Case Study- Tropicana. What’s wrong with the new packaging?

Tropicana had changed its packaging for a while, but this changes  led Tropicana to a disaster – decrease sell and brand recognition. What’s wrong with the new packaging?

New Packaging

Matt Everson pointed out eight major failures of the Tropicana redesign, including labeling, information structure, tone of voice, typography, imagery, colour, brand speak, and affordances. In this case, I would mainly focus on imagery and colour, and explain why the new packaging cause the sell decrease.   

From Tropicana’s ads(#1), Brand Packaging report (#2),and Matt Everson’s comment (#3), we know that colour is so important for Tropicana orange juice, because orange colour can inspire the appetite.

#1

#2

#3

Source: http://www.prsresearch.com/fileUploads/insightArticles/What_Can_We_Learn_From_Tropicana_Brand_ Packaging_Aug_09.pdf
Source: http://highered.mcgraw-hill.com/sites/dl/ free/0070974284/605841/sample_ch03.pdf
Source: http://astuteo.com/desktop/articles/tropicana-redesign/

Besides, Tropicana’s target audience is Balanced Living, and they tend to like natural and fresh product, therefore, Tropicana need to convey the fresh and natural orange juice product message to their audience. Tropicana’s target audience care about the juice is original and natural or not, hence, Tropicana uses colour to focus attention on orange juice, and conveys juice’s 100% fresh through the orange imagery. 

However, the Tropicana redesign packaging ignored the importance of product information and did not keep target audience in mind so that the redesign packaging failed in marketing. Scott and Vincenzo noted that “In packaging, the shopper is closer to the purchase decision, so clear, direct and more literal communication about the purchase (branding, variant, key information, etc.) is critical.” 

Want to know more information ? Check !!!  
Eight Major Failures of the Tropicana Redesign 
Pepsi Takes the Tropic out of Tropicana

Imagery speaks to your audience

- Why imagery is so important for packaging surface design? 
- How to choose appropriate imagery in packaging surface design and to communicate specific meaning to  your audience?

Designers have to make sure what information they want to convey through imagery. Marianne & Sandra also mentioned about applying imagery effectively in packaging design makes a strong visual impression. 

There are 6 approaches for the use of imagery in packaging design. 

Approach 1.  Keep target audience in mind

Approach 2.  Appetite appeal

Approach 3.  Create mood associations

Approach 4.  Create characters to enhance product personality

Approach 5.  Use signifier, such as icons and patterns to communicate product messages.

Approach 6.  Photography provides a chance to give consumer an imagination of the taste                of the food.

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Approach 1. Keep target audience in mind

Before starting design a packaging, designers need to know the target audience first, and collect visual landscape to know what images would relate to target audience.

>>> Take children for example, simple lines and images or cartoon is the main imagery of children packaging. The packaging with bright colour and illustration is obviously aimed at the children’s market.

Approach 2.  Appetite appeal

For food packaging, it is important to create appetite appeal and increase the desire to purchase.  The use of photography in food packaging can stimulate consumer taste bud, and increase purchase motivation.

Approach 3.  Create mood associations

Marianne & Sandra said that imagery can set a mood which is associated with audience. For example, Elsa’s Story uses the contrast between the black-and-white photography and the ‘hero’ product to evoke both nostalgia and appetite.

Approach 4.  Create characters to enhance product personality

Character can support brand communication, enhance product personality, as well as consumer would have the strong connection between product and character, and it makes product more easily recognized by consumer. 

>>> For example, The Pringles Crisp is well known and recognized by a character, with mustache and bow tie. Besides, brand confidence and loyalty can be tied into the image of a character.

Approach 5.  Use signifier, such as icons and patterns to communicate product messages.

For example, communicate luxurious by applying seamless floral or streamline ornamental patterns.






The designer of Non Stop Vodka uses numerous icons decorate the bottle and display the life-style of the vodka audience.



Approach 6.  Photography provides a chance to give consumer an imagination of the taste                of the food.


Sarah & Candace pointed out that photography can convey a real image and help consumer anticipate the taste or the texture of the product. 

As can be seen, illustration image could not display the taste of popsicle. But if designers choose an appropriate photography to stimulate the taste bud, it would be more credible.

Certainly, images are effective design tools to communicate with audience about the product message. Imagery is a way of the brand forming a relationship with the customer. For example, to appeal to consumers who concern environmental issue, designers may design the products packaging in environmentally friendly ways.