Consumer Goods Technology

design elements such as logo, colors, images and font set.

These variations could be combined into 4,680 alternative package designs using a sophisticated graphics platform that was then subjected to a consumer-driven evaluation. This helped Seventh Generation sort through thousands of options to find the most preferred design concepts — “a virtual ‘natural selection’ process,” says Loveman.

The company received clear feedback on its top concepts, which indicated the relative importance

of various design components and identified latent preferences that helped the company to focus on strengthening brand impact.

For example, before the optimization study was launched, there was an ongoing debate about color palette between the Seventh Generation sales, marketing and design teams.

Should the package retain green as the brand signature and category cue? Or is brown “the new green” that could serve to contemporize the design?

“We believe that we will fail if we don’t listen to our
customers and consumers.”

—COURTNEY LOVEMAN, BRANDMOTHER, SEVENTH GENERATION

The study showed that consumers evolved to neither, instead indicating a natural/colorless design approach as the top concept.

Seventh Generation products donning the new packaging designs launched in the marketplace in December 2008 and are still being rolled out in some cases.

While Loveman says it is a bit too early to identify measurable results, consumer testing with new moms in the diaper category already revealed high praise for the new look, brand recognition and overall appeal, reports Loveman.

TRICKS OF THE TRADE

Seventh Generation’s Brandmother Courtney Loveman reveals best practices for better managing consumer insights in the innovation process:

• Develop clear principles and “design” boundaries for consumer interactions

• Look for behavioral or ethnographic research methods that do not rely on consumers to articulate their needs and desires

• Be diligent in the screening process and focus upfront on ensuring that you are gleaning insights from the right set of consumers for the given project

Natural Progression

Seventh Generation’s packaging innovation pipeline does not end with its label evolution. The company is working to improve the amount of recycled content in its bottles, and its innovation team is also working to improve the bottle shape with a focus on thoughtful utility rather than aesthetics alone, according to Loveman.