BelgiumOverall likeability

9-10

7-8

5-6

1-4

Don'tknow

Grade

2 %

22 %

20 %

16 %

26 %

0 %

Frozen food - PolandOverall likeability

Frozen food - UKOverall likeability

29 %26 %

43 %45 %

28 %20 %

34 %34 %

22 %24 %

23 %7 %

Carton Packaging Other Packagingoverall average 7.5 overall average 7.0



In the frozen food sector cartonpacked brands were identifiedmore quickly and liked more byrespondents.

with a supermarket own brand packed in a flexible plastic bag.It can clearly be seen from the graph

below that the cartonpackaged product offered much faster consumer recognitionwith 59 % recognisingthe carton packed brandwithin half a secondcompared with only 10%

recognising the bag packaged brand.

ConclusionRespondents in all tests were alsoasked which type of packaging theyliked more and the tables below showthe result of these questions in eachof the three tests. Each respondentwas asked to rate how much they likedeach packaging type between 1 and 10

with 10 being liked a great deal. Fromthe results obtained an average figurefor each type of packaging in eachcountry was derived. Whilst the results

of the respondents in Poland showvery similar levels of likeability, inboth Belgium and the UK there wasa marked preference for cartonpacked products with the averagescore in Belgium for cartons being7.5 compared with 7.0 for thealternative packaging material. Inthe UK the comparable results were6.7 for cartons and only 5.4 for the flexible bag.



0.05 0.10 0.15 0.20 0.35 0.50seconds

100

50

0

25

75

% Frozen food - Belgium

40

5559

72

22

7

18 1826 27

80

38

The X axis shows the differenttime periods in seconds thatthe photographs were shownto respondents.The Y axis shows % of respondentswho correctly identified the brandin that time.





0.05 0.10 0.15 0.20 0.35 0.50seconds

100

50

0

25

75

% Frozen food - UK

31

7

37

7

39

7

42

8

59

10

20

4

How fast are brands recognised?


How much is the packaging liked?How fast are brands recognised?



6 7


Transparent packaging

Pasta – SpainIn Spain, the results for the comparison between two pastabrands show that the product

Pasta – UKIn the UK, the difference in brandrecognition speed was significant with


60 % recognising the carton packedbrand whereas only 5 % were able

to identify the plastic packed brand in thesame time. It is also interesting to notethat whilst the brand recognition increased withtime for the carton packedproduct, on the plastic bagproduct, the recognitiontime remained staticindicating that on thispack it was very difficultto identify the brand.



0.05 0.10 0.15 0.20 0.35 0.50seconds

100

50

0

25

75

% Pasta - UK

135

22

5

31

5

36

5

60

55 0

packed in a carton scored significantly better with 84 %

naming the brand after half a second compared with only 35 % forthe plastic pack.

Rice – GermanyOnce again in the tests on theGerman rice products, recognition of the actual type of product wasgreatly helped, it is felt, by thesee through packaging used on thenon carton example andwhilst for both products,brand recognition wasbelow the levels in other countries, the carton performed wellahead of the alternativematerial which in fact was not identifiedby any respondents.

ConclusionIn all these three examples, whenrespondents were asked which packthey preferred, cartons scored wellahead of the alternatives. So whilstproduct recognition was generally

Whilst recognition of the productwas faster in clear packaging,identification of the actual brandswas much faster when they were packed in cartons.

better in the non carton examples,identification of the actual brandsamongst the products was far betteron the carton examples.


Don'tknow

Grade

Don'tknow

Grade

Pasta - UKOverall likeability

overall average 7.2 overall average 6.2 overall average 6.3 overall average 4.9 overall average 7.0 overall average 6.6Carton Packaging Other Packaging Carton Packaging Other Packaging Carton Packaging Other Packaging

9-10 9-10 9-10

7-8 7-8 7-8

5-6 5-6 5-6

1-4 1-4 1-4

Don'tknow

Grade

3 % 19 % 11 %

37 % 32 % 25 %

15% 43 % 15 %

40 % 30 % 32 %

0 % 4 % 2 %

Rice - GermanyOverall likeability

Pasta - SpainOverall likeability

2 % 0 % 2 %

36 % 29 % 42 %32 % 25 % 31 %

16 % 21 %24 %2 % 20 %11 %



0.05 0.10 0.15 0.20 0.35 0.50seconds

100

50

0

25

75

% Pasta - Spain

37

11

37

17

47

19

67

23

84

35

23

5

Many products are packaged in clear packaging. This can take the form of a clear plastic bag or pouch,glass or cartons with a window and it was decided to look in greater detail at examples to see what thespeed of recognition of the brand was. It was established that recognition speed of the actual productwas faster in general when clear packaging was used. However, consumers tend to buy brands and notsimply products and so the key measure is how fast a brand is identified and three examples of this typeof packaging are looked at below.



