The Billboard Effect

The axiom in highway billboard graphics is this: Eight words and one strong graphic. In packaging, the term "billboard" has come to mean any surface that can display graphics. I've heard of a 1-inch by 2-inch sample pack described as having "good billboard." In many cases, though, that space on a package holds so many words and graphic elements that it is more like a bulletin board.So ditch the bulletin board. There are times to embrace the concept of a highway billboard for quick, effective communication. I think the approach is most effective in mass merchants, superstores, and club stores. Here are some examples:1. Quick HitsThe Malt-O-Meal Co., Northfield, Minn., is the biggest marketer of bagged cereals in the United States. Among its merchandising tactics is the use of decorated bulk bins in power alleys and other promotional locations. The key to the bins' design is simplicity. From 12 feet away, only five words are visible -- the cereal flavor and the phrase "50% More." Then, a single graphic -- a four-color image of the cereal itself -- is printed edge-to-edge over the bin's entire surface.Scott Kleingartner, Malt-O-Meal's merchandising manager, explains: "Our advantage against cereal in boxes is that our bags hold more, so we let our bins say strongly that we offer 50% more product compared to other cereals."How it works. To execute the strategy in different retail settings, Malt-O-Meal has corrugated bins in two sizes. The largest bin, which holds between 42 and 72 bags, is 40 inches wide by 24 inches tall by 24 inches deep. Stacked two-high, four of these bins fill a standard grocery pallet.The marketer used pre-printed linerboard to achieve high-quality graphics. Prior to display construction, the exterior paperboard was litho-printed. The printed sheet was then laminated to the corrugated.The smaller bins measure 24 inches wide by 24 inches tall by 20 inches deep. Each has a cover. Eight bins fit onto a standard grocery pallet, and the pallet can be broken down into smaller quantities in the retailer's warehouse. Four-color graphics were printed directly onto the white board of the shipper's exterior surface.Analysis. The corrugated bins are manually packed with cereal bags, which is a labor-intensive process. However, Malt-O-Meal apparently gets the return in additional volume and has expanded the program in the past year. 2. Carton Serves as Display DeviceHeinz Frozen Food Co., a division of H.J. Heinz, Pittsburgh, markets the Bagel Bites brand. The company, like others in club stores, is faced with the challenge of creating visual impact so that consumers approaching upright freezers across 12- to 15-feet-wide aisles notice its product.How it works. The Bagel Bites club store package holds 60 pieces, or nearly three pounds, of product. The carton, 9-1/4 inches wide by 12 inches tall, offers enough space for a billboard graphic.Approaching an upright freezer from 12 feet away, the consumer sees seven words: "Bagel Bites" and "60 Cheese, Sausage and Pepperoni." The rest of the front panel carries a graphic of the snacks to highlight flavor.Because the package contains a food product, its front panel must include net weight, USDA inspection certification, and other copy, such as "microwaveable." Yet these elements are so small and subdued that from the billboard range of 12 feet, they do not inhibit the basic brand communication.Eight cartons go into a typical corrugated shipping case. Rather than having top flaps, which a store clerk would have to cut away, the cases open at the top, and the front of each carton faces outward through the opening.Within each case, two cartons are positioned side-by-side, four deep. This configuration guarantees a minimum of two facings at a size that makes an impact from a distance.Analysis. Marketers and designers are beginning to believe that consumers take less and less time to read even the simplest selling points on packages. A few years back, a prudent design may have incorporated three bullet-style selling points. However, this package doesn't highlight even one bulleted selling point. This design acknowledges the role of color and appetite appeal, and it avoids the clutter that sell copy adds.Jim Peters is a writer and consultant with 25 years in the packaging field. He is president of J. Peters Associates Inc. Click here for his contact information.

The Billboard Effect

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