Let the designers design and the researchers research

By Michael Carlon | January 1, 2006

Reading time: 7 minutes

Abstract

While it is commendable that some design firms have taken it upon themselves to conduct consumer research on packaging concepts, they lack the objectivity to make major decisions based on that research. Those decisions should remain in the hands of the client company. The author outlines how design firms and client companies can structure their use of research to the fullest advantage of both parties.

Research Topics:: Consumer Research | Package Development Research | Packaging Testing | Qualitative Research | Quantitative Research | The Business of Research
Content Type: Research Methodology

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Ensuring objectivity in packaging research

Editor’s note: Michael Carlon is brand building insights manager at Unilever, Greenwich, Conn.

Product packaging has taken on increased importance for two primary reasons: increased necessity for shelf impact and a revitalized focus on the consumer experience. These reasons speak to two separate but equally important moments of truth for consumers. The first is the point of purchase (getting the consumer to place the item in a shopping cart) and the second is how the product’s packaging performs (ease of opening, dispensing, storing, etc.,) which will impact re-purchase rates.

Given these trends, it is not surprising that many packaging design firms are turning to marketing research to help identify unmet consumer needs and translate those needs into consumer-driven packaging innovations. In addition to aiding the design process, design firms are realizing that consumer insight work can be a profit center for their businesses, as consumer research can often be sold with high profit margins. As such, manufacturers must be careful with how much they let their design partners drive the research process. As with any creative agency, packaging designers cannot help but feel ownership toward their creations and this natural inclination can, consciously or unconsciously, introduce bias into research design and analysis.

This is not to say that design firms should not conduct their own research. On the contrary, direct interaction with consumers serves to put the design team in the shoes of the consumer and stimulate creative thinking. The question, then, isn’t “Should design firms conduct their own research?” but rather “What types of research are appropriate for a design firm to conduct?”

Appropriate types of research for a design firm to conduct include:

a secondary research review of category data;
an audit of research supplied by the client on packaging innovation;
exploratory qualitative research designed to uncover consumer frustrations and/or unmet needs with current packaging and spark ideas as to how those frustrations/unmet needs can be addressed through packaging innovation.

For the latter type of research (where the client’s money is being spent), it is imperative that the research team meets with consumers in environments where key decisions are made (the retail outlet) as well as where product usage actually occurs (in the home, on the go, etc.). The reasons for this are simple. The actual retail environment provides stimulus (both category and non-category) for speaking with consumers about shelf impact (or lack thereof). In addition, interviewing consumers in environments where they naturally interact with product packaging helps to identify behaviors that are not typically revealed in a traditional focus group setting.

Some of these compensatory behaviors include sticking a knife into a clogged ketchup bottle, storing shampoo and conditioner bottles upside down in the shower, and using any number of sharp instruments to open a new DVD or CD. Many times, consumers may not recall these behaviors or the obstacles they are intended to overcome in a traditional qualitative environment, as over time they become subconscious. However, it is imperative that the design team be aware of these behaviors and obstacles, as helping consumers overcome them is often the key to designing relevant and breakthrough packaging innovation.

Be skeptical

If conducting secondary research, reviewing past research supplied by the client, and exploring unmet consumer needs in the form of exploratory qualitative research are acceptable tasks for a design firm to undertake, manufacturers should be skeptical of any design firm placing a strong emphasis on conducting the research that serves to evaluate packaging alternatives drafted by the design firm against the existing package. These include further rounds of qualitative research as well as any form of quantitative research.

Additional rounds of qualitative research may be necessary to whittle down the number of packaging alternatives that may have been presented to the client after the initial exploratory research. In these instances, it is appropriate for a design firm to explore various ideas with consumers and select final “winning” packaging concepts to optimize for later testing. However, once the question moves from that of concept reduction and optimization to that of concept selection, responsibility for designing and conducting research should move away from the design firm and towards the manufacturer and their outside research suppliers.

