Packaging and Branding Design in a Chinese Game - Essay Example

Literature Review: Packaging and Branding design development in a Chinese game Introduction Satisfying children has been a matter of grave consideration for inventors, designers and marketers. With the population hike all over the world being kept under control, the number of children everywhere are stable or on the decline. But that has never proved to be a deterrent in the sphere of 'Kid's Marketing'; on the other hand, the value attached to 'Kid's Marketing' has soared in recent years. It has become increasingly difficult to satisfy children now through the 'gaming' medium, as their patterns of behaviour and consumption are in a state of constant flux. Children now exert an increased influence over their parents and elders, and often they star earning at a very early age; which further increases their importance as consumers. They can operate advanced technological gadgets from a very early age, and thus prefer gaming on the Television, Computers and the Internet. The rise of the nuclear family with working parents has substantially increased the amount of time they spend alone, which makes these games a wonderful getaway from loneliness and imbibes in them the importance of focusing on a particular job for a fixed period of time. However, since these games require minimum physical movements, they might lead to poor eyesight or lethargy, or create a negative impact on the young mind with pornographic or violent content. With the advancement of time, traditional games that were played in childhood by today's elders have been forgotten. Children now are not introduced to these games, which are cost-effective, interactive, interesting and require a good amount of both physical and mental efforts on the part of the players. Packaging these games and re-introducing them to the children of today might provide a better play ambience for our kids. Games in childhood often carry with them some educational value, which goes on to reflect society. As such, introducing a Chinese game to British audiences might bring about multicultural, and multilingual communication. Instead of banning children from playing video games or surfing the Internet, these games might provide them with a better option to choose from. Brand A brand comprises of logo, name, slogan and/or the design scheme associated with a product or service. The popularity of a band with the consumers rests on its quality, marketing, advertising and presentation. A brand becomes a part and parcel of our very selves, implying our personality, social status, likes and dislikes; through its powerful symbolism of logos, fonts, colours, themes and sounds. Big brands build up their business through their individual consumers, who spread the good name for building business. Since brands originated only after the advent of packaging, Industrialization might be said to have boosted the production of many household items, such as cosmetics, from local communities to centralized factories. However, soon the need arose to convince customers that these packaged products were at least as good as, if not better, than the ingenious products manufactured in and around their house. Therefore, we deduce that the earliest packaged products were branded in order to familiarize the consumer with the product. Furthermore, since proper branding is a prime mode of advertising the product, utmost care is taken to ensure that the brand looks attractive in the eyes of a new, potential customer. Similarity between manufactured products often makes consumers feel indifferent regarding their choice and purchase of a product. (J. Blythe, 2005, Pg.147) Branding helps a product stand out among the rest, which is made possible by a unique skill of professional marketers. Like our signatures, each brand identifies itself through the variety of qualities mentioned earlier (P. Kotler, V. Wong, J. Saunders and G. Armstrong, Pg.549). Distinction, value addition and trust are the three elements that cause branding. Distinction In commodities that are not similar, but almost the same, in 'commodity products' to be precise, branding cannot possibly establish one among the rest as to be termed 'superior' or beneficial in any given quality. Thus, distinguishing them is impossible without the brand name associated with the product. Mineral water sold by Rusbridge and Kendal and Dent are of a similar quality, but their brand names often bring about a difference in pricing. Distinction is considered to be a rare achievement in commodity products, since if the qualities of both the products are the same; customers normally tend to go for the cheaper product. Achieving distinction in such fields is a rare achievement made possible by innovative selling and clever marketing techniques. Value addition DeChernatony and McDonald, while defining a brand, state that a successful brand might be a product, service, person or place, that enables the buyer or user to perceive relevant, unique and added values that match their needs closely. Furthermore, in a competitive market, it should be successful in sustaining those added values even in the face of tough competition from the others in the trade. Economics defines the "brand" as a mode employed to create a monopoly or a form of "imperfect competition" - through which the brand owner aims at staying in a