fpm brief

The FPM Brief, a new series of articles on consumer CPG research and behavior, highlights how research insights fuel creative intelligence in packaging design, branding, and marketing. By analyzing consumer interactions and purchasing drivers, we reveal strategies that enable brands to connect authentically with their audience, empowering them to stand out in today’s competitive market.

Read one of our latest articles

Designing Tomorrow: Navigating the Frontiers of Intelligent Design in 2025

3 Ways Gratitude Boosts Brand Loyalty

As we move through a season that puts gratitude front and center, it’s the perfect moment to explore how appreciation isn’t just a feel-good gesture, it’s one of the simplest, most powerful ways to strengthen your brand. Today, we’re sharing three research-backed ways gratitude helps turn casual customers into loyal advocates.

01. the power of gratitude

Gratitude Makes Customers Feel Seen

When customers feel personally acknowledged, they’re far more likely to return. A simple thank-you note in a subscription box, a birthday message with a small discount just for them, or a thoughtful follow-up email can transform a one-time buyer into a repeat customer. Gratitude shows that you’re not just making a sale, you’re building a relationship.

Try this: Include a personalized thank-you line using their first name or highlight something unique about their recent interaction with your brand.

Appreciation Builds Trust & Positive Emotion

Gratitude creates an emotional connection, and emotions drive buying decisions far more than price or features. When customers associate your brand with warmth and positivity, they develop trust—one of the most important foundations of long-term loyalty.

How to implement: Share a “behind-the-brand” moment in an email or social post, expressing genuine appreciation for your community and how they help shape your journey.

Gratitude Encourages Reciprocity

There’s a psychological principle at play: when you give, people naturally want to give back. Brands that consistently express appreciation often see higher engagement, more referrals, and increased customer retention.

Ideas to spark reciprocity: Offer a small surprise, like an exclusive discount, a freebie, or early access to a new product as a thank-you to your consumers.

02. ai spotlight

December 2025
Key AI Advancements

Seamless Integration and Enhanced Workflows

AI functionalities are now deeply integrated into industry-standard software and platforms. This allows designers to use AI features such as generative fill, background removal, and smart layout suggestions, without leaving their primary workspace, significantly streamlining production.

Hyper-Personalization at Scale

AI enables the creation of dynamic, personalized user experiences (UX/UI). Designs can now adapt in real-time based on individual user behavior, preferences, and demographics, moving away from one-size-fits-all campaigns to more engaging,
tailored content.

The “Human Touch” Counter-Trend

In response to the polished “perfection” of AI-generated imagery, there’s a strong trend toward more authentic, handcrafted aesthetics. Designers are intentionally incorporating imperfections, grainy textures, hand-drawn elements, and unconventional layouts to add warmth and uniqueness that AI often lacks.

Ethical and Legal Considerations

With the widespread use of AI-generated content, ethical concerns around bias in training data, originality, and copyright are paramount. Professional tools now address this by offering a commercial safety guarantee and “Content Credentials” to verify authenticity. These tools ensure that creative outputs are legally safe for business use, protecting creators and companies from copyright concerns, training-data disputes, and inadvertent reuse of protected material.

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Other research you might be interested in

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Data Literacy 101: How to Spot Good (and Bad) Data

Data is everywhere! Surveys, reports, social posts, and headlines. But not all data is created equal. Knowing how to evaluate it can save you from bad decisions and help you build smarter strategies.

The New Food Pyramid and What It Means for Brands

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3 Design Trends Shaping The Year Ahead

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Costco Success Starts Here: How to Make Your Product Buyer-Ready

Breaking into Costco is a major milestone for any brand. High-volume sales, national visibility, and a loyal membership base make this store a giant in the CPG realm. But getting there requires more than a great product. At FPM, we specialize in guiding brands through the design, packaging, and presentation standards needed to impress Costco buyers and stand out in the competitive market.

Keep Your campaign Merry, Bright, and On-Brand

The holiday season brings a whirlwind of campaigns. From Black Friday to New Year’s, there are so many different moving pieces it is easy for your brand to feel scattered.

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A Standing Ovation for the Season—and the Work Behind the Curtain

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Women-Owned and Proud of It!

October is Women-Owned Business Month, and as a proudly woman-owned design and marketing agency, we’re taking this moment to celebrate the powerful, creative, and visionary women who are building businesses and breaking barriers.