This is not to say that the design firm should be kept blind to the research. On the contrary, designers should have input into the discussion guide and be invited to attend the research, as their expertise is valued. However, the design firm should not be placed in the driver’s seat. After all, their creations are being evaluated and objectivity issues may arise when the design firm has a heavy hand in moderator guide development, managing the field, moderating and report writing.

Some design firms will argue that since they hire outside moderators, the research is completely objective. However, as the design firm is the moderator’s client, the moderator may be hesitant to push back too hard when the line of objectivity becomes blurred. In addition, while an outside moderator may be conducting the groups, clients should question who is actually writing the report that will ultimately contain recommendations. Oftentimes, to keep costs down, a moderator is just hired to speak with consumers and not to write a report.

In addition to further rounds of qualitative research, manufacturers should be extremely wary of design firms pushing quantitative offerings. In the world of design, among other objectives, quantitative research techniques serve to determine whether a proposed new packaging alternative provides a significant increase in purchase intent over the existing package. In addition, a good piece of quantitative research will diagnose the features of each concept that are driving purchase interest (or not driving purchase interest). As the question has moved from concept development to concept evaluation, it is clear that the design firm has a vested interest in the outcome of this research and thus responsibility for its design, management and analysis should rest with the manufacturer.

If possible, this quantitative testing should be done with 3-D comps of each concept. As packaging is tangible, manufacturers should be careful to avoid misperceptions of use that can arise when testing is done 2-D. It is in producing these comps that the design firm can provide the most value for quantitative research. Many design firms can forge relationships for short-run manufacturing of designs to enable production of concepts. This testing could be done as in-home use tests or as central location tests. Of course, it is best to conduct this research among a national sample to control for geographic bias.

Cost much more

In addition to controlling for bias, there is another practical reason why manufacturers should turn to alternative suppliers for their quantitative work. Pretending for a moment that you have the world’s most honest design firm working for you, it will simply cost much more money to have your design firm run quantitative research for you than if you were to hire an alternative supplier. If the firm’s true core competency is design, chances are the firm does not have a team of quantitatively-trained researchers on staff and they will have to hire out the same firms you would to design, field and analyze the research. The design firm will have to charge a markup to make it worth their while and thus you will be overpaying for the research.

The role of the design firm in the research process is analogous to the typical way advertisers work with advertising agencies. As a whole, advertisers are comfortable with agencies, or, to be more specific, account planning groups within agencies, conducting exploratory research among a brand’s core audience to provide more focus in the creative process. However, once the objective of the research changes from that of concept development to that of concept effectiveness, the responsibility for research execution should shift from the agency to the brand’s research manager.

A rigorous research plan for packaging research should take the following approach:

1. An audit of past research on packaging - with the design agency and manufacturer equally involved.

2. Exploratory ethnographies with consumers to identify unmet needs and stimulate creative thinking. Responsibility for research design and management can rest with the design firm as this may be an important part of their process. Clients should be invited to attend the ethnographies.

3. A working session with design agency, manufacturer and all appropriate stakeholders to debrief ethnographies, outline requirements for packaging and brainstorm ideas.

4. Evaluative research with consumers to reduce the number of concepts and select those to optimize for quantitative testing. Responsibility for conducting this research should rest with the manufacturer.

5. Quantitative concept testing to determine if the change in packaging is related to a stated increase in purchase intent over control. The manufacturer must drive this research.

Don’t relinquish control

There is no question that design has taken an increased importance in marketing. Design is instrumental in providing shelf impact and ensuring consumer delight once the product has been taken home or to its ultimate place of consumption. In addition, design firms should be commended on their willingness to let consumers help in the design process. However, while there are some types of research appropriate for a design firm to conduct to aid in their creative process, manufacturers should not relinquish control of any research undertaken to ultimately select winning concepts to bring to quantitative testing or research designed to decide whether to change the existing package. | Q