ICT IEA Diploma: Investigation (Section 3.1)Investigation into the problem

The aim for this project is to create a distinct new type of packaging and advert package along with onscreen visuals to promote a new product from the Yo Mama company. One of the most important aims is to draw attention to the Yo Mama brand name by incorporating the current strategies in use by Yo Mama (as discussed early)such as putting emphasis on color, simple yet easily remembered visuals and store concepts and designs. The situation is to create a new image of the company and present it to my target audience of teenagers and adults who indulge and wish to relax in the presence of yogurt. Also, I am aiming to present a fun, unique and exciting product advert and packaging campaign to attract customers in to visit the store. One main goal is to produce an even more attractive advert scheme than any of Yo Mama's competitors.

As observed from many of the companies many other competitors, their adverts often bring across their color scheme and font type to the customer in posters and adverts which emphasizes the corporate identity. So through the catchy colors, I could incorporate this into the advert design which boldly emphasizes Yo Mama's identity as a brand, yet bring across new ideas or a new product across to the customers. With the cup packaging, it should bring across elements from the poster onto the design of the special cup which promotes the new product more physically and lastly with the video advert, it will once against highlight Yo Mama's main colors and also have a link between the advert, poster, and video ad to strengthen the corporate identity and forge a concept of the company into a consumer.

To find out what will bring out the best results on the poster advert I will create a questionnaire to reflect on people's views on how adverts and companies catch their eyes when they go by and which elements are they attracted to (perhaps the color, the graphics or the font itself in catchy phrases?)

What makes a good poster?

"Posters are seen by the target audience for only a few seconds – usually as the drive or walk past. They should be put up on poles next to busy roads or on walls and windows of shops where passers by can see them. It is important that they are as large and as bold as possible so that they attract attention and can be read easily. Here are some useful tips for producing good posters:

Make the posters as large as possible - they should not be smaller than A2 (4 x a normal A4 page)

Keep the writing as big as possible so that people can read it easily from about 10 metres away

Use as few words as possible - avoid using full sentences. For example "Unite against Child Abuse" instead of "Let us unite in the fight against Child Abuse"

Use colour if you can afford it – it make your poster stand out and attract more attention

Do not put too many words and images on your poster – it may be beautiful, but if the design is too busy the most important information may not get through to the audience

Make sure that the poster is easily recognised as belonging to your organisation by using your logo, colours or the abbreviation of your organisation’s name

Posters are generally very expensive to print but you can make them by hand by using koki pens or paint. If you have access to a silkscreen printer, you can also print posters yourself. A few well made beautiful posters can be much more effective than 100s of small ones that nobody notices. If you want to print posters it will cost you R2 - R4 per poster depending on the size and quality of paper you print it on. If the paper is thin you usually also have to use cardboard to stick the poster onto and this will add at least another R1 to the cost. Posters are best used for advertising events or for popularising a short slogan that will get support for your cause or organisation."

Source: www.etu.org.za/toolbox/docs/organise/webposter.html

What makes a Good Fro-Yogurt Packaging (Cup)?

"Speak If your target audience wants to feel they’re saving money then making your product look cheaper using plain packaging and a 'No Frills' message would be right - the reality is that the packaging 'origination costs' will bear little or no impact on the product price but it makes the product feel cheaper. Design Most consumers like to try new things and the only way to buy something that is worth their investment is through the depiction of the design or image of the packaging. Be creative in your packaging to help better impress potential consumers to buy your product. Creative packaging help breaks the consumer’s fear of a bad purchase. It also opens the door for products to be tried at least once from first time users. Packaging is a crucial element that can’t be neglected. Clear If consumers only spend 10 seconds then they get a lot of information about a product by just looking at the pictures on the packaging than from reading the text. Colour can also convey a message about your product and shortcut communication with consumers. Though be aware, colour has different meanings in different cultures so it needs to be researched. Where text is used, make it easy to read and use language that connects with the target audience. Consistent With only 10 seconds, consumers will generally go with what they’re familiar with. However, in the absence of relevance the consumer will always fall back on price. If a consumer has seen your product in advertising they feel that they already know what it can do for them, they will be more likely to buy your product. If you're going to get the biggest bang for your marketing Rial then everything from the company’s ads, branding and packaging must carry the same and consistent message. Practical The best examples of this are squeezy ketchup bottles and plastic toothpaste tubes - the physical and practical packaging is as important as the aesthetics. It must add to the positive experience of using the product. At the end of the day, it has to be easy to open and easy to use." Source: http://portal.peie.om/tabid/128/forumid/1/threadid/1/scope/posts/Default.aspx

ICT IEA Diploma: Investigation (Section 3.1) Background Research into Yo Mama

As a base, I will firstly introduce the client and a detailed investigation into Yo Mama from the notes jotted down from the interview in December.

Yo Mama's concept has derived from the Yogurt Bars and Ice Cream Parlors dotted around San Diego and San Francisco in the USA and emphasizes on the simplicity of the brand product itself with a limited range of colors that are eye-catching, complimentary and interesting to reflect the bright flavors and colors of the parlors and ice cream, even though they sell yogurt. The reason they do this is perhaps to lure customers in from it's poppy bright colors and to realize it's not ice cream and persuade them to try it as they emphasize the health factor of "0.25% fat" for the healthy consumers nowadays. Their corporate colors include baby blue (turquoise), baby pink, baby green and white and are reflected on the cow image the put forward for company brand-name emphasis as it is easy to remember as the brand name is short, catchy, utilizes simple and complimentary colors and a simple yet cute imagery. All of the above helps the corporate image stick in the consumer's head.

Secondly, obtained from the interview; according to the store manager, the company's target market is everyone and puts emphasis on a comfortable and happy environment as she expressed that even some elderly citizens in Hong Kong visit the store as a healthy alternative to the usual ice cream treat as frozen yogurt is more natural and contains less fats. Even though they use very child-hood reflecting imagery with the colors, the company wants to be a place where everyone can relax and a place of simplicity, hence what will be reported next: Flavors.

Unlike it's competitors such as Berrygood, Pinkberry and Yogurtime, they only use 2 flavors (Original-Tart like taste and Green Tea) and try to create more toppings as the owner (Ms.Suen) reflects that there are too many flavors in normal ice cream and yogurt shops and not enough toppings to choose from and to differentiate Yo Mama from the rest, she keeps the flavors relatively limited and widens the variety of toppings so that the consumer can further "customize" the fro-yo to their tastes. They do occasionally sell a 3rd flavor, but thats reserved for special dates and occasions such as Christmas and Valentines Day perhaps as an act to attract customers to try the new flavor. All in all, Yo Mama likes to keep things quite simple but unique in choice to help customers customize the yogurt they're eating to their own tastes. Also, they import their yogurt from Italy

Finally a quote from the store manager herself (Ms.Lai): "Yogurt= Everyone Loves. Its healthy and Pure!"