win-win situation leading to a monopoly, even in the face of decreased price competition with similar products. Via various legal and promotional means, brand names are kept secure and tamper-free. Good brands cater to the individual likes and dislikes of the consumer, or at least promise to do so. The popularity of a brand often depends upon its conformity to the promised quality,and its ability to incorporate added values to match the needs of the times. (J. Blythe, 2005, Pg.147) An assurance from an established brand means a lot to the consumer, as that makes him choose the brand instead of a generic or commodity product. In the UK, Marks & Spencer in clothing can dominate its specific market, since it has been a popular label based on customer satisfaction. Value addition has played an important part out here too, since they have made their content rhyme with their context in the area of quality, convenience and status. (J. Blythe 2005, Pg.147). Trust Trust generated in the minds of the consumers takes a brand a long way in its march towards success. Like we had discussed earlier, Marks & Spencer has earned the trust of shoppers all over the UK, and are in a position where most customers do not hesitate to entrust them with details of their personal credit cards while shopping online. This trust generally comes with time, when satisfied customers feel that the company stays clear in its business strategies, and would not take recourse to embezzlement in order to improve personal profits.This is a queer aspect of customer psychology, where we associate our feeling with the views of those around us. (P. Kotler, V. Wong, J. Saunders and G. Armstrong, Pg.549) Brand touch-points A touch point of a brand might broadly refer to the various means of interaction and management, which are employed by a brand to ensure its success. (Information Outlook, Nov, 2003 by Chris Olson) Touch-points might include websites Phone conversations with staff members, newsletters, awards, conferences, division initiatives press releases, chapter meetings, advertisements, networking introductions, sponsorships, promotion items, publications, announcements, presentations, referrals, seminars, exhibit displays, interviews-and so on. What is brand identity Brands are intangible, appealing to our likes and dislikes, while the tangible brand identity is more sensory in spirit. In an attempt to develop your brand identity and brand image, the link of communication often gets broken. A gap between your brand identity and brand image might bring about major concerns with your brand as a whole. As a natural consequence, your audiences are left baffled as to the nature of your product. Since a brand by itself is a physical entity, brand identity does a lot of work on the positive side by providing a visual identity that is easily recognizable. Since our sense of sight is a major working force in our perceptions, our mind recognizes a brand by its logo or colour. We associate these symbols with the brands so effectively that as soon as we see a red soft drink can lying in the dustbin, we recognize it to be a Coca Cola can. The sequence of cognition Our recognition and interpretation of sensory stimuli has been examined and explained in vivid detail by psychologists. We tend to acknowledge distinct shapes, which etch out their messages on our brains. Familiar images trigger a direct recognition, while words need to be understood for extracting the meaning out of them. Shapes come first in the sequence, since we can distinguish between shapes from a very early age. Furthermore, shapes have the force to make the brain acknowledge them within no time. Colour is another important sequence. As discussed earlier, a Coca Cola can is easily identified from among the rest by its distinctive red colour. Colours for definite brands are chosen carefully, since they should not only render an unique visual appeal for the brand, but also allow us to differentiate it from various others. Words come as the last sequence, since they need to be interpreted and understood prior to establishing a connection with the brand. The time taken by the brain to process language is generally more than that of images or colour. (A. Wheeler, 2006, Pg.9) The best identities advance a brand The identities of a brand are created by virtue of various positive qualities that help in the constant growth and prosperity in its sale statistics and quality improvement. They help the brand in creating a separate position for itself anywhere in the world. The brand would never experience success if an optimistic leader with ideas that would help the brand inflate within its sphere. Successful brands carry aclear message within themselves, that of a big idea or a separate entity. A brand should maintain a certain amount of clarity in its deals, pricing, and individual assets. Differentiating themselves from the others help them maintain their individual identities. Measurable results are created through awareness creation, sustainability, flexibility and value addition. However, since a brand often caters to its 'individual' clients, familiarity and effectiveness are often the chief determining factors in creating brand identities. Naming a brand The right name is very unique, since it requires very little advertising, explanation and introduction. Brand strategy communication is the major