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HBO and Brewery Ommegang Partner to Produce Beer of Kings.May 20, 2013 at 12:35 pm by Ted Mininni With Licensing Expo 2013 quickly approaching, we’ve been evaluating the latest trends and...More Comments: 0Trident Layers Packaging: One Device Imparts Form and Flavor.May 13, 2013 at 8:25 am by Ted Mininni In a highly competitive category – that isn’t setting the world on fire sales-wise these days...More Comments: 0Branding, Package Design, Consumer Products, Marketing Thought Leadership Hot New Iron Man 3 Licensed Product: Designer Heels?May 6, 2013 at 8:56 am by Ted Mininni We all know that the best licensed products are those that are cleverly conceived and not-so...More Comments: 0Licensing, Consumer Products, Entertainment, Marketing Thought Leadership Packaging for Kids' Brands Isn't Kid Stuff Anymore.April 29, 2013 at 10:00 am by Ted Mininni Today’s kids are sophisticated, brand-savvy and connected at an early age, thanks to social...More Comments: 0Branding, Package Design, Structure Design, Consumer Products, Marketing to Kids, Marketing Thought Leadership Ricola’s Music Edition Wrapper: A New Twist on an Old Structure.April 22, 2013 at 7:49 am by Ted Mininni Sometimes great package design can derive from the simplest of ideas. Sometimes it’s merely...More Comments: 1Branding, Package Design, Structure Design, Consumer Products, Marketing Thought Leadership The Magic Behind the "Secret Handshake" in Licensed Apparel.April 8, 2013 at 8:57 am by Ted Mininni It may not be appropriate for all licensed brands, but there’s no denying the desire that can be...More Comments: 0Licensing, Branding, Licensing Program Design, Consumer Products, Entertainment, Marketing Thought Leadership Viral Pepsi MAX Spot: A Great Ad for the Chevy Camaro.March 18, 2013 at 8:34 am by Ted Mininni If you've been reading the Design Force blog over the past few months, it may seem like I'm on a...More Comments: 0Licensing, Consumer Products, Entertainment, Marketing Thought Leadership True Innovation Derives From the Individual, Not the Group.March 11, 2013 at 9:43 am by Ted Mininni Over the weekend, I read a refreshing article on FastCompany.com that challenges the...More Comments: 0Package Design, Licensing Program Design, Consumer Products, Marketing Thought Leadership Action Figure Package Design: For Kids AND Collectors Alike.March 4, 2013 at 9:16 am by Ted Mininni All of us who are fortunate enough to design and market action figures know that the appeal...More Comments: 0Licensing, Branding, Package Design, Structure Design, Consumer Products, Entertainment, Marketing to Kids, Marketing Thought Leadership Design Architecture: The Key to Successful Licensed Packaging.February 25, 2013 at 7:14 am by Ted Mininni When you take a look at a particular brand's packaging, what's the first thing you...More Comments: 0Licensing, Branding, Package Design, Licensing Program Design, Consumer Products, Entertainment, Marketing Thought Leadership HEXBUG Warriors: Winning the Product Segmentation Battle.February 18, 2013 at 8:24 am by Ted Mininni The product segmentation methodology of every brand's package design system is integral...More Comments: 0Branding, Package Design, Structure Design, Consumer Products, Marketing Thought Leadership 3 Simple Ways to Add Visual Impact to Your Packaging.February 11, 2013 at 6:47 am by Ted Mininni I don't think it's possible to overemphasize the need to get brand packaging right. After all...More Comments: 0Branding, Package Design, Structure Design, Consumer Products, Marketing Thought Leadership The Value of a Licensing Program Style Guide.February 4, 2013 at 4:41 pm by Ted Mininni In a conversation I had recently with a prospective client, I was asked what the potential revenue generation would be if they were to invest...More Comments: 2Branding, Package Design, Consumer Products, Marketing Thought Leadership McDonald's Informs Consumers Through New Global Packaging.January 28, 2013 at 9:40 am by Ted Mininni It was announced a couple of weeks ago with considerable buzz that McDonald's is...More Comments: 0Branding, Package Design, Consumer Products, Marketing Thought Leadership How To Avoid Licensed Property Overexposure.January 21, 2013 at 9:42 am by Ted Mininni We’ve all seen this: a successful licensed property ends up on consumer products in every...More Comments: 0Licensing, Licensing Program Design, Consumer Products, Entertainment, Marketing Thought Leadership Does Packaging Rule as the #1 Marketing Tool? Or Not?January 7, 2013 at 11:05 am by Ted Mininni Seriously?? Is packaging truly the #1 marketing tool? What about advertising campaigns...More Comments: 0Package Design, Consumer Products, Marketing Thought Leadership Packaging Shoes for SneakerheadsDecember 28, 2012 at 9:22 pm by Ted Mininni This Christmas, Santa brought my 18 year old son a pair of Air Jordan XI Bred basketball shoes, which are a re-release of the Air Jordan XI's...More Comments: 0Branding, Package Design, Structure Design, Consumer Products, Marketing Thought Leadership Beyonce and Pepsi: A Good Fit... or Not?December 17, 2012 at 9:45 am by Ted Mininni According to an article in Forbes