BrandPackaging Magazine, the only publication entirely focused on the role of packaging in consumer product marketing, has relaunched with a new logo, layout and format beginning with its January/February 2008 issue.

"The change is being made at a time when marketers are finding it more difficult to gain the attention of consumers through traditional advertising, and, instead, are increasingly recognizing the importance of packaging as a primary brand-building tool," says Jennifer Acevedo, editor-in-chief of BrandPackaging.

"Advertising, if you can even get the consumer to view it these days, is fleeting," says Acevedo, "but packaging exists on the shelf -- at the point where the consumer is making the final purchasing decision -- and continues to promote the brand once consumers take it home and throughout its use cycle."

"But brands have not always recognized the marketing value of packaging," says Acevedo.

"Traditionally, marketers have viewed packaging as part of the product development process rather than as part of promotion," she says. "We are bringing a new look to BrandPackaging to underscore our belief that marketers should consider packaging as part of an integrated brand platform. Our aim is to help further the evolution of packaging as the primary tool for brand building today."

The redesign includes a new logo, which has been created as a call to action in support of the magazine's tagline, "Elevating Packaging in the Marketing Mix," says Julie Anixter, chief marketing officer for laga, the brand identity and design firm that worked with the publication to revitalize its brand.

"When we did research, we found that marketers and designers alike relied on this magazine to sell the value of packaging 'up the organization,'" says Anixter. "The use of a 'carat' in place of the 'A' in BrandPackaging was both to reflect the growing importance of packaging as a brand-building tool and to impart a sense of dynamism and urgency to readers as it relates to the need for furthering design as a marketing function. We wanted to ensure that the magazine came across both visually and verbally as the advocate for design that it truly is."

In addition to the new logo, the magazine is now publishing in an oversize format to provide a larger platform and accommodate a two-column layout. "The change, along with a cleaner, more dynamic design, will enhance readability of the magazine and make it easier to find and access pertinent content quickly," says Anixter. "We wanted to treat the content of the magazine much like one would a package -- the goal here was to make it easy to use and consume."

BrandPackaging also publishes a bi-monthly e-newsletter, "BrandPackaging Unwrapped," and a hard cover "Design Gallery(TM)," which annually features the year's most innovative packaging. The magazine's sixth annual "Packaging That Sells(TM)" conference, the largest such event focusing on marketing and design, will take place at The Drake Hotel in Chicago on October 2-3, 2008.