function of the brand name. Brand names go well with the tongue, irrespective of your lingua franca and nationality. A great brand name is a natural key to its contents. It carries forward the uniqueness of the company and its products. A good naming firm can tug heartstrings with their work. A brand name must be creative, since most words found in the dictionary can now be found to represent brands. Legal availability of brand names has become a source of major concern for companies. Lawyers go to the extreme measures to ensure that their brand names stay unique and secure, and thus become the signature of their identity and existence. (A. Wheeler, 2006, Pg.48). Names are selected from a very wide range of options, but a there are a few trends that are followed while naming a brand. Brands might be named after the owner or his/her family name. Good examples may be cited from the food industry, since Kellogg's, Heinz and Del Monte are all brands named after their owners. The advantage of naming a brand after its owner shows the real person connected with the establishment, and we tend to go for the brand remembering the hard labour experienced by its owner. Brand names that describe its nature of products provide easy advertising, since the brand name itself speaks a lot for the company. Fine examples of such brands are Pizza Hut and Grub Club, which effortlessly describe their products and services. Innovative names are easier to copyright, but then a lot of effort is to be invested on the brand advertisements, since the consumers must be made aware of what they have to offer. With regards to the consumers, they must make an effort to know better about the brand and its area of operation. Sometimes, names from mythology, animals, popular culture or foreign vocabulary are used as brand names. Good examples of such brands are Phoenix Yule and Kingfisher. Using only the initials of a longer name is the style in vogue at present. But these brand names offer no ideas on their products or services, neither are these acronyms easy to remember. Such companies often invest a huge amount on advertising in order to make themselves known. HP and IBM are such brands who use their acronyms on their products. Brands also use a combination of these techniques to create distinctive names for themselves. Good examples of such names are Standard Chartered and Citibank. (A. Wheeler, 2006, Pg.49). An effective brand name must possess certain qualities to emerge victorious in the global competitive market. An effective name must carry within itself the image of the company, thus communicating via the essence of the brand. The name must be easy to pronounce, spell and remember, regardless of the nationality or intellectual abilities of the consumer. It must preserve possibilities for the future, and open new avenues for brand expansion. Strong negative connotations are not desirable in a brand name, rather, it must have positive connotations. The brand name should be protected by legal devices, and thus create an entity for itself, which enables the customer to recognise the brand in no time by means of its visual aspects. (A. Wheeler, 2006, Pg.49) What is packaging Packaging refers to the covering or wrapping over the original product, which serves various policies for the manufacturing company. The expenses on packaging are more than often put to good use. Packaging is primarily used to protect and preserve the products sold by the company. It further aims at creating convenience for the customers, since food carried in paper wrappers or electronic gadgets carried in plastic cases are convenient to carry, and once the contents are put to use, the wrappers are easy to dispose off. The packaging conveys a message about the product to the customer, who knows about the product even before opening the package. Furthermore, the packaging is a major means for advertising your product, since the visual aspects on the package relate directly to our sense of sight. We know about the contents of the package, its qualities and implied promises. Packaging might target a fixed section of the consumers, or might persuade all to give it a try. Thus the contents, words, logos and colours on the package might mean a lot to the customer. (M. Linehan and T. Cadogan, 2000, Pg.66). The history of games Games have existed since the advent of humanity on earth, and they have been a prime source of enjoyment to the players who participated in them. Some of these games have withered away, while others have either withstood the test of time in their original format, or have been modified to suit the needs of the times. A brief peek into the history of games brings to light a number of interesting facts, which reflects the essentials of games, provide a direction to modern games, and even predict the future levels of games. -Chess and Checkers have been modified from a game that was played in ancient Babylonia in as early as 4000 B.C. By 2000 B.C, a game bearing remarkable resemblance to modern day Checkers was being played in Greece. Chess was designed from an ancient Indian game, Chaturanga. But it was not until 1500 A.D. that the individual pieces were allotted the powers that they hold today. -The Industrial Revolution saw a marked advancement in the field of game manufacturing, since the hectic schedule of the common man was altered a bit by the entertainment