Need insights on packaging trends that can impact your business? Get the Packaging Diva on your team. Visit PackagingUniversity.com to find out about the latest packaging innovations.

External Influences Will Impact Your Packaging

Consider this recent headline: “Tesco pledges to cut packaging by a quarter…”

Supermarket giant Tesco today pledged to reduce by a quarter the amount of packaging used in both branded and own-label products within the next three years.

Uh-Oh! Are you worried? Well, you should be. External influences can shape the face of packaging materials for now and in the future. Many times this will be totally outside of your control. Legislation could be enacted, there could be a product security scare or another incident like 911. All of which could dramatically shape the success and failure of your product and its packaging.

Each January I write a packaging trends piece. It’s about where the packaging industry is going now and in the future and what external influences will drive that change. Trends are an important predictor of where the market is moving. Trends are more long lived than fads. Trends will influence product development for several years and sometimes they will become mainstream.

After reading the headline above, what’s your gut reaction? It better be that this is a serious trend. Not only is the reduction of packaging materials big news so is the use of environmentally friendly materials. What’s driving this trend? It is big box retailers like Wal-Mart and Tesco and more recently consumers.

Read this paragraph:

BENTONVILLE, Ark., – Today at the second annual Sustainable Packaging Exposition, Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE:WMT) released the initial results of its Packaging Scorecard. The scorecard, which was officially unveiled at the Clinton Global Initiative in September 2006 and launched on February 1, 2007, evaluates Wal-Mart and Sam’s Club suppliers on the sustainability of their packaging and offers suggestions for improvement. The results from the first month of operation show active use of the scorecard and a strong interest from product suppliers to make their packaging more sustainable. The scorecard implementation is Wal-Mart’s next step in moving toward achieving a five percent reduction in packaging by 2013.

Are you getting the message loud and clear? It is plain and simple, material reduction and more sustainable packaging materials. If you are not considering this as part of your long term packaging plan, then you might have problems down the road. “Green” is here to stay this time.

Besides the green movement what other factors can influence product packaging? What about product security and integrity? Given the rash of recent product recalls (for a variety of reasons) product security has become paramount. States could enact legislation or at the very least mandate that your product packaging has a tracking device. Now this is not the same as RFID, similar, but not the same. The latest devices allow you to track products all the way back to the field it was grown in and it provides a track back for every step along the way.

Some retailers may mandate that RFID be included on all product packaging. Will you be prepared? RFID interestingly is a two edged sword. There are some watchdog groups the feel that the RFID mandate is being taken too far. That is tracking what you buy, how you use it and ultimately how you dispose of it.

Recently, a major outlet demanded that all their vendors not only source their products but their packaging not from China but from the US. Trends like this are hard to ignore. If you are outsourcing your product and your packaging or even just the packaging to another country, do you have “Plan B” in place should this happen to you?

It’s your product and you will need to package it properly while being careful to keep all the external influences in mind. The warning signs are out there. Its up to you to look for them and anticipate the possible influence on your product.

About the Author:

JoAnn Hines is the Chief Executive Officer at J.R. Hines International, a firm providing consulting services in the packaging industry. For over 30 years, Ms. Hines has been engaged in packaging trends, forecasting, ideation/brainstorming and implementing innovative new packaging technologies.

Need insights on packaging trends that can impact your business? Get the Packaging Diva on your team. Visit PackagingUniversity.com to find out about the latest packaging innovations.

Low Volume Packaging

At least once a week someone calls and says that they’re going to run millions one day but they just need six for a sales meeting next week.

This will probably be one of the hardest tasks you have associated with getting your product to market. Many packaging manufacturers don’t handle small quantities so it’s important to find a supplier that works with minimum quantity or small quantity orders at the very beginning.

Fortunately there are now many resources available to someone starting the process of packaging their product.

First you need to decide the absolute minimum quantity you can order. Chances are you may end up ordering more but what you don’t want is a lot of excess packaging that you paid for and can’t use or packaging that ends up not being what you were expecting. Your packaging will evolve too so don’t be concerned if you can get exactly what you want the first time.

Start by asking your existing resources or vendors who they know and who they use or recommend as a packaging supplier. Believe it or not sometimes you can find the name of the packaging manufacture on existing packaging too. See what you like then try to find out who made it and give them a call.

