The Dichotomy of packaging Shelf appeal

The Shelf appeal of a pack is a tremendously talked about subject. Who would disagree that any pack has to have the appropriate shelf appeal to stand out in the already cluttered environment.

The fact is that very often some great packs do not perform their role, if they lack the due throw from the store shelf. The other side is that there are certain categories wherein too much of of screaming is considered 'Trying too hard' and in fact tarnishes the imagery.

Any packaging developer needs to give due consideration to the retail environment ,the category codes and also the Pack in use. Super premium and Luxury Brands perhaps focus a lot more on the Pack in use, whereas the Mass Brands use all possible elements to scream out ' Pick me up".
More often than not Marketers get a sense of a 'job done well' by ensuring that their Brand throw in the retail environment is head and shoulders above their competitors. Thus the brief to the Packaging developers is to never lose sight of this critical requirement.
The real dichotomy comes, when the Pack designer has to also ensure the right premiumness and a sleek execution. A wide variety of views have to be contended with, consequently he/she needs to do a tight rope walk to ensure that the brief is met with. The same people who are firm believers in shelf appeal start looking for sleekness and an underplayed design. The situation gets complicated when the Consumer focus group looks primarily from their usage angle and the shelf appeal is not really a prime consideration.
Often the solutions lie in creating powerful mnemonics which slowly and gradually start becoming unique identifiers for a Brand and draw the consumers by the meaning that with them. A mnemonic start occupying a mind space and thus often the Graphics need not scream too much to ensure the Brand salience. The Font styling is another tool in the designers hand which could be used very effectively and create a differentiation. Effective usage of Printing tools and inks is another area offering tremendous opportunities.
However the dichotomy is perhaps to continue forever.