provided by games. Furthermore, with the advent of a number of schools, children were allowed to communicate with each other on the games that they played, and the word spread. The invention of the roller skates in 1759 and the mass production of dolls in 1840 proved that inventing and branding games was a lucrative profession. In 1843, 'The Mansion of Happiness' becomes the first board game to be sold in the U.S.A. -The famous scientist, Thomas Alva Edison, improves upon the speaking doll, invented in 1820 by Joan Maelzel, by combining a phonograph with the doll, thus making it speak. -With the birth of 'Erector Set', 'Lincoln Logs', 'Mickey Mouse' and 'Monopoly', branded games became not a priority, but an absolute necessity for common people. -Entrepreneur Donald Duncan popularised the yo-yo in the U.S. in around 1929. This toy has been hanging on to its basic design for quite some time till date, since stone yo-yos were popular in Greece even in 1000 B.C! -The first video game machine was invented and patented in 1972 by Magnavox. Soon, video game fever gripped the world, and its popularity has ever been on the rise. After the introduction of the personal computer, video games took a great leap, and older games were modified to create a real life ambience. New games concentrated on stereo sound and 3 D imagery to create magic. (Dr. Karen Carr, Associate Professor of History, Portland State University) Since games have existed for such a long time, we are able to deduce that they must have been recreational, since popularity dwindles if something cannot keep up with the times. Although games are not that necessary for our living, we might say that games are our guides to a happy, healthy living. There are various positive aspects of games, which are better hand-eye coordination, ability to think and react quickly, and social aspects. These games are but a few amongst many, but we could not possibly discuss all of them here. Communicating with children by illustration Illustrating a game or toy is an important aspect ruling the popularity of the game, and the illustrations must be complete and definite. Illustrations on the package must highlight both the positive and negative aspects of the game, since almost all games have certain risks involved for careless players. To communicate with children, we must draw ourselves to their level of understanding, and speak in a language that they enjoy and understanding. Without an instructional booklet, a new game might seem to be worthless for a kid, if not dangerous. The problem with adults is that we often fail to step into children's shoes while attempting to understand their feelings and ideas, likes and dislikes. Children often become introverts from a very early age, as they feel that nobody is able to understand their words and thoughts. A generation gap can never be ignored, but our aim should be to bridge the gap as much as possible. And when they are asked to express their feelings by drawing, some startling facts are revealed through their drawings. Emotion While expressing their emotions, children are unable to hide anything. When they attempt to draw a person whom they love, they keep trying to improve their drawing. On the other hand, if they dislike a person, they draw the figure first, and then smear their drawing with black ink, which is their way of avenging themselves upon this particular person. These emotions are carried on to imbibe qualities, good or bad, in the character of the child. Thus, due care should be taken to ensure that children voice their emotions, since unvoiced emotions might lead to pessimistic habits at a later age. Opinion Children form their own opinions about the world and the persons around them. They might form negative opinions about their parents, who might forbid them from doing something. But children without their ability to comprehend everything that they experience depend a lot on their intuitions. Therefore, after forbidding them from doing something, we could offer them an alternative, which would lighten their grief stricken hearts. Like their hearts, their opinions too are fragile, as they change their opinions ever so often. Personality Is it a farce when psychiatrists state that children have a well-developed personality right from childhood But research has shown that children tend to form their personality depending upon their surroundings, upbringing, and opinions. Their use of colour while drawing might be analysed to get a picture of their personality. Optimistic and extrovert children would draw a sunny day, and use a lot of bright colours in their picture. On the other hand, a pessimistic and introvert child would prefer to draw a rainy day, and colours like black, gray or coffee might dominate the picture. (P. Milner and B. Carolin, 1999) Thus we can conceive that children use the medium of drawing to express themselves often, and they easily understand this mode of communication. Adults might use the same to communicate with children conveniently and effectively. And it would not be a bad idea to use paintings on the packages meant for children to ensure that the message is delivered to the right address! Children and the screen The vast impact that computers, television and video games create on the minds of children cannot be denied. Children have a tendency to spend hours in front of the television