Brand Packaging Across the Globe

Have you ever wanted to know what your typical Coca Cola drink looks like in the hands of someone half way across the world? Interesting to think about right? Maybe you never have thought about it, well, listen up!

As the consumer segment continues to grow and expand, the look of global brands and brand packaging grows hand in hand with it.

Nothing speaks to consumers like personalization. Today, I would like to show you a variety of consumer brands that adjust their brand packaging based on their location on the globe.

Brands may create different packaging for a variety of reasons. A large portion of global brand packaging is adjusted to fit language needs or culturally relevant photography and art style. Brands may also adapt temporary packaging to accompany a global event or highlighted point in the year that can bring attention to the brand and therefore lead to more engagement and buying on the consumer end.

Today, I would like to show you four different ways that brand packaging can be changed to fit the needs and preferences of consumers across the globe. Those four ways include, adjusting the language,  cultural population, entertainment, and global sporting events.

1. Keeping it simple with just a change in text: Language

Take a look at one of Axe’s hair styling gel products. The method used by this global brand is to simply include the product explanation in multiple languages in order to appeal to their multiple users and target audiences.

 brand packaging

2. All about culture – As mentioned in an earlier post, Coca Cola thrives when it comes to cultural campaigns and promotions. Over this past year, Coca Cola has implemented the “Share a Feeling” campaign, going off of the well know Share a Coke campaign.

Coke thought that the use of emoticons, small pictures that include facial expressions, can improve the struggle that is llanguage barriers, as facial expressions are almost entirely universal. A smile is a smile and so on. Take a look at the Share a Feeling campaign being used across Asia.

brand packaging

3. Keeping up with the time: Entertainment

Pepsi has recently launched their, “The Future is now” campaign, in efforts to please the large crowd of Americans who grew up loving the character of Marty McFly in the hit flick: Back to the Future. In the film, the main character drinks this future-like soda on October 21,2015. When that date finally arrived in real time, Pepsi was ready, behold, Pepsi Perfect.

brand packaging

While the campaign was used in America, don’t forget how different the shape, look, and design are from the usual Pepsi bottle.

brand packaging

With all this talk about Pepsi, don’t worry, Coca Cola never misses the boat when it comes to partnering with major events and their own personal branding. Check out what Coke did during a special campaign in celebration of the Chinese New Year.

brand packaging

4. Sports Relevance – No matter where they are, nothing gets people fired up quite like sports. What better way for brands to connect with their consumers on a personal level than by being involved in what their customers care about most, their team!

Take a look at this McDonald’s campaign during the Fifa World Cup, a sporting event that has soccer or should I say “football” fans, specifically in Spain and the rest of Europe, going crazy. Believe it or not, this type of branding has the capability of bringing the world together.

brand packaging

You can’t have sports without beer right? Budweiser also joined in on the excitement that surrounded the Fifa World Cup with their own special brand packaging.

brand packaging

So, what does all of this mean. When it comes to repackaging for foreign distribution, not all things change, some things stay they same and with simple additions of visual assets and culturally relevant photography.

However, important events specific to geographical regions and countries may call for additional brand packaging and repackaging and there for a greater brand awareness for the product and overall brand.