Building a brand through storytelling: Packaging design as for custard apple soaps by Ban Nung Yen women’s club of Talesupsorn district, Lopburi province

Abstract

This participatory action research aimed to 1) conduct market analysis for registered OTOP herbal soaps and 2) design the package for the Pra-tee-nung-yen royal hall variety custard apple soap ‘Ban-nung-yen’ brand which was locally made by Pra-tee-nung-yen royal hall’s women’s club of Talesupsorn District, Lopburi province. Collaboration with local communities allowed for community development potential. Drawing on the principles of brand storytelling, symbolic communication, and interactional sociolinguistic, a wide variety of symbols such as pictures, colors, logos, lines, texts, shapes, sizes, materials and font styles were seen that have carried a spectrum of meanings, associations, and emotions, and that were used for packaging design. Data was garnered by document study, in-depth interviews, focus groups, and expert evaluation. Qualitative data was analyzed using thematic analysis and quantitative data was treated using statistics including percentage, mean, and standard deviation. 

The study discovered that Pra-tee-nung-yen royal hall variety custard apple soap ‘Ban-nung-yen’ brand is segmented as medical soap for skin therapy, net weight of  100 g, selling price is 50 Baht per bar; and 2. packaging development suggested a brand naming “Ban-nung-yen”, a slogan of product “traditional formula soap by Lopburi locals”, the use of the color brown as a background of the package with the pictures of custard apple, font styles, ivy line, including the narrative story of Pra-tee-nung-yen royal hall variety of custard apple evoked a desired emotional connection to the reign of Ayutthaya kingdom’s King Narai the Great dating back to more than 300 years ago. The compelling story helped create positive brand perception for customers and added value of the product in way that the fruit is believed to arrive Thailand during the reign of King Narai the Great and since then has been grown by the locals in Talesupsorn historic neighborhood around Pra-tee-nung-yen royal hall. The quality assessment of the package was of highest satisfaction.