PACT 2.0

Abstract

Packaging design is one of the most important influences on shopping behaviour in competitive retail environments, especially in Fast Moving Consumer Goods. The package is often referred to as ‘the silent salesman’. Brand managers need to know how their package performs to identify if a package (re)design is going to improve sales or is a potential flop. Market research agencies are consulted to perform a package design research. The basis of any pack design research method is the shelf exercise, in which a supermarket shelf with products from a specific category is shown to participants. MetrixLab is an online consumer research agency. Their solution PACT measures shelf performance of a packaging design with an online exercise in which an interactive image of a shelf is shown to participants. The PACT method was compared to 9 competitive methods and benchmarked against in-market case data from clients (market share and brand tracking). This research validated online shelf methods as a predictor for market share. Furthermore, the shelf exercise was redesigned in order to deliver better quality data with a visibility exercise that differentiates PACT 2.0 from its competitors by providing a unique survey flow and a unique measuring tool. The redesigned shelf exercise passed a proof of concept study, but needs to be further developed and tested.