Use caution with package redesign

I'm sure be now people have either seen the redesigned Tropicana packaging or read about its failure. In Tropicana's attempt to give its carton a generic feel, they've lost consumers in the design confusion. If nothing (not even the font) stays the same in the design, how are shoppers to identify your brand? The only thing that stayed the same was the shape of the carton...which is not different than any other juice carton.

Brandweek had a good, brief article about how General Mills, on the other hand, did it right. By redesigning cereal boxes like Trix to look like packaging from decades ago, it wins in two ways. First, while today's cereal boxes are incredibly colorful and visually stimulating, both generations of boxes have the same general look and feel: red box, white "Trix" in an arch, white rabbit. Second, the older box resonates with older generations and gives the generic feel without cheapening the design.

With the drive during the recession to make items look generic to compete with less-costly products, it's important that professionals strategize wisely to avoid alienating their current consumers. People don't buy more expensive products if they don't recognize or feel a connection to them; it's common sense. If you feel the need to rebrand entirely, pace yourself or you can lose even your most loyal customers.