0.05 0.10 0.15 0.20 0.35 0.50seconds

100

50

0

25

75

% Rice - Germany

4 3 0 4 0 4 014

0

25

00




How much is the packaging liked?



The X axis shows the different time periods in seconds thatthe photographs were shownto respondents.The Y axis shows % of respondentswho correctly identified the brandin that time.



8 9


BiscuitsUnited KingdomIn the UK, the biscuit market is verylarge and more and more productsand brands vie for shelf recognition.The results of the sample biscuitpacks from the UK indicate that product recognition speeds aremore or less similar but brand identification is fasterfor the carton pack testedthan the alternative packed in flexible plastic.This is especially truewhen the time was veryshort so that whenrespondents were shownthe photographs for only0.1 of a second, 49 %

recognised the brand

GermanyRecognition of both product andbrand in the German tests were


broadly similar with cartons leadingby a small margin. In this test the

brands selected werethe same but in differentpackaging and so recognition speeds werebroadly similar thoughcartons were recognisedmore quickly whenthe photographs wereonly shown for a veryshort time.

packed in a carton with only 9 %

recognising the brand packed inflexible plastic.

PolandThe results of the Polish biscuit carton were very similar to the

German example with the carton packaged brand being recognised

faster when the photograph was onlyshown for a very shorttime. Overall the brandwas not recognised aswell in Poland as in theother countries.



0.05 0.10 0.15 0.20 0.35 0.50seconds

100

50

0

25

75

% Biscuits - Poland

25

16

2520

2722

3741 42

45

8 7

In the very competitive biscuit sector, cartons have an advantagein the speed of brand recognition.

ConclusionIn the likeability tests it is interestingto note that whilst the UK examplepacked in a carton is preferred withan average score of 7.6 for the carton

compared with 6.6 for the flexiblepack, in both Germany and Polandthe figures were very similar for bothtypes of packaging.


Grade Grade

Biscuits - GermanyOverall likeability

Carton Packaging Other Packaging Carton Packaging Other Packaging Carton Packaging Other Packagingoverall average 7.7 overall average 7.6 overall average 8.3 overall average 8.5 overall average 7.6 overall average 6.6

7-8 7-8 7-8

5-6 5-6 5-6

1-4 1-4 1-410 % 2 % 7 %9 % 2 % 17 %

17 % 13 % 16 %14 % 10 % 29 %

0 % 0 % 0 %2 % 0 % 3 %

Biscuits - UKOverall likeability

Biscuits - PolandOverall likeability

26 % 30 % 41 %38 % 35 % 40 %

9-10 9-10 9-1046 % 55 % 33 %39 % 53 % 15 %

Grade

Don'tknow

Don'tknow

Don'tknow



0.05 0.10 0.15 0.20 0.35 0.50seconds

100

50

0

25

75

% Biscuits - Germany

74

61

82

68

8580 80

9095

84

52

35



0.05 0.10 0.15 0.20 0.35 0.50seconds

100

50

0

25

75

% Biscuits - UK

49

9

58

19

74

28

78

40

84

69

36

6

Biscuits are one of the sectors with the largest variety of products and brands. Many similar products aresold under different brands and so in this sector particularly, it is vital that identification of brands is asfast as possible. Consumers will have decided to buy biscuits but the brand they select will more oftenthan not be an impulse purchase. This can be driven by brand, an attractive pack, colour, shape and awhole variety of other stimuli. It is for this reason that the speed of recognition of brands is so importantand below are the results of an examination in this sector in the UK, Germany and Poland.










10 11


Confectionery, mayonnaise and sugar

Sugar – FranceThe first example of sugar packagingin France compares a carton with a

Mayonnaise – FranceIn this example in the mayonnaisesector, a carton packed tube of mayonnaise has been compared witha more conventional glass jar.

Other examples and results Other examples and results

Despite the fact that the vast majorityof this type of product is sold injars, the brand was recognised morequickly in the carton than in the

bottle. The differencein speed of recognitionwas more apparent inthe shorter time testsand so when peoplehave less and less timeto look and surveyall that is on offer, it appears that cartons are recognised more quickly.

plastic pouch and as the figuresbelow show the brand recognition

of the carton was significantly better thanthat of the pouch with95 % of respondents correctly identifying the brand after half asecond compared withonly 76 % who identifiedbrand packaged in the alternative material.

