‘Disruption’ stands out from the crowd in France. Japanese love attention to detail.

The world is morphing at dizzying speed into a single economy, yet consumers interact differently with product in all corners of the globe.

With the introduction of a new feature, International Fare, BRANDPACKAGING examines packages that function as effective marketing tools around the world. International Fare originates from worldwide packaging research at GIO Global Intelligence, Chicago. GIO conducts fieldwork regularly in 27 countries to gain insights on how packaging appeals to local consumers.

If your brand competes in a crowded category, one tactic for standing out from the crowd is disrupting the eye as the consumer walks past your shelf set. Here’s how one men’s HBA brand does it in France.

Sara Lee Corp. markets after-shave moisturizer under the Williams name. Several elements make this a package that stops consumers “in their tracks.” First, it’s upside-down. Functionally, this means the moisturizer is always at the “business end,” ready to use.

Second, it looks different from competing products on the store shelf. The closure is recessed and provides one-hand use, giving the impression of portability. This sporty overtone lends a masculine feel.

The Japanese love beverages. During the summer, 50 percent of all coffee consumed in Japan is cold. The Japanese also love packaging. Marketers in Japan spend about three times more on packaging than do marketers of products distributed in the United States.

If you want to appeal to the Japanese consumer, Maxim provides one successful yardstick in ready-to-drink cold coffee. The brand is marketed by Ajinomoto General Foods Kraft of Japan.

The package is a sturdy plastic cup containing a dust cover over the lid and an attached, extendable straw. Brilliant colors include a copper metallic foil in the graphics.

Maxim’s cup includes a pre-cut opening for the straw—a convenience required in Japan, where consumers obsess over detail.

Crackers, cookies and baked goods are dear to the hearts and palates of Italians. The number of product forms in these categories spans a wide range.

Petit Beurre Biscuits, from Larzaroni of Italy, is a particularly powerful package in this product segment. It uses photography with high-quality printing to create perceptions of a sophisticated brand that far exceeds cracker packaging typical of many other countries.

Packaging makes the depth and appeal of Petit Beurre Biscuits apparent. The quality of the presentation makes the product look inherently fresh.

Many product categories in the United States fall under the term “commodity,” and crackers is one of them. But this package demonstrates that using packaging materials to elevate perceptions of your brand creates value in the consumer’s mind.