last week, Pepsi has agreed to leverage the fame of pop star Beyonce in ads, a Super Bowl halftime show, and...More Comments: 0Licensing, Consumer Products, Entertainment, Marketing Thought Leadership Game Changers: 5 Ways to Increase the Value of Packaging.December 10, 2012 at 10:31 am by Ted Mininni We all love products that are considered game changers. But, it's tough for marketers to...More Comments: 0Package Design, Structure Design, Consumer Products, Marketing Thought Leadership Downsized Packaging: The Perils and Possibilities.December 3, 2012 at 10:57 am by Ted Mininni The Incredible Shrinking Package! The dread of every package designer! The bane of every brand...More Comments: 0Package Design, Structure Design, Consumer Products, Marketing Thought Leadership, Sustainability 5 Segmentation Methodologies for Consumer Product Packaging.November 26, 2012 at 12:02 pm by Ted Mininni One of the most important components of a package design system is its segmentation...More Comments: 0Package Design, Consumer Products, Marketing Thought Leadership Hello Kitty Gets KISSed!October 22, 2012 at 10:10 am by Ted Mininni When you think about it: America’s iconic rock band, KISS, has a lot in common with the lifestyle brand Hello Kitty...More Comments: 1Licensing, Licensing Program Design, Consumer Products, Entertainment, Marketing to Kids, Marketing Thought Leadership Toys R Us: Toy Store or Entertainment Brand?October 15, 2012 at 11:15 am by Ted Mininni Industry insiders know that the lines have been blurring for a while between the toy and entertainment business. The leading toy...More Comments: 0Branding, Entertainment, Marketing to Kids, Marketing Thought Leadership Marketing to Baby? How Young is Too Young?October 1, 2012 at 12:22 pm by Ted Mininni Quietly last year, the Disney Company began to market to the one youth demographic left to expose its brand to: newborns. New mothers...More Comments: 0Licensing, Consumer Products, Entertainment, Marketing to Kids, Marketing Thought Leadership Smart "AR" Strategy: Try Me. Buy Me.September 17, 2012 at 10:11 am by Ted Mininni As with any new technology, marketers are grappling with the best way to use AR – augmented reality – to advantage. While it’s cool to point...More Comments: 0Package Design, Consumer Products, Entertainment, Marketing to Kids, Marketing Thought Leadership Was Andy Warhol Really Onto Something? Can Packaging Be Art?September 10, 2012 at 2:28 pm by Ted Mininni Andy Warhol famously elevated Campbell’s soup cans to pop art. At first, The Campbell Soup...More Comments: 2Branding, Package Design, Consumer Products, Marketing Thought Leadership Forget One-Off Packaging – You Need a Package Design SystemAugust 27, 2012 at 1:22 pm by Ted Mininni This is a topic that I’ve raised and addressed in the past, but it’s clearly in need of further...More Comments: 0Branding, Package Design, Consumer Products, Marketing Thought Leadership So, You've Got an Amazing Retro Brand, Huh?August 20, 2012 at 9:25 am by Ted Mininni Reintroducing a “retro” brand to the marketplace is cool – but only if it’s given a modern, relevant twist. Otherwise, forget it...More Comments: 0Licensing, Consumer Products, Marketing to Kids, Marketing Thought Leadership, Sustainability Packaging as Part of the Product?August 13, 2012 at 3:38 pm by Ted Mininni Once in a while, I come across something so innovative and clever that it makes me wonder why it’s never been done this way before...More Comments: 0Package Design, Structure Design, Consumer Products, Marketing Thought Leadership, Sustainability Are Comic Books Becoming Irrelevant?August 6, 2012 at 10:40 am by Ted Mininni No doubt about it. Comic books have been pretty camp since the 1930’s. Reflective of our culture and the times. They’ve been used to...More Comments: 0Licensing, Consumer Products, Entertainment, Marketing Thought Leadership Mattel & Crayola Join Forces. Great Idea?May 14, 2012 at 11:34 am by Ted Mininni Not all co-branding ventures make sense. The result of ill-advised pairings? Lackluster sales (read: failure)? For success, both brands should be...More Comments: 0Licensing, Consumer Products, Marketing to Kids, Marketing Thought Leadership The Avengers: A Total Retail ExperienceMay 7, 2012 at 11:36 am by Ted Mininni Marvel Entertainment’s long-anticipated The Avengers movie is finally here. No doubt this super hero mega-romp across the big screen...More Comments: 0Licensing, Consumer Products, Entertainment, Marketing Thought Leadership Move Over Boxes, Bottles & Cans: Pouches Have It in the BagMarch 26, 2012 at 9:42 am by Ted Mininni It’s taken a while to catch on since StarKist introduced tuna in new packaging over a decade ago...More Comments: 0Branding, Package Design, Structure Design, Consumer Products, Marketing Thought Leadership Visual vs Verbal Communication in PackagingMarch 19, 2012 at 1:07 pm by Ted Mininni People are visual. That’s why I think marketers need to find the balance between allocating resources for their verbal and visual marketing...More Comments: 1Branding, Package Design, Consumer Products, Marketing Thought Leadership Interactive Package Design Goes Into OrbitJanuary 30, 2012 at 3:45 pm by Ted Mininni