Question

Assume that you are a consultant for a marketer who wants to design a package for a new premium chocolate bar targeted to the market. What recommendations would you provide in terms of such package elements as color, symbolism, graphic design, smell, and sound? Give the reasons for your suggestions based on the knowledge you acquired during your consumer behavior course.

Answer 1

Most students will recognize that the label (package), the weight of the product, and the brand name of the product are all combined to communicate the image of the product. In this exercise the students are examining a premium product targeted to an affluent market. Obviously, the suggestions developed by students are likely to reflect their own experiences.

What needs to be added to the discussion of product labels and names is:

(1)the colors that will augment the desired premium image,

(2) the smell that is associated with candy,

(3) the sound of the candy wrapper in your hand, and

(4) and the symbolism that may be used to position the product in the consumer’s mind.

The issue of symbolism may provide the best avenue for discussion, and a broader discussion of how symbols canbe used in advertising and promotion would be helpful.

You might give a few hints here. For example, Aunt Jemima, the Morton Salt Girl, and Betty Crocker are trademarks that have changed over time and can be found in ads. Package changes include Ivory Soap, Kellogg’s Rice Krispies, and Campbell Soup. Students can simply examine automobile ads to see how styles of a particular car have changed over the years—the body is the car’s package.