I had the privilege to be interviewed for the current issue of Bilant business magazine (#2, November 2004) – which features an in-depth article about packaging design, signed by Maria Constantin – among some of the most reputed professionals in the industry: Jennifer Schaeffer, General Manager of Proximity Bucharest (former colleague at BBDO), Mihai Coliban, Creative Director with Lowe&Partners (we've worked together during my D'Arcy DMB&B days), Dragos Coman, Senior Art Director (which I tried to recruit in behalf of D'Arcy, and I failed, like all other CDs on the market did – he seems to be one of the most courted art directors in the country) at Young&Rubicam and Emil Cioanca, Art Director, Ogilvy&Mather.

If you have the magazine around, open it at page 88, at the marketing section, if not, here's the bottom line: my point is that packaging is part of a brand's 'fabric,' and it lasts much longer than advertising, be that ATL or BTL, thus having more time to establish a bond with the consumer. Good packaging design is mandatory for building reputation of a brand wannabe, so the local entrepreneurs with limited budgets should rather focus on high quality strategic design (which will always clarify linked issues as well, like brand mechanics and brand architecture) than rushing to air and under-budgeted advertising campaign. Long term vs short term investment.