Keep it simple to begin with. I know you have visualized fantastic or exotic package designs and as your business grows you will be able to order custom packaging for your products. But in the beginning you may need to decide to keep it relatively simple and use what is readily available

Today there are many great options available in small quantities. Suppliers have finally recognized that there are many small business clients out there too. Before you spend a lot of time and development creating a package you can’t afford or can make you need to determine what’s available at the right price and in the right quantities. I know your product is fantastic, but you still may need to start out on a smaller scale than you envision.

Here are places to look for suppliers of small quantities.

Yellow Pages

Pick up your local yellow pages. There are a lot of companies known as packaging distributors. They buy in large quantities and the break it down into smaller units for resale. Many of them have distribution centers around the country. Look under container, boxes, shipping materials or supplies in category headings.

Catalogs

There are numerous companies that have catalogs of packaging supplies and materials. Many of whom carry a large variety of stock sizes, ship to your door and have no minimum order quantities. Uline.com is a good example of this type service of carrying a variety of packaging products and supplies with delivery in a few days.

Trade Associations

Contact the association headquarters for the type of packaging you seek. They help their member get business so they will know which of their members deal in small quantities. Many times there are member directories right on the website.

The National Association of Container Distributors is a good example. NACD is a professional association of rigid packaging distributors who supply bottles, tubes, pumps, sprayers and other closure systems and most of their members deal in small order quantities.

Internet

With the advent of the internet you don’t need a storefront presence. Many of the companies broker packaging materials, they source supplies and do all the work for you. They make carry packaging in conjunction with other products especially in the niche markets.

One of my favorite sources for packaging innovation around the globe is WebPackaging.com. They are the largest global online packaging resource It just so happens that I write articles on packaging for them too.

Niche Markets

There are many niche market associations out there for example if you deal in the hand made toiletries and beauty industry there is an association dedicated just for them. There are numerous packaging supplier members that provide small quantities of packaging for this market.

Container Stores And Other Retail Outlets

Just by their name you recognize that they are a source to find the most unique containers. Many people just go to these stores and buy supplies. Other stores include craft stores, hobby and home centers where they have lost of decorative containers and accessories.

Lastly don’t overlook current suppliers. They have existing relationship lean on them to help you find appropriate resources. Designers, graphic artists, product producers all have sources. You may be able to open a door to a relationship even if your quantities aren’t quite large enough.

Don’t wait however till you have a product then end up in a bind to get a package made. This process should start at the very beginning.

About the Author:

JoAnn Hines is the Chief Executive Officer at J.R. Hines International, a firm providing consulting services in the packaging industry. For over 30 years, Ms. Hines has been engaged in packaging trends, forecasting, ideation/brainstorming and implementing innovative new packaging technologies.

Need insights on packaging trends that can impact your business? Get the Packaging Diva on your team. Visit PackagingUniversity.com to find out about the latest packaging innovations.

Is Your Packaging Newsworthy?

I see hundreds of releases on product packaging every week. For the most part I read the headline and say to myself “who cares?” That in itself is very telling because I am a packaging junkie and I’ll read almost anything that has to do with packaging.

Recently, mainstream media coverage of the packaging industry has been more in-depth than usual. I see dozens of articles about packaging each week. Unfortunately, the vast majority of the news articles deal with negative perceptions of packaging and its influence on society. From bottle water to excess packaging the packaging industry is getting a bad wrap. You can help change all that by portraying your product packaging in a positive manner.

So how can you get your product seen by the media in a more favorable light? Make sure that your packaging is connected to one of the more popular news trends or consider what the media will be covering outside of the obvious “breaking” news items unless of course you have a product that can connect to the most current story.

Start thinking about your product and how it can connect with the media coverage. A few examples of topics the media will be covering in the future include:

• Any thing to do with diets, weight loss or healthy eating.

This topic perennially becomes newsworthy as the holiday season approaches. This topic also offers opportunities for coverage in niche publications too, such as woman-oriented or fitness publications.

• Products that are geared around breast cancer or the Fight For The Cure.

The media is giving more and more coverage to this topic every year. Pink packaging abounds. But even if your packaging isn’t pink you can still piggyback of the media spin.

• Products that are marketed to or designed for the 50+ generation.

