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The Design Force blog is a forum for discussing research, strategy, target appeal and marketplace trends Toy Fair ‘12: A Look to the Future and the PastFebruary 18, 2012 at 12:31 pm by Ted Mininni I’ve been attending Toy Fair in New York City for the past 25 years. It’s a great place to do business, draw inspiration, confirm trends, and gain...More Comments: 0HEXBUG Packaging: a Perfect SpecimenFebruary 13, 2012 at 9:16 am by Ted Mininni As designers of toy packaging, we always need to visit the retail environment before taking on our next project. Much like “The Strip” in Las Vegas...More Comments: 0Good vs. Evil Continues in the World of Lego Video GamesFebruary 6, 2012 at 12:47 pm by Ted Mininni Clearly Lego understands the power of superheroes. They’re hotter than ever and loved by...More Comments: 0Interactive 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 Harley-Davidson Hits the RoadDecember 27, 2011 at 2:29 pm by Ted Mininni Of course Harley owners have always hit the road. Their love of freedom and new adventure represented by the open road is legendary...More Comments: 0Is There Any Room for Girls in Lego’s World?December 19, 2011 at 12:33 pm by Ted Mininni Danish toy behemoth, Lego, is revered by generations of fans around the globe. It’s no accident. Using Lego building bricks helps kids...More Comments: 0Branding, Package Design, Consumer Products, Market Research, Marketing to Kids Marvel and Monster Jam? 3 Super-Powerful Reasons WhyDecember 13, 2011 at 6:23 pm by Ted Mininni We love working with licensed properties. Especially those related to toy and entertainment...More Comments: 0Branding, Package Design, Consumer Products, Market Research, Marketing to Kids Mickey, Minnie & MethodDecember 5, 2011 at 11:20 am by Ted Mininni There are some companies that just have a knack for doing the unexpected. Method is one. We’ve always been admirers of Method’s approach...More Comments: 0Licensing, Branding, Package Design, Structure Design, Consumer Products, Entertainment, Marketing to Kids Looks Like Barbie’s Going Hi-TechNovember 28, 2011 at 3:44 pm by Ted Mininni Mattel gets it. Yet another generation of young girls is experiencing a special relationship with Barbie. And given the fashionista’s long heritage...More Comments: 0A 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 Taking Licensed Packaging to the Next LevelNovember 14, 2011 at 10:30 am by Ted Mininni Kudos to Disney for doing it right when it comes to licensing its properties. Few characters are as admired as Winnie the Pooh...More Comments: 0Licensing, Package Design, Structure Design, Consumer Products, Market Research 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 a Dipper or a Squeezer?October 18, 2011 at 11:20 am by Ted Mininni For eons, Heinz had the right idea. The company’s ketchup is a staple in the American diet; a sales superstar and well, why mess with...More Comments: 0A New World at Play: AppMATes Merges the Virtual & PhysicalOctober 10, 2011 at 12:16 pm by Ted Mininni Are we surprised that kids, the fastest of early adaptors, take to new apps like ducks to...More Comments: 0Licensing, Consumer Products, Entertainment, Marketing to Kids Smart Licensing: Disney & SpiritHoods Launch “Wearable” MuppetsOctober 3, 2011 at 11:20 am by Ted Mininni Sometimes it seems as though kids’ licensed products get into a rut. T-shirts, caps...More Comments: 0Licensing, Consumer Products, Entertainment, Marketing to Kids Coca-Cola Downsizing?September 26, 2011 at 10:44 am by Ted Mininni Americans have been counting calories over the past six years. How do we know? Soda volume has dropped over that time frame...More Comments: 0Branding, Package Design, Structure Design, Consumer Products Iconic “I ♥ NY” Goes Prime TimeSeptember 20, 2011 at 12:09 pm by Ted Mininni An article published in the NY Daily News on September 15th: “‘I Love New York’ iconic tourism logo raking in millions in licensing...More Comments: 0The NFL Kicks Off This Weekend! Are You Ready for Some... Pepsi?September 9, 2011 at 1:06 pm by Ted Mininni According to The Wall Street Journal, the NFL and PepsiCo have extended their sponsorship...More Comments: 2Are 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 YouTube Sensations: Package Structure??August 23, 2011 at 11:10 am by Ted Mininni And we thought brand managers and package designers were the only ones who believed in the power of packaging! Not so...More Comments: 0Marvel’s Cooking Up a Great Licensing DealAugust 16, 2011 at 6:22 pm by Ted Mininni Licensing Biz Magazine recently reported on a licensing deal between Marvel and Williams-Sonoma for a new line of super hero bakeware and...More Comments: 0Is 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 Packaging Designed in the Context of RetailJuly 26, 2011 at 4:52 pm by Ted Mininni Packaging for consumer products can’t be successfully developed without considering its retail context. After all, it doesn’t exist...More Comments: 0Licensing the Gone and the GoldenJuly 19, 2011 at 2:05 pm by Ted Mininni Great stars live on in our hearts and psyches forever. Their unique brands occupy a place no one else can ever hold.More Comments: 0What “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 NFL Lockout vs. NFL Licensed Product SalesJuly 5, 2011 at 3:37 pm by Ted Mininni Here we are: the clock’s ticking and still no resolution to the NFL lockout. And the news is bad all the way around. Bad for teams, owners...More Comments: 0Licensee/Licensor/Retailer Red FlagsJune 21, 2011 at 7:09 pm by Ted Mininni Licensed products always get into trouble if they’re not performing up to snuff. Even more so now, as retailers push more deeply into...More Comments: 0Packaging that Hits it Out of the ParkJune 15, 2011 at 9:25 am by Ted Mininni There are times when a creative promotional packaging idea hits on all cylinders. Pabst Old Style bottled beer just hit one out of the park...More Comments: 2Licensing, Branding, Package Design, Structure Design, Consumer Products Stardoll Inks Stellar Deal with MattelJune 7, 2011 at 1:51 pm by Ted Mininni Back in February, the virtual world of entertainment came together with one of the world’s great toy companies. In a smart move, Stardoll...More Comments: 0Licensing, Branding, Licensing Program Design, Entertainment Does Your Brand Own a Color?June 1, 2011 at 9:05 am by Ted Mininni Stand in an aisle of a store. What is it about packaging that catches your attention? Chances are color attracts you first...More Comments: 0Characters on Packaging = Better Product?May 25, 2011 at 11:26 am by Ted Mininni As parents we all know that kids’ favorite characters make them want to have some products over others. And we all know about the “nag factor”...More Comments: 0Hasbro's Sustainability Goal for 2011May 18, 2011 at 4:03 PM by Ted Mininni Like many consumer product companies, Hasbro has worked hard to be a good corporate citizen, focusing on strong community programs... More Comments: 0 |
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