Are all frozen yogurt cups created equal? We asked IFYA’s Packaging and Branding Expert, Andy Lin, to explain why consumers and frozen yogurt shops care about branded frozen yogurt cups. Andy is the Web and Marketing Manager for CarryOutSupplies.com.
Do Consumers Care About Branded Frozen Yogurt Cups?
By Andy Lin
CarryOutSupplies.com is occasionally asked whether consumers really care if they get their “froyo” out of a custom print branded cup or just a plain white cup. Some may argue that a disposable cup is just a disposable cup. After customers finish enjoying the dessert, the cups just go into the trash bin. At CarryOutSupplies.com, we believe the reason to get branded cups is two-fold.
The Value of a Brand
Branding definitely adds to the overall consumer enjoyment. Your customers are not just eating generic frozen yogurt; they are enjoying your brand of froyo. Few people, if any, will consciously think: “This is a beautifully designed cup. I’m going to enjoy this froyo more than if it came in a plain white cup!” But the simple act of putting your logo on a cup can and does affect how people perceive what they taste.
As Engage Research, a market research firm that offers blind product testing, explains “the same product tested under different brands or even under different positionings with the same brand may, and often is, rated differently by the respondent. This is because the consumers are in effect responding to the whole package of brand, positioning and product.”
Consumer research has shown that taste/flavor perceptions have been affected by the color of the plate the food is served on, the person’s mood, background noise, food labels, the type of spoon and the quality of the packaging. A well-designed, branded cup looks more pleasing to the eye than a plain cup.
The Age of Social Media
Nowadays, people want to be seen at the fun, cool and trendy places in the city. And word-of-mouth spreads faster than ever, all thanks to social media such as Facebook, Yelp, Pinterest, Instagram, Foursquare, Facebook, etc. You probably know people who “check-in” to their favorite hangouts constantly and “tag” all their friends and even their pets. If your business can tap into this energy, it can help your business not only thrive within your local community but succeed in the frozen yogurt industry.
Customers are a lot less likely to broadcast their visit to a plain, generic establishment to all their friends. This is why we believe that all businesses should invest effort and capital into their brands (See Andy’s previous article, The Importance of Branding in Today’s Competitive Frozen Yogurt Market).
Custom-printed cups complete the brand image. If your cup is printed with a beautiful or interesting design, it makes it all the more likely for the cup and your business to become a talking point. In terms of the more traditional advertisement, when your customers take your cups out of the store they will become your very own walking ads, making everyone crave for some frozen yogurt with all those delicious toppings… yum! Once they start sharing their pictures of your branded items on Pinterest, Instagram, Flickr and Yelp, even more people will be exposed to your brand.
Presentation is Everything
As the saying goes, presentation is everything. Human beings are very sense-oriented. Every smell, sound and sight will add to, or detract from their experience with your establishment. Do consumers care about branded cups? Perhaps not consciously, but branded cups will affect the presentation and perception of your product.
About Andy Lin
Since joining the CarryOutSupplies.com family, Andy has become well-versed with the ins and outs of disposable foodservice supplies. Over the years, Andy has assisted clients throughout the U.S. by giving special attention to their needs regarding quality, branding, operations, and cost saving. He understands what is truly important in the industry in order to succeed and stand out from the crowd.
About CarryOutSupplies.com
CarryOutSupplies.com caters to the foodservice industry by supplying generic and custom printed disposable supplies. Since the very the beginning of the fro-yo boom, CarryOutSupplies.com has been serving the frozen yogurt industry and helping stores and franchises propel their brand and image to new heights.
The views and opinions expressed herein are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the International Frozen Yogurt Association.