The “boomers” topic is getting substantial media play in virtually every type of publication. If you are marketing in this space, contact a few publications and find out what they will be covering in the next issue.

• Look for media spin on anything to do with the environment, recycled materials and bio-based materials.

The environment is hot right now, so this topic is definitely worth getting excited about. I just judged a brand new packaging competition for the Produce Marketing Association and one of the biggest categories was sustainable or environmentally friendly materials. If I was the winner of that category I’d be all over the media with my product packaging.

• Seasonal holiday innovative packaging.

Not your old holiday standbys but something really unique and creative. I always recommend thinking about secondary uses for your product packaging. The holidays are a great time for “keepsake” product packaging

• Investigate a pitch less commonplace to the media.

For example, recently I read about deli labels featuring CBS’s new primetime lineup are the network’s latest attention grabbing marketing plan. What a great concept. I’d be using this idea for every holiday promotion.

By tying your product into a hot topic or trend, you can help counteract negative publicity about the industry such as the upcoming Consumer Reports “Oyster Awards” articles which condemn product packaging every Christmas holiday. So, keep your eyes on the look out for ways and opportunities that will paint your product packaging to the media in a favorable light and not portrayed as too much, excess or over packaged.

You can make your product packaging newsworthy with the right slant and the right message. All it takes is a little creativity and imagination.

About the Author:

JoAnn Hines is the Chief Executive Officer at J.R. Hines International, a firm providing consulting services in the packaging industry. For over 30 years, Ms. Hines has been engaged in packaging trends, forecasting, ideation/brainstorming and implementing innovative new packaging technologies.

Need insights on packaging trends that can impact your business? Get the Packaging Diva on your team. Visit PackagingUniversity.com to find out about the latest packaging innovations.

Packaging Your Brand

What is a Brand? Webster defines a brand as a characteristic or distinctive kind of mark. In contemporary society, a brand is the essence of what people believe or think about you, your product, service or your company. It’s your identity.

Branding is that touchy-feely good stuff that translates into the way people feel about products and services. There are also negative brands out there, but we won’t go there except to mention that strong brands can very quickly become negatives ones. Consider all the negative publicity about Mattel and all the flak around that brand with the lead paint issue.

The brand is what keeps people returning. It makes them feel confident, secure, trusting, and cared for. It builds loyalty, constancy, allegiance, faithfulness and name recognition. So what does it mean to and for you?

A brand can be mean different things to different people. One thing remains constant: the brand should be compelling, intriguing, engrossing, fascinating or interesting. If your brand cries BORING, DULL, TEDIOUS, HUMDRUM, STODGY or just plain BLAH, it is time to “transform” the brand.

Building the brand will be the most important thing you do this year. It will impact your business, your career, your family and your customers. You want to position yourself first and foremost in your customers’ or bosses’ eyes. That way when an opportunity arises, you and only you are the immediate consideration.

The brand can do that for you. It is vital to realize that a brand is not a static thing. Just because your brand was great last year doesn’t mean it will have the same success now. A brand can become old, outdated, passe or even obsolete. Remember the buggy whip? I don’t either but it disappeared along with soon to be obsolete this like vinyl records (nor so the say).

Consider brand recognition. Brands like Coca-Cola, Nike, GM, Apple and McDonald’s not only have instant recognition but they also have the capability to bring an image into focus. Visualize those brands. Not only do their brands represent a product but a feeling too.

Some of the most compelling brands stay with us for a lifetime.

Think back…   remember those roadside signs for Burma Shave? Remember how Smoky the Bear needs you to prevent forest fires? That’s what your brand should do for you. It should shift you to the forefront with the people that count. That way when it becomes time for a decision your name or your company’s name comes up first. If your brand accomplishes that, congratulations. Read no more. If not, it’s time to rejuvenate or reposition that brand.

Evaluate the following points before you start building your strategy.

1. Define your brand attributes. Brand attributes are like your skill sets. If I asked you to describe yourself in one word what would that word be? Strong, emotional, trustworthy, honest, sincere, reliable, friendly. That’s a brand.

2. Start thinking in these terms to flesh out the essence of your brand. What one word do you want to be remembered by? Would I be interested in what you have to say? If not it’s time to rethink your core message. It’s also important to understand that building your brand is as much about your customer (boss or client) as it is about you. You need to provide what they need, not necessarily what you are selling.

