Think About It

A common lament about product packaging is that vital information too often is buried in the fine print. Take the canned version of Minute Maid Light. Its sleek can features metallic inks, cascading lemons and no fewer than four references to the product’s low-calorie benefits.

It’s so attractive, you can’t wait to open it up and take a refreshing sip. So you do. Only the sip is a miss. The lemonade is bland, bland, bland.

But the problem is not with the product. It’s with the package.

An inspection of the can reveals a key step in enjoying the product – four words presented in box-score type next to the nutritional stats: Shake well before enjoying. When you grab another can and give it a vigorous shake, you discover the lemonade is quite good.

 Perhaps most consumers will assume that a can of Minute Maid Light does not contain a carbonated beverage, and they’ll instinctively shake the can before opening. But because these few shakes are so vital to the product experience, they shouldn’t be left to chance. The makers of Minute Maid, the Coca-Cola Company, should ask themselves: How many people are walking away from this excellent beverage because their first experience was a disappointment?

Any number is too many, especially when the problem is easy to remedy. “Shake well” are two small words easily presented with prominence on the label – or better yet, as a reminder on top of the can. Such a simple design move would put Coca-Cola in a position to build an even more loyal following for Minute Maid Light.

Whether we’re selling soda pop or software, our job as communicators is to make sure customers know how to have the best possible experience with our product. Customers should never walk away with a bad taste in their mouths because we failed to impart the information that would have led to their satisfaction.