ConclusionWhen respondents were asked whichtype of packaging they preferred inall these three examples, cartonswere the clear favourite in each case

with average readings for cartonsvarying from 7.0 to 7.4 comparedwith the other materials varyingfrom 6.1 to 6.9.

Accurate brand identification is clearly faster for products packed infolding cartons.

Confectionery –BelgiumIn the final example, a carton of confectionery has been comparedwith a plastic bag. Whilst the visibility of the product is betterin the clear bag, if the consumeris searching for a brandthen the graph belowshows that the brand was recognised on thecarton far better and infact on the shorter exposure times the brand on the bag was not identified at all.


2 %0 %

Grade

0 %0 %

Grade

Mayonnaise - FranceOverall likeability

overall average 7.3 overall average 6.9 overall average 7.0 overall average 6.7 overall average 7.4 overall average 6.1Carton Packaging Other Packaging Carton Packaging Other Packaging Carton Packaging Other Packaging

9-10 9-10 9-10

7-8 7-8 7-8

5-6 5-6 5-6

1-4 1-4 1-4

0 %

7 % 9 % 13 %

12 % 30 % 10 %

18 % 12 % 26 %

20 % 30 % 21 %

0 %

Confectionary - BelgiumOverall likeability

Sugar - FranceOverall likeability

62 % 35 % 46 %40 % 42 % 37 %

17 % 27 % 31 %22 % 17 % 16 %

Grade

Don'tknow

Don'tknow

Don'tknow



0.05 0.10 0.15 0.20 0.35 0.50seconds

100

50

0

25

75

% Mayonnaise - France

58

11

68

18

77

25

92

37

96

54

142

Whilst it is not possible to look, in this summary, at all the products tested during the survey, in this sectionyou will see the findings from three other pairs of packaging in different market sectors. Recognition at thepoint of sale is a vital element in the marketing mix in all product sectors and this section looks at three distinctmarkets to give a feel of how recognition varies depending on the type of packaging used.



0.05 0.10 0.15 0.20 0.35 0.50seconds

100

50

0

25

75

% Sugar - France

7

33

9

2028

45

84

56 54

95

76

4



0.05 0.10 0.15 0.20 0.35 0.50seconds

100

50

0

25

75

% Confectionery - Belgium

130

43

0

58

0

72

4

83

8

94

25


How fast are brands recognised?How fast are brands recognised?




The X axis shows the differenttime periods in seconds thatthe photographs were shownto respondents.The Y axis shows % of respondents who correctly identified the brandin that time.



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Conclusions Pro Carton

Cartons are judged positively in all respects Contacts for further information• It is clear from this research that

generally, brands packed incartons are recognised morequickly in almost all cases.

• With fast recognition, cartons offer ideal marketing and advertisingopportunities.

• Consumers usually know whatproducts they wish to buy but tendto make decisions about whichbrands to buy in store.

• In most cases the respondentspreferred the carton packagedproducts to the alternatives.

• Even in the mayonnaise sectorwhere glass jars dominate, thecarton packed alternative providedfaster brand recognition.

• The most liked aspect of cartonsamongst respondents were- Better colours and print

quality- More attractive and eye

catching packaging- Easier to pick up and use- More recognisable and

easier to read

• Transparency of packaging helpsrecognise the product but notnecessarily the brand.

• Not only luxury products benefitfrom carton packaging.Recognition is vital in all marketsectors.

• The fact that about 75 % of allpurchasing decisions are madein store means that brandrecognition is vital.

• With less time available toselect items, speed of brandidentification is critical.

HEAD OFFICE Phone: +44 1635 298192

Phone: +32 2640 4955

[email protected]

AUSTRIAPhone: +43 1 218 6918

[email protected]

BELGIUMPhone: +32 2343 6474

[email protected]

EASTERN EUROPE [email protected]

FRANCEPhone: +33 1 5389 2480

[email protected]

GERMANYPhone: +49 6251 136995

[email protected]

GREECEPhone: +30 2310 728103

[email protected]

ITALYPhone: +39 02 763 2091

[email protected] www.procartonitaly.com

NETHERLANDSPhone: +31 7031 23911

[email protected] www.procartonnetherlands.com

NORDICAPhone: +46 8303 842

[email protected]

SPAINPhone: +34 93 481 3165

[email protected]

SWITZERLANDPhone: +41 44 380 6682

[email protected]

UKPhone: +44 1371 856577

[email protected]



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procarton “brand recognition of different types of ... · as frozen food, sugar, biscuits, rice,...

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