For example, you sell packaging (imagine that), doesn’t everyone? Does a potential customer need a new vendor? No way, but they need you right? So convince them that you are different and not just on price. Distill it down to what can you do for them that no one else can do.

• Deliver on time (reliability)
• Offer design assistance (creativity)
• Take inventory (responsibility)
• Help them sell more product (loyalty)
• Reduce the number of SKU’s (efficiency)
• Help them build their brand too

Get the picture?

3. Promise yourself to use your brand with everything. The more you see your brand the more powerful it will become. The ultimate goal is instant brand recognition. If I say the word Microsoft, you have an immediate opinion that connotes both good and bad images. My point is that whether it’s good or bad, it’s instant acknowledgment that you know this brand.

4. Use your brand to open doors, reinforce the doors that are already open through customer recognition. Get customer buy-in for your brand through testimonials and success stories. When other people do your talking for you that becomes your brand.

5. Leverage your brand. Do you have a charity or special cause that you endorse? Volunteer and get active. You never know whom you might run into. Make sure it’s a cause you believe in and not one you have selected for the publicity. Ensure its okay to include your participation in all you promotional materials. Integrate these into your brand.

6. Think brand in everything that you do. The average message needs to be seen or heard seven times before it’s even recognized. Consider the places where brand recognition comes into play. I’m not talking about the obvious places like TV, but the more subtle ways brands influence decisions or interests. Subtle brands are those that people really remember.

7. All your promotional materials are mandatory branding items. Business cards, flyers, media kit, stationery, websites. The list goes on. Make sure to personalize it and use a photo or a catchy tag line like “Packaging Diva”. People remember that stuff. It’s okay to have fun with it. Not all business is serious stuff. In fact, many CEO’s are now taking humor classes to learn to “lighten up” and “social networking” is becoming the next hot way to get your brand out there.

Some other subtle branding techniques include your voice mail. Tell me what you do. I don’t care whether you are in the office or not. What are you are going to do for me to solve my problem (that’s why I am calling). Don’t forget to tell me the best way to reach you too. If you never answer the phone (a negative branding message), I’ll soon tire of leaving messages or become agitated that I cannot reach you.

Insert your brand message into your signature file too. You would be amazed at the number of people that just assume that you know who they are when they send you an email. Be sure and check mine out at the end of the newsletter. I update it monthly with what is fresh, new and exciting.

8. Promote your brand. This is fun. Promoting your brand is the best part of the process. Get out that horn and start tooting it. Don’t be shy. If you don’t promote yourself, who will? Write articles, give speeches, and get interviewed. Get OUT THERE. There are countless ways to soft sell yourself and your company in order to increase your visibility. Use them all.

9. Don’t forget to build a network. I just joined Linked in and already I have close to 400 connections (as a colleague mentioned. I have an awesome packaging network). This is where you can live the brand everyday. Your brand should be clearly visible and identifiable in everything you write say or do. Your brand should continually evolve and crystallize the essence of your message. Think me, I, my, then take the next step. Who are you going to tell? Everyone.

Make a list of every person you come in contact with, including friends and family and non-business activities. Think about how you interact with these people. Don’t they need to know about you? Did you remember your hairdresser/barber, vet, and cleaning lady? I’m not reaching here. All of these people know someone who needs to know about you. One can never tell where the next “connection” might come from.

10. Who knows about your brand? So you have a great brand, now what? Who knows it? What are you going to do about it? What is your brand action plan and whom are you going to share it with? Ask yourself who should know this. How can I reach them? What makes my brand better than brand X? You do know who brand X is, right? If not, how can you differentiate yourself from them? Better get sleuthing. Investigate what is appealing in the competition and determine how your brand is superior.

You need to continually coalesce, amalgamate, blend, consolidate, fuse, synthesize and unify your essence into a core message. The message should be consist and easily repeatable. You want people to remember you and to tell your story for you. When that happens, you become your brand evangelist. You know that you have a strong brand.

A brand can be anything whether old or new. Build your brand by understanding your core attributes. Promote and leverage your brand every day in every conceivable way. Use the power of your brand at any opportunity. Plan your brand marketing campaign. Tell everyone who you are. It doesn’t matter if you have the best brand out there if no one knows it. Make sure you a true to your brand; and for heaven’s sake never leave home without it.