Spooky Design Mistakes that Haunt Your Brand

It’s that time of year… when pixel goblins and font ghouls run wild. If your designs are feeling more creepy than creative, it might be time for a little brand exorcism. Here are 4 spine-chilling design mistakes that could be haunting your visuals, and how to banish them for good.

Want Scroll-Stopping Ads? Try What No One Else Is Doing.

Everyone’s talking about bright colors, strong CTAs, and knowing your audience. That’s the bare minimum. If you really want to stand out in crowded social feeds, it’s time to get tactical. We’re sharing 3 lesser-known strategies for creating scroll-stopping social ads that convert like crazy.

3 Quick tips to Instantly Improve Your Website’s UX

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The Art of Saying ‘Not That Blue’ Without Causing Tears

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New work, New Space & A New Special Offer

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Time for a Brand Refresh? Let’s Make It Happen This Fall

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The Holiday Countdown is On! Here is Your Q4 Game Plan.

As Q4 approaches, it’s time to shift into high gear. Whether you're launching holiday campaigns, prepping end-of-year reports, or setting the stage for 2026, a strong finish starts with strategy. We’ve put together a comprehensive checklist to help you stay ahead of the curve.

What’s Inspiring FPM This Season?

At FPM, creativity is the heartbeat of everything we do. Lately, we’ve been inspired by some exciting sources that are shaping our vision and energizing our work. We wanted to share a little behind-the-scenes of what’s fueling our passion these days. From vibrant mood boards to the sounds and trends guiding our creative journey.

5 Packaging Worries Every Founder Has

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Introducing Idaho’s Sleekest License Plate Yet

Crafted by the creative minds at FPM and proudly sponsored by the Idaho Potato Commission, the new black license plate features a clean, minimalist look that complements any vehicle. With its sleek black background and crisp white lettering, this design exudes understated luxury while paying tribute to Idaho’s agricultural roots.

Trade Show Season is Coming. Is Your Booth Ready?

When it comes to making a lasting impression at trade shows, your booth is your brand’s stage. At FPM, we specialize in helping companies go from “just showing up” to “show-stopping success.”

AI x CPG: How Smart Design Tools Are Reshaping the Process

AI is not replacing packaging designers—it’s supercharging them. From ideation to testing, AI is changing how we build packaging that performs.

No More Beige: The Bold Color Movement

Gone are the days of soft tones and safe neutrals. Consumers are hungry for bold, joyful packaging that feels energetic, expressive, and full of life—especially on crowded shelves or social feeds.

What Makes Gen Z Click, Share, and Buy?

Gen Z is redefining the rules of consumer packaging, and it’s more than just eye candy. From the thrill of unboxing to the nostalgic pull of Y2K aesthetics, today’s young consumers are drawn to packaging that’s fun, shareable, and full of personality. We’re breaking down four key trends shaping how Gen Z connects with brands.

Tight Budgets. High Expectations. Here’s How Smart Packaging Delivers Both.

When every dollar’s doing double duty, your packaging design better work. Packaging that pulls its weight doesn’t just sit pretty; it grabs attention, tells a story fast, and nudges that hand toward the cart. Smart choices in layout, hierarchy, and emotional spark can boost your brand’s vibe and value without dropping extra cash on ads. That’s the beauty of intelligent design: it saves money, sells better, and still turns heads on shelf.

Shelf Science: What Actually Gets Picked Up?

In today’s competitive retail landscape, the science behind what gets noticed and what gets purchased, extends far beyond attractive packaging. Shelf science combines elements of psychology, design, and consumer behavior to understand how shoppers make decisions in-store. From color placement to eye-level positioning, every detail is engineered to influence attention and, ultimately, drive conversion.

Trouble on the Shelf? 8 (Fixable) Packaging Fails.

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Summer’s Here — Time for a Brand Refresh!

Packaging that Pops, Strategy that Sells.

Seeking a CPG design partner that combines strategic insight with breakthrough creativity? Look no further. We craft packaging rooted in consumer behavior, market trends, and brand positioning—designed not just to stand out on shelves, but to resonate deeply with your consumer.

Your Branding and Packaging Experts

If you’re looking for a future-forward CPG partner who knows how to make your brand pop, you’re in the right place.

Augmented Reality (AR) Packaging

Augmented Reality (AR) is revolutionizing packaging design in 2024, offering consumers futuristic and immersive experiences that captivate and engage. This week, we explore how AR is transforming consumer interactions with products, particularly in the technology sector.

