ONE WORLD: ONE MESSAGE

For companies desiring a systematic approach to international product marketing, a ten point guide to brand harmonisation is provided by Box Room’s managing director, Neil Gleghorn.

There are three key aspects of brand harmonisation: consistency across materials, consistency over national boundaries; and consistency through time. Given the costs associated with a global product launch, it should be routine for the style, artwork, colours and logos of packaging and associated imagery to be the same - whether on paper or on metal, in Australia or Zambia, today or in 2010. (Why agonise over their selection initially, if variance is deemed acceptable?) Yet how often is such uniformity achieved?

A strengthened corporate image on an international basis and considerable cost savings are the main advantages gained from brand harmonisation. To clarify how your own company can benefit, a concise ten point guide to achieving this goal is listed below,

1) Start with design

Obviously, it is futile if designers produce work which, for any technical reasons, cannot be printed accurately. Suitable liaison should avoid this occurrence. A further objective is to ensure that efforts remain firmly linked to overall marketing objectives.

2) Know your materials

The manufacture of primary packaging and point of sale items always involves printing processes. Cardboard, glass, metal, paper, plastics and wood have different surface properties - in terms of texture, hardness, absorbency, etc. These influence the inks and coatings adhering to them, and thus the appearance of the finished product. A detailed understanding of what can be achieved with these materials is essential. There is no substitute for experience here, since printing is an art as well as a science!

3) Know your printers

There is little point in carrying out the origination for innovative packaging which approaches the limits of what is possible, if the chosen printer proves incapable of fully meeting the technical challenge posed.

A continuous relationship with all of the printers to whom work is given is necessary, to determine the precise specifications they can attain, plus any areas of particular expertise. Naturally, this requires an in-depth appreciation of relevant techniques.

4) Rationalise for cost-effectiveness

The fewer print runs needed to manufacture packaging and point of sale items for international markets, the more economical the overall process becomes, and the easier it is to control the quality of the finished products.

A standard practice here is the development of templates, with fixed artwork, colours and logos, and precise spaces allotted for copy - allowing the printing of multiple language variants to be achieved in one pass through a machine. This approach is particularly suited to Europe, which combines many tongues with relatively short distribution distances.

5) Exploit technology

Use of electronic storage techniques brings many benefits, The style, artwork, colours and logos of a brand can be reproduced precisely and quickly, as many times as required, without loss of quality. Combined with appropriate management controls, digital technology lays the foundations for true international brand harmonisation. It is presently extending into printing, making the production of accurate packaging samples practical in terms of cost for the first time.

6) Keep overall control

All of the above will not lead to brand harmonisation in the absence of effective management. There is an underlying need to monitor and coordinate the design, artwork, pre-press activity and printing of packaging and associated imagery - in whichever country these are undertaken. Only then is it possible to fully control product launches, and keep brands consistent over time. This requires the establishment of set procedures, plus appropriate documentation and communications.

7) Focus on quality

Why bother otherwise? Every supplier must understand the standards to be achieved, while all output must be closely scrutinised to ensure it meets them. One reason this is vital is because the variables involved in transferring ink on to materials mean that there are always tiny discrepancies in the course of a print run, and between runs. As a result, it is necessary to prearrange with the printer the level of deviation which is acceptable with the aim of getting as close as possible to what is technically feasible.

8) Don't forget the personal touch

Long distance business communications now include telephone, fax, telex (does anyone still use this?), E-mail, video conferencing, and traditional post. Sometimes, however, there is no substitute for being there in person!

9) Extend your approach to all media

Electronic storage techniques allow packaging artwork and logos to be quickly and easily reproduced in other marketing material: graphics, TV commercials, interactive environments such as the Web or CD-ROMs, and company literature. Digital animation can even turn a container into a personality.

10) Assist consistency via the Internet

Companies can enjoy the advantages of instant Internet access to a database of their brand content in all its forms - artwork, advertising, films and sound recordings. This personalised library service greatly assists both marketing and conformity with legal requirements. It is possible to extend access to approved suppliers, and to initiate a database retrospectively.

Operating in all these areas, Box Room can be described as a multi-media brand creation and management consultancy - with leading FMCG companies as its main clients. Its key objective, however, can be summarised in three words: ‘building stronger brands'. The company strengthens clients' operations by the synergy of its personnel and resources.

The company's reputation is founded on packaging origination, and its service includes the supply of material in any format required, plus liaison with designers and printers, and the creation of proofs and samples. There is a strong emphasis on technical support and consultancy.

Some 50 skilled professionals are based at the busy nerve centre of Box Room - its new £2 million headquarters in Tamworth. They are all valued assets of a Plc with a total workforce of over 300, which operates from 19 sites across the UK.

For further information please contact: Neil Gleghorn, Managing Director, The Box Room Ltd., Ventura House, Ventura Park Road, Tamworth, Staffordshire, UK B78 3HL.

Tel: 01827 723000. Fax: 01827 723100.

sales@boxroom.com