Small and emerging brands are often put at a disadvantage against big CPGs. Eye-tracking can help level the playing field.
Innovative packaging can outperform scale when it emphasizes clarity, contrast, and benefits that shoppers care about.
High-Impact Strategies for Smaller Brands
- Ownable Colour
Choosing a bold colour that stands apart from competitors is one of the highest-ROI moves a brand can make.
- Simplicity with Purpose
Clear hierarchy and readable flavour cues often outperform complex “premium” designs. Category leaders tend to have simple designs that are focused more on brand than anything else.
- Anchor with a Single Hero Benefit
One strong benefit beats five moderate ones. This is especially true in better-for-you categories.
- Use Ingredient Imagery Thoughtfully
Ingredient cues pique curiosity, build trust, and increase recognition speed.
- Test Early
Even a small test with 100 respondents can prevent costly redesigns and de-risk large-scale retail launches.
Sources
Veryzer & Hutchinson (1998). Unity and Prototypicality.