Instagram is today’s storefront and retail a stage for experience, says brand design expert

02 Apr 2019 --- Michael Sheridan, Founder and Chairman of brand design agency Sheridan&Co tells PackagingInsights that FMCGs must move away from traditional advertising and embrace the power of online and offline synergy in order to engage the modern consumer. Here, the influence of packaging design – including secondary packaging – can be integral to success. Also in this interview, Sheridan discusses trending design themes, the relationship between sustainability and luxury and the benefits of plastic packaging.

PackagingInsights: You are quoted as saying: “For brand success, physical and virtual worlds must collide but differ simultaneously.” What do you mean by this exactly?
Sheridan: We live in a time where Instagram is the storefront and retail is a stage for exploration and experience. Consumers mistrust and are weary (and wary) of traditional advertising and messaging. Through social media, consumers now choose who they let into their world and who they block. Platforms such as Instagram are the portal, but content must be trustworthy and pictures provide a level of transparency that words somehow can’t. Trusting a brand is the first level, experiencing them the next and retail provides the reality touchpoint that online cannot.

PackagingInsights: The rise of e-commerce has changed the way consumers identify and purchase products. In what ways is packaging evolving to embrace this new point of sale?
Sheridan: Images are an underlying tool for social media and packaging needs to embrace the emotional aspects of ownership as well as being easily recognizable. I actually think secondary packaging is a somewhat underused element in online sales. The primary packaging is often photographed, however, sometimes a brand fails to show off its beautiful and often creative secondary packaging – something which is often considered a huge draw in the physical space.Michael Sheridan, Founder and Chairman of brand design agency Sheridan&Co

PackagingInsights: In your experience, just how important is the packaging of high-end luxury goods at the point of sale?
Sheridan: It’s not just about the packaging; these days it is more about making sure all the consumer touchpoints are in synergy, and that all the elements are working together to tell the brand/product story, heightening interactivity and customer experience. That said, the physical product needs to match the high-end brand/price point. Quality is very important and the customer is highly discerning of this.

PackagingInsights: What packaging design themes are trending right now?
Sheridan: Bright colors such as neon are currently on trend, probably because they show up well in photo imagery and therefore transmit well through social media. Textures are also used to help a product stand-out as they call out to be touched. A good example of effective packaging is Drunk Elephant’s skincare products.

PackagingInsights: Is sustainability as big a consideration for luxury goods as mass consumer goods?
Sheridan: Generally, luxury has been slow to adapt to using less packaging. But it’s also important to remember that packaging isn’t just a box; aspects such as layering, ceremony and personalization can all add value.

PackagingInsights: Where do you stand on the plastics sustainability debate?
Sheridan: I think it is more about how we use plastic than if we use it. It is a great material which can be used repeatedly, not only when recycled but also in refill packaging solutions. That is providing any decoration or inserts, such as metals, can be easily removed to make it suitable for the recycling process. Glossier, for example, send pink pouches out with products but these are then almost always reused by the customer, and then even becomes a user-generated marketing tool as fans post what they use the pouch for – I’ve seen makeup bags, travel wallets and emergency care packages for homeless women, for instance.

PackagingInsights: Will connective packaging technologies, such as Near-Field Communication (NFC), have a role to play in the future of packaging design?
Sheridan: Sure, if it helps you find something or the product needs explanation then NFC can be useful but like many technologies, if it is just used for the sake of it then it can also be counterproductive.

PackagingInsights: What did you learn from the recent Packaging Innovations show in Birmingham, UK?
Sheridan: There was a great number in attendance for our discussion on the relationship between offline and online, which leads me to conclude that the topic is of particular interest to many businesses.

By Joshua Poole