Right-brained me

"Choose a job that you like and you will never have to work a day in your life." - Confucius

How to avoid wasting space on your package

I love strawberries. While eating them this morning, I noticed the QR code on the package. It simply said “Check us out today!”. Although it’s always good to see companies integrate technology, the message itself didn’t compel me at all (as a consumer) to scan it.

Despite that, I did a bit of research on them (to satiate the marketer inside me) and found out that they actually have wonderfully buzzing online community. This made me feel a bit dismayed over their lost opportunities of engaging with even more customers, just because of the wrong message on their package. 

Here are some alternate messages that might have worked better. 

  • Scan me to see 15 delicious strawberry dessert recipes
  • Scan me to get a chance to visit our berry farms in Watsonville, California 
  • Strawberries are considered classic aphrodisiacs. Scan here to find out why 
  • Scan here to share your own special strawberry dessert recipe 
  • Scan here to show your support for organic farming
  • Scan me to see a video about how to grow strawberries in your home
  • Scan me to join a community of strawberry lovers and growers
  • Love chocolate dipped strawberries? Scan here to learn more variations of it

Based on our experience, we’ve seen that there are generally 5 different types of motivators that compel people to take action: Increase in knowledge, increase in social status, worthy cause (or activity) that they want to associate themselves with, enjoyment, and lastly monetary incentives. 

Here’s how the messages above can help in using these underlying motivating factors to achieve your desired results (i.e. get them to scan the code):

  • Scan me to see 15 delicious strawberry dessert recipes —- touches on “increase in knowledge” motivator
  • Scan me to get a chance to visit our berry farms in Watsonville, California —- touches on “monetary incentive” motivator
  • Strawberries are considered classic aphrodisiacs. Scan here to find out why —- touches on “increase in knowledge” (curiosity) and “enjoyment” motivators
  • Scan here to share your own special strawberry dessert recipe —- touches on “increase in social status” motivator
  • Scan here to show your support for organic farming —- touches on “worthy cause association” motivator
  • Scan me to see a video about how to grow strawberries in your home — touches on “increase in knowledge” and “increase in social status” motivators
  • Scan me to join a community of strawberry lovers and growers —- touches on “enjoyment” motivator
  • Love chocolate dipped strawberries? Scan here to learn more variations of it —- touches on “increase in knowledge” motivator

Every inch of real estate that you get on your packaging needs to be thought through. Just having a QR code - without making the best use of it - isn’t always enough. 

For each of these variations - you would lead them to something different. In one case, you can lead them to your blog, in another to a resource section on your site with recipes, in another to your fanpages, and so on so forth. Just sending them to your main website (even if it is optimized for mobile access) won’t get them closer to becoming a loyal fan. Surprising them will. 

I would rather be hated for who I am, than loved for who I am not

—

Kurt Cobain

A great blog to follow if you’re into typography: Typeverything

A great blog to follow if you’re into typography: Typeverything

“United” by Playing for Change, as the world reaches a 7 billion population. So refreshing! 

Good design is as little design as possible.

—Dieter Rams

When asked how it felt like being in love, a man once said “I feel like I was living in a black&white world — and now my world is full of color”. 

Don’t be afraid to give up the good to go for the great.

—John D. Rockefeller

You will be remembered.

You will be remembered.

There are many who find a good alibi more attractive than an achievement. When we have an alibi for not writing a book and not painting a picture and so on, we have an alibi for not writing the greatest book and not painting the greatest picture. Small wonder that the effort expended and the punishment endured in obtaining a good alibi often exceed the effort and grief requisite for the attainment of a most marked achievement.

—Eric Hoffer

One of the many fascinating paintings in the Columbus Museum of Arts. You could just stare at it for hours.

One of the many fascinating paintings in the Columbus Museum of Arts. You could just stare at it for hours.

Photo taken in February 2011.

Photo taken in February 2011.

This is not a job. This is a joy. This is what I breathe. It’s what I live. And I think if I cut that off, I’d be cutting part of my soul

—Ralph Lauren

“Look at how a single candle can both defy and define the darkness.”  - Anne Frank (Photo: an intricately carved candle that my sister brought for me from Dubai)

“Look at how a single candle can both defy and define the darkness.”  - Anne Frank

(Photo: an intricately carved candle that my sister brought for me from Dubai)

Great things are not accomplished by those who yield to trends and fads and popular opinion.

—Jack Kerouac