About the Author:

JoAnn Hines is the Chief Executive Officer at J.R. Hines International, a firm providing consulting services in the packaging industry. For over 30 years, Ms. Hines has been engaged in packaging trends, forecasting, ideation/brainstorming and implementing innovative new packaging technologies.

Need insights on packaging trends that can impact your business? Get the Packaging Diva on your team. Visit PackagingUniversity.com to find out about the latest packaging innovations.

Prime Time Packaging

Are your packaged products ready for prime time? Here are a few insightful tips to help you out.

There are many packaging issues afloat in the minds of the consumer. We just came off the traditional “wrap rage” cycle that stirs everyone into a frenzy around the holidays. Be aware that it’s still an issue to contend with in the minds of the consumer. Clamshells, twist ties and difficult to open packages still get mileage in the media.

Packaging has many detractors. We are getting serious scrutiny from everyone in the realm of environmental sustainability, less packaging, more environmentally friendly packaging, save the earth packaging and so on. Every week I read about a new packaging crusade that is supposed to solve our environmental woes. But I have been researching for an upcoming presentation “Sustainable Packaging - From Green To Great”. The lack of new packaging innovation to solve the problem is quite distressing. Most of what I am seeing revolves around the same supplier using the same packaging materials. Unfortunately, a lot of it is smoke and mirrors that touts “green” but does not back it up with true sustainable documentation. There are a few good examples of innovation. In researching environmentally friendly lipstick tube examples, the results were woefully inadequate. “Cargo Plant Love Biodegradable Lipstick” was the only company I discover (with a great marketing story I might add).

So, I pose these questions to all product packaging developers. How green are you? Do you want to be? Do your consumers and your target demographic even care whether you are green or not? This is going to be one of the prime time packaging issues this year so you better make some serious strides in deciding what you want your product packaging to reflect.

Another key matter will be product security, integrity and product origination. Currently the “Made in China” tag is becoming a political hot button. One of the trends I am starting to see is a China backlash. Products made and packaged in China are coming back to the US. Some companies are using China Free on their product packaging as a marketing tool… and it’s helping sales.

People are reading labels and scrutinizing them. What it says on that label will influence whether they buy your product or not. I just read that cloned meat will be coming on the market in a few years. At present, the FDA won’t require food makers to label that their products came from cloned animals. I’d want to know from the product packaging and, I believe, so would most consumers. The point being is that any high profile package or product will be looked at thoroughly by consumers. What you tell them better be the right message and true.

Watchdog groups about and they are on the lookout for your product to make a mistake. Whether they deem you are marketing to an inappropriate market (an example would be Spykes marketing liquor to children) or that your packaging isn’t telling the whole truth (McDonald’s and all the other fast food companies and fat content), it’s sure to become newsworthy and in the worst case scenario could seriously impact your business.

Consumers are fickle. What is a hot issue today may be gone tomorrow. However, in the interim if you are not on target with the right packaging message you may alienate them or force them to buy a competitor’s product because your packaging is not sending the right packaging message.

So, before you embark on any new packaging campaign understand and incorporate into your product packaging what the consumer wants to know about the product. Be sure your packaging is ready for prime time to the right consumer with the right marketing message.

About the Author:

JoAnn Hines is the Chief Executive Officer at J.R. Hines International, a firm providing consulting services in the packaging industry. For over 30 years, Ms. Hines has been engaged in packaging trends, forecasting, ideation/brainstorming and implementing innovative new packaging technologies.

Need insights on packaging trends that can impact your business? Get the Packaging Diva on your team. Visit PackagingUniversity.com to find out about the latest packaging innovations.

When Bad Things Happen to Good Packaging

Last week, I got a call from Japan News reporting here in the US. They wanted to know what was happening regarding the use of the words “China Free” on product packaging and labeling. The plans were for a big expose of “contaminated” products coming out of China. I’m sure you have seen the news and are concerned about possible contaminates. But what about the consumers’ perspective? A negative ground swell of public opinion could dramatically influence your product sales if it’s coming out of China.

That’s a bad thing and it could happen to your product.

