Gustavo | Licensed Art Application Without Mysteries #1

03 Dec Licensed Art Application Without Mysteries #1

Posted at 20:14h in Brand Licensing, Style Guide by Admin

You who have licensed products may have already experienced some of these situations:

My packaging has a completely different format and I cannot apply the Style Guide standard.
My packaging was disapproved because some information was missing, such as the brand © Copy.
Packaging elements are out of proportion and applied without the license standard.
My art was different from other companies with the same license, what did I do wrong?

When we think of brand licensing as a business owner our last concern is how to create the art of a licensed packaging for that brand. Moreover, to think that, because there is a manual on how to apply the arts, the Style Guide, just put it in the hands of a trainee, watch out!

Working on a packaging concept is one thing; working on creating licensed packaging is totally different, We have to follow rules and understand concepts. Be careful about the legal aspects, think about the selling point, marketing and the image of the company. In conclusion, it is this synergy that the packaging of a licensed brand must have and so we must be aware of the details.

Your packaging must maintain a visual standard in harmony with what already exists in the market. Subsequently, it must have the same concept of application of elements and information, after all, products are selling the same brand.

There is no formula for how to apply the Style Guide gear to your products. Certainly, there are some steps that help a lot in this process.

Licensed Packaging Tips

Here are some tips on how to create licensed packaging and minimize approval time for these gear:

Direct at the source: This is the first step to building a good packaging line, talk to the brand licensing company. Try to find out what the expectations, the positioning, the target indicated, to align what they expect with what you intend to launch in relation to the brand or character you want to work on.

Market Research: Research stores, magazines, online stores, and analyze how the packaging of other licensed companies on the same property has been assembled to gain insight into what is being done for that brand.

I believe this is the main step for quick and seamless approval with the Licensor. In addition, when creating the art check all the critical points like copyright, brand logo, graphics proportions, character application.

Product Photography

This is one of the important points for a good layout. As a result, it will make all the difference in layout composition in most cases, a sequence of very explanatory photos eliminates the use of graphic elements and icons that fill in empty spaces just to explain.

After that, whatever the product does, don’t forget that at the point of sale you have seconds to sell the idea of a product to the consumer.

Characters

Do not deliberately attempt to innovate! Ask the Licensor if the poses for use in packaging are specific images designated in the Style Guide. Sometimes, the use of other poses available in the material is allowed to apply in packaging.

Style Guide

Ready to study style guides? Don’t give it to your designer and expect that in a simple leafy look he will work miracles.

Look for the specific application information of the material, see what are the possibilities. Arrange a meeting with the Licensor and ask what are the permitted ways of application. As there is no fixed rule.

Packaging Format

Which licensee has never had to apply the art in a completely different package, all cutout and different and had no doubt how to apply it?

For all licensed packaging, there is a layout solution, but sometimes there isn’t a rule in the Style Guide.

After all, how do I solve this?

Unfortunately, there is no magic way, assemble the layout, show it to your licensing agent, ask questions, ask for examples already made of packaging with different formats; Admittedly, over time errors will be minimized when accustomed working with licensor approval.

All that you have witnessed or will witness is the so-called Brand Equity. In addition, this is the concept that every brand in licensing seeks to build.

That is to say, brand recognition is the value that this brand represents to each consumer. In the same vein, in all aspects of the brand, both tangible and intangible attributes such as the characteristics of the products, quality, the marketing actions and the desire embedded in this brand.

This is all represented by the brand name.