Page 22 - Packaging News Sep-Oct 2020

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BRAND & PACK DESIGN | www.packagingnews.com.au | September-October 2020
Convenience without compromise
Modern consumers demand treats not trade-offs and the role of marketers and designers is to give them a world of clarity and choice, not confusion, bringing them goodness and delight, not guilt, writes Mikey Hart.
FROZEN meals and tinned soup or $5 pizzas and burger deals were the icons of convenience when our only choice was between hours in the kitchen for a good, nutritious meal or a guilt-induc- ing quick option. We all know
how convenience in the world of food and drink has now become a way of life, or as some marketing pundit has called it – “Good food fast, not fast food”.
On a cost-benefit scale, the concept of value is now placed in buying time and getting more done with less effort, allowing people to do what matters more to them. The end result? Empowered consumers who feel they are making the smarter choice.
For providers of smarter choices, there are two growth platforms today:
First, the “food for now” and “food for later” categories. Supermarkets and convenience stores are devoting more and more real estate to these offers and present a big opportunity for designers to help them establish this category and be the go-to chan- nel instead of traditional take-away.
“Food for now” is about grab-and- go options – for example, sandwiches and salads that are ready to eat as they are. They require specific pack designs that make selection on shelf super quick, giving our hungry, urban targets the confidence that they are getting easy and delicious meals at great value, with easy-to-use packag- ing that is simple to dispose of.
“Food for later” spans offers from heat-and-eat trays and bowls to
...the art of telling a simple mealtime story to... evoke a brand’s pledge for taste, value and convenience.”
options which need an addition of a few ingredients. Here, the pack has become both the recipe and the dish. As designers, we have to be smart in creating on-pack visual codes and shortcuts – having brilliant food photography and bold imagery to communicate the amount of cooking time, the steps in the process, the required number of additional ingre- dients, number of serves and nutri- tional information – to allow shop- pers to get the facts in one go while also making them anticipate how delicious the meal will be in 15 minutes.
Second, and a phenomenon in the world of convenience eating, is the assembly kit or subscription meal model. The likes of Marley Spoon and Hello Fresh are tailored to a cus- tomer’s specific needs, delivered to their door with a menu for the week, with pre-portioned ingredients that are ready to cook when and how they want it. The menu variety takes away
In the “food for later” category, the pack design has to deliver smart visual codes and shortcuts, giving shoppers information and creating desire for the meal.
The Coles packaging range was created by Elmwood – www. elmwood.com
the stress of thinking about what’s for dinner, ensures they are getting the nutrition they need in the right quantity, while giving both the nov- ice cook or home chef the satisfac- tion that they are preparing and cooking dishes, adding their special touches and not just popping things in the microwave.
As designers, our role is to create balance in communicating the ease of preparation, the freshness and taste of the ingredients and the actual joy and delight of cook- ing and eating the finished meal. This is truly convenience without compromise.
Our work is the art of telling a sim- ple mealtime story to help shoppers with their daily, essential routine of eating and evoke a brand’s pledge for taste, value and convenience. ■
Mikey Hart is creative director at international award-winning brand- ing and design agency Hulsbosch.