Smart Packaging

As we move further into the digital age, the role of packaging is expanding beyond traditional functions. The integration of IoT (Internet of Things) elements into packaging is not just an innovation; it is a fundamental shift in how we perceive and interact with products. We live in an age where packaging designs can be intelligent, sustainable, and aesthetically advanced.

AI-Enhanced Packaging Design Processes

In today’s rapidly evolving professional landscape, the transformative power of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is reshaping every industry. In packaging design, AI is emerging as a game-changer, enhancing creativity, optimizing workflows, and generating design variations based on consumer insights and preferences. This synergy between AI and human intelligence is setting the stage for a new era of design innovation.

The Art and Science of Packaging — Interactive Packaging Design

Packaging design is evolving rapidly, shifting from a static form to an interactive experience. In our fast-paced, media-driven society, consumers are no longer passive recipients; they are active participants who influence and are influenced by the products they use. This paradigm shift has led to the rise of interactive packaging design, a cutting-edge approach that prioritizes user experience and fosters a reciprocal relationship between consumers and products.

Designing an Anthropomorphic Chatbot with Its Personality — Choosing Between Male and Female Traits

In today's technologically advanced landscape, chatbots are transforming how businesses interact with their customers. These electronic conversational agents leverage natural language processing and machine learning to automate interactions, providing users with an engaging and efficient way to access corporate services.

Intelligent Packaging and Blockchain

In today's market, consumers demand more transparency and accountability from the brands they trust. Intelligent packaging, augmented with QR codes, meets this demand by providing detailed narratives about a product's journey, sourcing, authenticity, and environmental impact. This innovation turns packaging into an interactive gateway, enhancing consumer engagement and trust.

Minimalist vs. Maximalist Packaging Design

In the ever-evolving world of design, the dichotomy between minimalist and maximalist packaging design offers a fascinating contrast, much like two sides of a finely crafted coin. These distinct aesthetic approaches, though seemingly opposed, each have their own merits and ideal applications, showcasing their true potential in different contexts.

Color Saturation and Consumer Perception of Product Sustainability

In today's eco-conscious market, companies are leveraging color to convey sustainability messages effectively. Natural hues, particularly green, have become synonymous with eco-friendliness. However, recent research reveals that the saturation of these colors significantly impacts consumer perceptions of a product's sustainability.

Nostalgic Packaging Design

Nostalgia, that bittersweet longing for the past, has become a powerful tool in marketing, particularly in packaging design. It serves as a visual time machine, transporting consumers to earlier eras and creating immediate connections with their personal histories. Whether it’s the vibrant and psychedelic aesthetics of the 1960s or the bold, neon-soaked styles of the 1980s, retro-inspired packaging resonates deeply with consumers. For older demographics, this connection is even more poignant, allowing them to relive cherished memories from their youth.

How Visual Crowding in Packaging Sparks Consumer Desire to Buy

In the realm of packaging aesthetics, a fascinating phenomenon known as white space plays a crucial role in how design elements interact with their surroundings. White space refers to the amount of empty space around a message or design element. Some packaging designs, like Apple's iconic approach, embrace generous white space to evoke simplicity and elegance. In contrast, other designs, such as Kraft's Macaroni and Cheese packaging, venture into reduced white space, creating a vibrant and visually intense tapestry where images and text closely intertwine.

Crossmodal Correspondences — How Visual Shapes Influence Taste Perceptions

The association between visual shapes and taste perceptions has long captivated sensory psychologists and packaging designers. One particularly intriguing observation is that individuals often associate curved and symmetrical shapes with sweetness, while angular and asymmetrical shapes are more commonly linked to other basic tastes such as sourness, bitterness, saltiness, and umami. This phenomenon, known as crossmodal correspondence, highlights the intricate interplay between visual and gustatory stimuli.

Creative Design Process — It’s All About Intuition

Graphic designers seamlessly blend images, typography, and interactive media to craft compelling messages and user experiences. But where do their ideas originate, and how do they transform them into designs? While intuition is often cited as a crucial element, the specifics of how graphic designers harness it remain somewhat mysterious.

Exploring the Emotional Connection Between Product Shapes and Nostalgia

Marketing research highlights the intricate relationship between nostalgia, consumer preferences for product shapes, and the underlying mechanism of social connectedness. Understanding how nostalgia influences these preferences is crucial for designers aiming to create appealing and effective products.

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