Ahead of the marcus evans AmericaPack Summit 2022, Jason Shaw discusses what it takes to design irresistibly superior packaging that works across consumer touchpoints.

1. Interview with: Jason Shaw, VP,
Oral Care Design, Procter & Gamble
“To create packaging that stands out in
all environments, the packaging, design,
production and manufacturing teams
must deeply understand each others’
work, and collaborate to share insights
and solve problems. A product needs to
be enticing at every touch point,” says
Jason Shaw, VP, Oral Care Design,
Procter & Gamble.
Shaw is a panellist at the marcus
evans AmericaPack Summit 2022.
What draws consumers in? What
difference does the package make?
Uniqueness. We are now dealing with
many different consumer touchpoints,
so the package has to work for ever
environment. For retail specifically, we
work hard for our products to look
unified but differentiated at the same
time. We want to make sure each
offering is clear for the consumer. Who
am I? What am I? Why am I right for
you. That is what we focus on. For the
digital environment, you have to strip
back, and be more clear on how the
consumer will benefit. Of course,
photography and rendering style must
also be taken into account, so the
products look and perform at their best,
especially on a small screen.
How does the unboxing experience
contribute to brand equity?
Whether it is a high-priced item or a
lower cost tube of toothpaste, in my
world, the unboxing experience is
critical, especially in some Asian
markets like China. We have done a
number of unique opening experiences.
From our team in home care, we
borrowed an idea, so when you unboxed
our paste packs, it would give you a
message. We have done the most work
on the unboxing experience in our
power brush business, looked at the
time it takes to unbox the product, the
ease of set up, made sure all the
materials are sustainable, and so on.
We want to carry people’s enthusiasm
from purchase to the unboxing
experience, then first use, and
continued use of the product.
How are your package designs used
to communicate your brand story?
We do a very good job of that. Our
brands are almost 70 years old, so there
is a quality impression that we need to
convey, as our products tend to be
premium-priced. There are brand
assets, signature assets that we care
for, manage, and continue to evolve.
We continue to invest in our legacy
assets, always making sure our
branding is clear. We have a unique
point of view, and we want that to be
conveyed to the consumer.
What does it really take to create a
compelling story through a
package?
For us, the package is part of a holistic
communication plan, which includes
advertising and all digital mediums, so
we want to make sure there is a thread
that runs through all of those. The
product and packaging needs to be
enticing at every one of those touch
points. It takes highly collaborative
effort, many people working together,
to make sure that those assets are
compelling for people.
We have to make sure we deeply
understand the work of the people who
contribute, not just those in our direct
organization, but all the organizations
we collaborate with. The best insights
can come out of working with our
purchasing group or printers. Really
getting in and understanding what the
work is, and the problems you are
trying to solve. Do not be too
prescriptive about how you go about
doing something. Just try to clearly
define the problem, what job you are
trying to achieve, but keep it like an
open brief, to get as many diverse ideas
as humanly possible for you to lock
down on something.
Are there any touch points that
some packaging directors should
focus more on?
There are two areas of opportunity they
could improve on. With TV advertising,
we have a playbook and know what
works and what does not work best, but
I think we can be a bit more polarizing
or take more of a chance on how
packaging is portrayed. For consumers,
the product and the package is one and
the same.
Digital is the other area of opportunity,
where we can display the package in a
more unique way rather than focusing
mostly on the functional aspect. It
should not just be about people
zooming in to get product info. As we
become more digitally savvy, that is
certainly an area we can improve.
What new trends should packaging
professions start planning for?
The evolution of metaverses, and how
packages and products show up in such
an environment, is something I am
personally interested in. We have
started to do 360 degrees of our packs
and products to make sure we are
prepared to go into any digital
environment, whether that is Amazon or
our own branded sites or metaverse.
That is the biggest trend I see people
trying to get their arms around. What is
happening in that environment from a
brand-building standpoint, how our
products show up, is a totally new
world. It might be the same product you
see in retail, but many brands are
creating products bespoke for that
particular environment.
The package
has to work
for ever
environment
Packaging that Stands Out in the
Retail and Digital Environment

2. About the AmericaPack Summit 2022
The AmericaPack Summit is an invitation-only, premium forum bringing together
leading packaging executives and innovative suppliers and solution providers. The
summit’s content is aligned with key packaging challenges and interests, relevant
market developments, practical and progressive ideas, as well as strategies adopted
by successful pioneers.
www.sept22.americapack.marcusevans-summits.com
About marcus evans Summits
marcus evans Summits are high level business forums for the world’s leading decision-makers to meet, learn and discuss
strategies and solutions. Held at exclusive locations around the world, these events provide attendees with a unique opportunity to
individually tailor their schedules of keynote presentations, case studies, roundtables and one-on-one business meetings.
For more information, please visit: www.marcusevans.com
Upcoming Events
AmericaPack Summit (February 2023) - www.feb23.americapack.marcusevans-summits.com
AmericaPack Summit (May 2023) - www.may23.americapack.marcusevans-summits.com
EuroPack Summit (March 2023) - www.march23.europacksummit.com
To view the web version of this interview, please click here:
https://events.marcusevans-events.com/americapack2022-jason-shaw
Contact
Sarin Kouyoumdjian-Gurunlian, Press Manager, marcus evans, Summits Division
Tel: + 357 22 849 313
Email: press@marcusevanscy.com
For more information please send an email to press@marcusevanscy.com
All rights reserved. The above content may be republished or reproduced. Kindly
inform us by sending an email to press@marcusevanscy.com
The Marketing Network –
marcus evans Summits group
delivers peer-to-peer information
on strategic matters, professional
trends and breakthrough
innovations.
Please note that the Summit is a
closed business event and the
number of participants strictly
limited.