Package Design - January/February 2015 - 4

f rom the EDITOR
BY LIN DA C ASE Y
11262 Cornell Park Dr. Cincinnati, OH 45242

EDITORIAL DEPARTMENT

Is the future of design grim?

n this issue's edition of the Package Design Matters multimedia series, Jon Denham uses his
insights to forecast the future of design, and ladies and gentlemen, let's hope that future
doesn't come to be.
"Design will be quickly commoditized," Denham says. "It will somehow take that great
cliché, last decoration station to market ..." The vice president of design at ConAgra goes on to
advise designers to come to the table with ideas that deliver substantial gains for the business of
the brand and to embrace the language of financials. You can read more about Denham's no
nonsense advice and observations about package design and marketing in, "A Call to Arms,"
starting on page 14.
The problem, which has unfortunately been perennial for so long, is how to quantify the
business results from great package design. To that aim, Package Design has gathered an expert
panel-David Bates, creative director at Hornall Anderson; Paul Chibe, former chief marketing
officer at Anheuser-Busch/Inbev; Peter Clarke, CEO and founder of Product Ventures and a
2015 Package Design editorial advisory board member; Kristina Dermody, brand president for
ARYZTA, La Brea Bakery and Otis Spunkmeyer; Ronald de Vlam, CEO and global managing
partner of Chicago-based design firm Webb deVlam and a 2015 Package Design editorial
advisory board member; and Rob Wallace, current president of Best of Breed Branding
Consortium, former managing partner of Wallace Church and a 2015 Package Design editorial
advisory board member-to discuss how designers and marketers are measuring the value of
their work. Like Denham, many of these erudite executives were plain-spoken in their
recommendations and reflections, yet generous in sharing their fruits of their experience, as
evidenced in "Debate & Discuss: Design ROI," starting on page 36.
In "Branding 4.0," starting on page 50, Wallace along with
co-author Richard Shear, design and branding entrepreneur,
founding principal of The Shear Partnership (www.
shearpartnership.com) and founding faculty of the
Masters in Branding program at the School of Visual Arts
(www.sva.edu), suggest brands leverage the power of big
data to boost profits and strengthen emotional bonds
between the brand, product and the consumer. They note
that intelligent use of big data, hyper customization and
smart, beautiful design can allow CPGs to engage
with consumers like never before.
Clearly, we are coming to a pivotal time in the
future of design. Let's all work together to make
sure that its future is bright.

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Linda Casey

linda.casey@stmediagroup.com
ART DIRECTOR

Don Heyl

don.heyl@stmediagroup.com
PRODUCTION MANAGER

Linda Volz

513-263-9398
linda.volz@stmediagroup.com

PUBLISHER
Gerri Brownstein

973-731-1984
gerri.brownstein@stmediagroup.com

CORPORATE STAFF
PRESIDENT

Tedd Swormstedt
SENIOR VP/GROUP PUBLISHER

Murray Kasmenn

PUBLISHING & BRAND SERVICES COORDINATOR

Christine Lewis

AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR

Christine Baloga

PACKAGE DESIGN SUBSCRIPTION SERVICES

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REPRINTS / E-PRINTS / PLAQUES

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Content Sales Specialist
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matt.neiderer@sheridan.com
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Package Design - January/February 2015

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