Cosmetic/Personal Care Packaging.

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Perspectives: Nancy Jarecki, Betty Beauty

_{Nancy Jarecki}

What happens when you’re marketing a new kind of product?

_{By Marie Redding, Senior Editor}

Nancy Jarecki, founder of Betty Beauty, explains how she used packaging to open customers’ minds to her innovative product, Betty Color, a.k.a. Color for the Hair Down There.

Betty Color surprisingly counts baby boomers as its largest customer demographic. In what ways do you feel your package design is helping to make the product more appealing to certain types of consumers?

I knew that I would have some taboo issues to overcome when launching this product, so I needed to change the consumer’s perception about those issues. The logo and graphics had to be a universal design that would feel appropriate for any age so that anyone would feel comfortable purchasing the product. I also wanted the packaging to look like that of a beauty product and not be perceived as too clinical or too racy.

How challenging was it to market a brand-new type of product—especially one as unusual as this?

The challenge was deciding how to use package design to help convey the right message to the consumer about the product. I knew the right message would greatly influence whether or not the product would be a success. The copy on the front of the package had to clearly convey what the product was, and the graphics had to visually depict how the product worked as well. It helped to have a specific design direction in mind. I found a graphic designer to help achieve all of the design goals I had in mind and create the right look for the brand.

_{Betty Beauty’s Betty Color launched in 2006, and its trademarked package design has contributed to its success. Next, the brand will launch a hair-removal cream and a men’s hair-coloring product.}

Did you feel that a simple logo and graphic design would be best to effectively communicate the purpose of the product?

Clarity was key. I chose to use a triangle symbol to visually depict where the product is meant to be used. I went back and forth with different descriptive phrases, such as “private parts,” but I knew that the best way to describe the product was to just clearly say exactly what it is—color for the hair down there. Then, I copyrighted the design, the description, and the triangle symbol.

Is it important for a designer or a small business owner to learn about copyrighting and other legal matters?

Yes! I recently spoke about this during a seminar. When breaking through with something new, you have to think about how to protect yourself. I thought about how I would stop others from copying me in the future. If a big company came along and launched its own version of this product, how would I be able to defend myself or compete? There is no way to prevent other companies from manufacturing their own hair-coloring products, but I could preserve my name, description, and triangle symbol as a logo. It’s important to know where to put your money. My legal fees are a big part of my budget. My owning the trademark will create a problem for other companies trying to market a product like this. Being the first to position this type of product in the beauty category is also a definite advantage.

What other challenges did you face when developing this packaging?

More packaging designers, graphic artists, Web site designers, and suppliers should solicit small companies. It’s hard for us to find them.

What tips do you have for others who may be thinking of marketing a new type of product?

I can’t emphasize enough the importance of clarity in your marketing message. I even used my product as a consumer would, following my own instructions to make sure they were understandable.

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