It’s no secret that consumers love to be able to customize or personalize products. Brands that make this the hallmark of their marketing have...More Comments: 0Branding, Package Design, Consumer Products, Marketing Thought Leadership Marketing Study Shocker: Social Media & QR Codes Don't SellJanuary 25, 2012 at 11:24 am by Ted Mininni “As much as people embrace all things digital, they’re much fussier when they turn into actual...More Comments: 0Consumer Products, Market Research, Marketing Thought Leadership How to Use Packaging Cues to Become a Category LeaderJanuary 23, 2012 at 12:54 pm by Ted Mininni How can manufacturers market and package a new brand in a saturated consumer product...More Comments: 5Branding, Package Design, Consumer Products, Marketing Thought Leadership What's New in Toyland? “Amplified Reality”January 16, 2012 at 5:15 pm by Ted Mininni The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in early January always generates “oohs and aahs” among industry aficionados and the press. This year is no...More Comments: 0Consumer Products, Entertainment, Marketing to Kids, Marketing Thought Leadership Package Imitation: a Sincere Form of Flattery?January 9, 2012 at 7:23 pm by Ted Mininni Successful brands should easily be identified by their packaging on crowded retail shelves. Marketers strive to leverage their unique brand assets...More Comments: 0Branding, Package Design, Consumer Products, Marketing Thought Leadership The NHL’s Winter Classic: A Brand Building Success StoryJanuary 3, 2012 at 6:36 pm by Ted Mininni The NHL’s Winter Classic is a huge event born of a simple idea. An NHL hockey game played...More Comments: 010 Critical Questions to Answer Before Rethinking Your PackagingJanuary 3, 2012 at 12:14 pm by Ted Mininni Marketers of established brands have more to worry about now. The consumer product sector...More Comments: 0Branding, Package Design, Consumer Products, Market Research, Marketing Thought Leadership Moms: Marketers Want Your BabiesDecember 29, 2011 at 5:47 pm by Ted Mininni Marketers have long developed strategies and tactics to turn young children into brand-conscious consumers. Kids, exposed to TV and radio...More Comments: 0Branding, Consumer Products, Marketing to Kids, Marketing Thought Leadership A Brand with No Name? ...Really?November 22, 2011 at 9:49 am by Ted Mininni It’s no secret: many consumers have been suffering from a case of the brand blahs. Not many brands seem to mean what they once did...More Comments: 0Branding, Package Design, Consumer Products, Marketing Thought Leadership Are We Too Focused on Cutting Costs in Package Design?November 7, 2011 at 12:35 pm by Ted Mininni It’s inevitable. In a recessionary economy, cost cutting becomes the first consideration. But I’ve...More Comments: 0Package Design, Structure Design, Consumer Products, Market Research, Marketing Thought Leadership Future Licensing Opps: Virtual Properties?October 31, 2011 at 1:52 pm by Ted Mininni We’ve seen the future. The future is here. New licensing opportunities are increasingly coming from virtual vs real properties...More Comments: 0Apple Retail Stores: The Ultimate Package?October 24, 2011 at 3:29 pm by Ted Mininni Everybody who’s ever purchased or received an Apple product as a gift understands the anticipation, the pleasure of opening up the packaging...More Comments: 0Branding, Package Design, Consumer Products, Marketing Thought Leadership Has Advertising Gone to the Dogs?October 19, 2011 at 11:00 am by Ted Mininni In their haste to develop striking new advertising, marketers are working overtime to create ground-breaking ads; but might those ads ...More Comments: 0Are You Packaging Confusion?September 6, 2011 at 4:05 pm by Ted Mininni Not naming any offenders here, but you know who you are. If you’re a brand manager of a consumer product brand...More Comments: 0Branding, Package Design, Structure Design, Consumer Products, Marketing Thought Leadership Is There a Next Incarnation of Harry Potter?August 8, 2011 at 1:52 pm by Ted Mininni Everybody knows that Harry Potter has been one of the hottest properties around the globe since the first book about the boy wizard debut in 1997...More Comments: 0Branding, Package Design, Consumer Products, Marketing Thought Leadership 6 Package Design Ideas for the “New Reality”August 2, 2011 at 8:27 pm by Ted Mininni It’s no secret: consumers are shopping more selectively; reluctant to part with their hard-earned dollars unless we...More Comments: 0Branding, Package Design, Consumer Products, Marketing Thought Leadership Why Most Package Design Refreshes FlopJuly 27, 2011 at 5:20 pm by Ted Mininni Contemporizing packaging is routinely executed by consumer product companies, but the end result is not always good. More Comments: 0Branding, Package Design, Consumer Products, Marketing Thought Leadership What “Ownable” Creative Can DoJuly 12, 2011 at 11:29 am by Ted Mininni Have you ever gone to a store looking for a specific product, not sure which brand to purchase, and noticed that every brand looked alike?More Comments: 0Branding, Package Design, Consumer Products, Marketing Thought Leadership |
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