Consumers are taking an interest in product packaging, how much, how to dispose of it where it’s coming from and how much strain is it putting on the environment. It’s hard to anticipate the voice and power of the consumers. Once an issue becomes mainstream in the media it could be detrimental to your sales. The fact is that most consumers haven’t a clue as to the role packaging has to play in getting a product to the stores. All they know is the negative implications of “bad, bad” packaging.

Think about the holidays and all the spin over “wrap rage.” Reporters are still writing about it on a weekly basis. What if they pick your packaged product to rage about? Will you be prepared to face the onslaught?

Many times these packaging issues come out of the blue. Remember the aseptic ban on juice box packaging in Maine? It has since been repealed, but it came out of nowhere and was the result of consumer misinformation. Or what about the aerosol can ban in Chicago? I remember that one well as I had a client that manufactured spray paint at the time.

Bans can happen overnight taking the product manufacturers unaware with a serious impact on their business. Look at what is happening to plastic bags and the bans in various communities and the replacement of the t-shirt bag with reusable alternatives. I remember when the t-shirt bag was invented and the latest rage in the supermarkets, now its well on its way to becoming obsolete. Pity the plastic bag manufacturer.

Similar circumstances could happen to your product and its packaging. Another hotly contested issue is the use of plastic water bottles (by the way bottle water sales has outstripped that of soda). This battle is far from over. In fact, I will be addressing some of the packaging alternatives in my upcoming presentation Sustainable Packaging “From Green to Great” before the Wal-Mart crowd in two weeks.

The point is that sometimes you can’t ascertain what issue will stir the consumer into a frenzy about your packaging. You can, however, understand the issues that consumers are concerned about. In recent cases, it is mainly the environment. It’s hot and getting hotter. So, it’s imperative that you give some thought to your product and how it’s currently packaged. Is it likely to be an issue of contention? For example, if you are providing a natural or organic product is your packaging “natural” too? Sometimes there are no alternatives.

“Green” product packaging is in its infancy and there are some examples that aren’t really “green.” The bottom line is that it’s going to be all about the consumer perception and how well your “green” product packaging integrates with your brand. I have already learned of some examples where CPG companies thought they were solving the environmental issue only to be perceived by consumers as spouting “packaging greenwash.” You may think your packaging is “good” only to have it bashed by the consumer. It’s all in the eyes of the beholder. So in reality, bad things can happen to good packaging despite your best efforts.

About the Author:

JoAnn Hines is the Chief Executive Officer at J.R. Hines International, a firm providing consulting services in the packaging industry. For over 30 years, Ms. Hines has been engaged in packaging trends, forecasting, ideation/brainstorming and implementing innovative new packaging technologies.

Need insights on packaging trends that can impact your business? Get the Packaging Diva on your team. Visit PackagingUniversity.com to find out about the latest packaging innovations.

How to Tell If Your Packaging Will Sell Your Product

Just because you have a great product doesn’t mean its going to sell. Or even if you have it in the right retail environment that it’s going to fly off the shelf. Your consumer is a moving target.

Packaging a product the right way entails much more than just creating a box to put your product in. Sure, you are going to get it there in one piece, we hope but gone are the days of the box acting as only a protective shipping container. Today, the packaging is the retail salesperson.

The box or package is expected to provide the necessary information to make an informed shoppers’ decision. You have to get your customer to pick up your product first before they will buy it.

Here are 5 questions you must answer that will help you determine whether your product packaging will sell.

1. Who is your core consumer?

You have market trends, demographics and market niches that are continually evolving at any point in time. If you are not staying on top of these trends, then your product isn’t “connecting” to them with the right message. That core “message” or the mechanism to speak human is one of the most important attributes of your product packaging.

Your product packaging must connect with your core consumer on multiple levels. Before you can sell anything you need to understand who they are.

2. What is the competitive environment for your product packaging?

So start your analysis by viewing your package from the eyes of the consumer. If you are buying it, what’s going to compel you to pick it up off the shelf? Or is it just sitting there lost amongst rows of competitive products? Think in terms your package calling out to you I’m here “buy me, buy me.” Does your product do this? If not, your package isn’t doing its job by persuading a consumer to purchase your product.