or the computer, watching their favourite cartoons or playing video games of their choice. The causes are simple, working parents spend less time with their children, the unavailability of open spaces to play around, and the socializing problems in children. While most people feel that these tendencies are the cause of depressed attitudes or juvenile crime in children, others feel that the era must be taken into consideration; these are but the favourite pastimes of the children of today. Henry Jenkins, the director of comparative studies at MIT, puts forward a few controversial issues and labels them as myths on the website www.pbs.org. He debunks various issues that are said to have their roots in video games like juvenile offence, youth aggression, male child monopoly, social isolation and desensitising. The following books also state that television might have a positive impact on the lives and well being of children. 1. Children and Television: The one eyed Monster By Barrie Gunter & Jill L McAleer. London: Routledge, 1990. 2. Playing with Power in Movies, Television, and Video Games: From Muppet Babies to Teenage Mutant Ninja turtles, By Marsha Kinder. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1991 3. Video Kids: Making Sense of Nintendo. By Eugene F. Provenzo, Jr Cambridge; MA: Harvard University Press, 1991 But the others might not accept such a generalised view on children and their affinity to computers or television wholly, since leading health organisations and psychological researchers constantly ask parents to keep a vigil on the habits of children regarding such issues. Dagmar Lagerberg, in her commentary entitled "Physical Activity and Mental Health in Schoolchildren-A Complicated Relationship", states a valid point in dealing with the connection between physical activity and mental relationship. She states that these two are definitely interrelated, but physical exercise would not always lead to a strong body and a healthy mind. Individual preferences must be taken into account, and force or frightening behaviour from the others should be avoided. Children should be encouraged to play outside for mere enjoyment, and disciplined rules or skill-enhancing techniques should be used with great care. Paul P, Time, 0040781X, January 16, 2006, Vol. 167, Issue [2], Database: CINAHL, in his discussion entitled "WANT A BRAINIER BABY" suggests various ways of nurturing a young mind. He also states that kid products that claim to boost mental and intellectual development in a child actually undertake no research on their products before launching them in the market. On being asked to offer an explanation on their claims, they find an easy way out by saying that the claims were made after conducting an internal survey on their users and their kids. And on the other hand, evidences are available that excessive television viewing has a contrary impact on the mind of a child. Dimitri Christakis, co director of the Child Health Institute at the University of Washington, states that "The more TV babies watch, the more likely they are to have attentional problems later in life." She explains the love for television in a child as an example of the 'orienting reflex' (which was first explained by Ivan Pavlov in his experiment with the dog). Children would definitely prefer physical affinity with the people around it, says Claire Lerner, Director of parent education at Zero to Three, a national non-profit focused on early-childhood development, and she also explains the child's ability to copy actions that it sees, and loves. Even Lise Eliot, a neuroscientist at Chicago Medical School and author of What's Going On in There How the Brain and Mind Develop in the First Five Years of Life, says that "But the good news is none of this costs any money. Children prefer humans over anything inanimate." Andrea Millwood Hargrave, working on a Joint Research Programme between Broadcasting Standards Commission and Independent Television Commission, in September 2003 discussed about the banal effects of screen violence on children in her report entitled-" Strategic Thinking-How Children Interpret Screen Violence". However, the report concluded with the view that children responded to violence on their own perception of violence. The personal responses towards violence among these children aged 9 to 13 brought a glaring truth to the forefront, that children depend a lot on their intuitions even when they are about to move into adolescence. Violent video games, with their graphic imagery and near pornographic contents, have different reactions upon the individual minds of different kids, and thus should be prevented from reaching the young hands before they attain a certain level of maturity. Although some of these games, about 10% of all the video games available for buyers, are rated 'M' for mature players by the Entertainment Software Rating Board, which is an independent organisation created by the gaming industry, there are no laws that render them being sold to kids as illegal. Pamela Eakes, the founder of 'Mothers against violence in America', on the website www.pbs.org, says that the hard task of keeping children safe from the ill-effects of graphic television programs, sexually explicit magazines and alcohol just got harder with the introduction of video games, since most parents do not monitor the games that their