Packaging matters.
Just ask Tropicana. Their repackaging attempt in 2009 was an epic failure
- costing them $33 million before they returned to the old package design. The problem?
Consumers couldn't recognize their favorite brand and thought they were
looking at a generic product.
And all the products in the line looked the same, so
a red grapefruit juice lover like me thought they were sold out when I surveyed
the shelf.
The fact that Tide has maintained their traditional
colors is a plus in terms of shelf recognition.
What they did do was go from a traditional plastic
container to a "wine box" format.
Hmmm.
The new box is more environmentally friendly as it is
1. easier to ship and takes up less space in trucks, and, 2. uses 60% less
plastic. Of course the internet had a
field day with it - you can check some of the comments in the article. (Donaghey, 2018)
Presumably the rationale - other than packaging and
shipping cost savings - is that Millennials, given their avowed preference for
environmentally friendly products, will now embrace Tide, despite the fact that
it is a premium priced product.
There may also be a side game. The introduction of Tide Pods actually
reduced sales of detergent because most people were using too much when they
measured themselves. So I can't help but
wonder if this isn't a way to get consumers to start using more detergent
again.
So what do you think? Will Millennials be impressed by the new
packaging? Will they pay a premium price
for detergent again? And use more? Will the new packaging be just as dangerous
for children as the pods? What about
you? Will you buy Tide? Have you paid more for a product that aligns
with your values? Which ones and why?
Donaghey, R. (2018, November 12) Oh Good, Tide's New Packaging Looks Exactly
Like Boxed Wine. vice.com. Retrieved November
20, 2018, from
