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Stonyfield Yogurt is Too Plain Vanilla

I write about strategies to turn fans into customers and customers into fans. I also share ways to use real-time strategies to spread ideas, influence minds, and build business.

Worst Practices  |  Marketing

Stonyfield_Yogurt_failQuick. What’s different between these two different packages of Stonyfield yogurt?

If you’re like me, they look identical at first glance.

That’s not good. Your packaging should indicate at a quick glance what is inside. People shouldn’t have to study all the words to figure it out.

Did you see the difference? The one on the left is “French Vanilla” flavor and on the right is “Plain”. I just don’t see that when I am shopping at a normal pace. 

It took quite a few seconds for me to see that on the two packages is small writing at the bottom saying either “French Vanilla” or “Plain”.

Another difference that I didn’t see at all until it was pointed out to me at home is that the images in the middle are different. On the left is what I assume is a vanilla plant (don’t know for sure) and there is a bowl on the right. I simply didn’t see that. 

Differentiate your products by their packages

We eat a lot of Stonyfield plain yogurt in my house. But my wife and I have both purchased French Vanilla by mistake. Multiple times.

And others have the same problem with this packaging because at least half the time, there is French Vanilla in the Plain section at the places we shop. So even the stock clerks screw this one up!

The other flavors of Stonyfield yogurt are color coded and easy to differentiate. But the French Vanilla flavor and plain packaging are way to plain vanilla.

If you’re doing any packaging – consumer products, B2B brochures or white papers, book covers and the like – make sure people know what you are offering at a glance.