children spend hours playing. Moreover, most parents are not even aware of the fact that there exists a rating system for video games, while most children are aware of the same. She further states that many juvenile offenders basically try to spice up their lives by incorporating the thrill of violent video games into their own lives. Even educational television programs, says both public and scientific database, are harmful, since they render children inactive, who stay indoors to watch their favourite television programs. Obesity and overweight in children is a matter of grave concern all over the world, and a number of explanations have been proposed. The availability of fast foods and beverages, agree nutritionists, is a principal factor governing these outcomes. Consuming snacks and soft drinks while watching television or surfing the Internet have become a common habit for children. Outcome of this design project Amidst this state of affairs, we would be making a mistake if we ever dream of keeping our children happy in spite of drawing them away from the television or the Internet, and offering them with no other alternatives of enjoying themselves in their own way. Here, offering them a traditional Chinese game with attractive branding and packaging techniques would definitely provide them with entertainment and ample physical exercise. Even a simple toy like a yo-yo would allow the child to stay focussed on the toy, forgetting the programs that come on television or the new video game that has caused a sensation at that moment. A yo-yo is a cheaper toy than even the cheapest video games, and easier to carry around. The branding could also be portrayed in the language children understand best, the language of images and colours. In the information booklet, the various techniques of sleeping, looping, off-string and freehand could be depicted with proper pictures. This would definitely trigger off an urge within the child to master these techniques, and parents too could obtain immense pleasure and spend some quality time along with their children playing with the yo-yo. But certain factors need to be kept in mind while branding a yo-yo for a British child, since times are not the same as it used to be when yo-yos were first made popular all around the globe. Today's children have many options to choose from, and they love variety. Thus, great care should be taken while selecting the colours for the toys. The information booklet too, should be colourful and informative, since children tend to lose interest in topics that leave their inquisitiveness unanswered. Simultaneously, the reading and comprehending abilities of children are to be given a thought while preparing the instructional booklet. The shape and size of yo-yos too should be given due consideration, since that would offer the children some variety to choose from. And last but not the least, parents should let the child know of the accidents that might occur while playing with a yo-yo, and monitor their child's introduction with the toy. We are sure that there are positive aspects of children being familiar with electronic gadgets from an early age, but we wish to focus on the enjoyment offered by traditional physical games, and the literature justifies our viewpoints to an acceptable level. Bibliography Margaret Linehan and Therese Cadogan, 2000, Make That Grade: Marketing Revision,Ireland by Carole Lynch. Alina Wheeler, 2006, Designing brand identity, 2nd Ed. New Jersey, John Wiley& Sons, Inc. Jim Blythe, 2005, Essentials of marketing, 3rd Ed. Essex, Pearson Education Limited. Philip Kotler, Veronica Wong, John Saunders and Gary Armstrong, 2005, Principle of Marketing, 4th Ed. Essex, Pearson Education Limited. Gary Armstrong and Philip Kotler, 1999, Marketing: an introduction, 5th Ed. New Jersey, Prentice-Hall, Inc upper sadle river. Barrie Gunter & Jill L McAleer, 1990, Children and Television: The one eyed Monster London, Routledge. Marsha Kinder, 1991, Playing with Power in Movies, Television, and Video Games: From Muppet Babies to Teenage Mutant Ninja turtles, Berkeley: University of California Press. Eugene F. Provenzo, 1991, Video Kids: Making Sense of Nintendo. Jr Cambridge; MA: Harvard University Press. Craig A. Anderson and Brad J. Bushman, 2001, Effects of Violent Video Games on Aggressive Behavior, American Psychological Society, Vol. 12, No.5 Paul P, 2006, Want a brainier baby Loading up on tapes, games and videos may not be a smart move. There are better ways to nurture a young mind, Time, 0040781X, January 16, Vol. 167, Issue 2 Dagmar Lagerberg, 2005, Physical activity and mental health in schoolchildren: A complicated relationship, Acta Paediatrica, Vol. 94, Pg. 1699-1705 Henry Jenkins, MIT Professor and Pamela Eakes -Mothers Against Violence in America.Their discussions on www.pbs.org. Carl Sneed, Department of Psychology,Mark A Runco, Department of Child Development, "The beliefs adults and children hold about television and video games". Katharine E. Heintz, 1992, Children and the screen, Journal of Communication, Autumn Vol.42, issue 4 Pg.92 Carl Sneed and Mark A. Runco, 1991, the beliefs adults and children hold about television and video games, the journal of psycho, Vol.126 issue 3 Pg. 273-284 Pat Milner and Birgit Carolin, 1999, Time to listen o children personal and professional communication, London, Routledge Read More