3. How does your consumer shop?

Do you know your customers current buying trends? Several years ago, we went through the super-sized phase. There are still a lot of super-sized packages; however, buying trends are changing to smaller sizes in general. To package smaller does not mean less profit, in many cases it means more. Consumers are willing to pay a premium for convenience, ease of use and a smaller quantity. Remember the three premium baking potatoes in a package cost almost the price of a 5 lb. bag. If you live with just one other person, do you really need 5 lbs. of potatoes?

Your package has to marry with your consumers lifestyles. If you don’t know what that is then you can never develop the right product packaging that will appeal to them.

4. What is your packaging’s USP (Unique Selling Proposition)?

70% of purchasing decisions are made in the store. And the decision whether to pick up your package or not is made in 2.6 seconds. That’s a few seconds of retail sensory overload that is going to determine whether or not your product will sell. So, your package better have the RIGHT message geared towards the RIGHT audience.

Convey the information about what is inside and how it’s going to help the consumer solve a problem. That’s an important factor to remember. When someone looks at your product they are thinking, “What is this product going to do for me?” You know, WIIFM. That is the What’s in it for Me consumer?

If you don’t know the answer then your product will never connect with your core consumer.

5. What are the consumer hot buttons that your packaging must reflect?

In addition to environmental concerns consumers are concerned about labeling and product security. People are reading labels and scrutinizing them.

What it says on that label will influence whether they buy your product or not. The point being is that any high profile package or product will be looked at thoroughly by consumers. What you tell them better be the right message and true.

What about product security and integrity? Given the rash of recent product recalls (for a variety of reasons) product security has become paramount. Could a product recall put your business in jeopardy?

All these questions need to be answered and not just with the initial package design, its an ongoing process. As I mentioned at the beginning the consumer is a moving target and your package has to move along with them in the right direction. Be sure the consumer you are trying to capture continually receives the right message.

About the Author:

JoAnn Hines is the Chief Executive Officer at J.R. Hines International, a firm providing consulting services in the packaging industry. For over 30 years, Ms. Hines has been engaged in packaging trends, forecasting, ideation/brainstorming and implementing innovative new packaging technologies.

Need insights on packaging trends that can impact your business? Get the Packaging Diva on your team. Visit PackagingUniversity.com to find out about the latest packaging innovations.

Your Packaging Scorecard

Recently I’m coming across a variety of new packaging trends or terms and it got me to thinking about how informed the average person is about product packaging. I know you are all busy doing your jobs and it takes a lot of time to keep current of what is new in product packaging or what may influence your products success. It’s hard for me to keep up on a daily basis and that is all that I do for my clients.

Perhaps as a way to ascertain what is hot and what is not you should create your own “packaging scorecard” as way to measure how tuned you are to the latest in the consumer perceptions of product packaging and how it could impact whether your product will sell or not!

Consumers are very fickle about packaging issues. In fact many times they don’t even understand the role of the product packaging itself. Lets take all the hue and cry over green product packaging. You would think consumers are clamoring for more environmentally responsible packaging. But just this morning I read that despite what we read about the desire for more “green” packaging the beauty industry reports that 25% of French women and 20% of British want recyclable beauty packaging, US women just 12%. Slightly higher than that magic 10% of greenies that are already in that space anyway.

So, should this be an issue in your packaging scorecard? Well, that depends upon what your niche is. In any case its a movement to watch and be aware of so I’d add it to your list.

What about “shrinking” consumer product packaging? Will companies reducing the size of the product and keeping the price the same create a groundswell of consumer outrage. The media think so. If I were you I would add this to my scorecard. There is a lot being written about it. If I were a smart marketer I’d figure out a way to add “more” to my product for the price rather than less.

Value for your money is a trend and its not going away. Just look at the growth of private label at the expense of branded products. This definitely would be on my scorecard.

The point is that you can take a few packaging trends and consumer hot buttons and create your own packaging scorecard. It will help you track how close you are tuned into the latest consumer issues.

Just remember the scorecard is not static. It needs to change as issue evolve or are resolved. A few minutes a week is all it takes to stay on top of the needs and issues of your core customer.

About the Author:

JoAnn Hines is the Chief Executive Officer at J.R. Hines International, a firm providing consulting services in the packaging industry. For over 30 years, Ms. Hines has been engaged in packaging trends, forecasting, ideation/brainstorming and implementing innovative new packaging technologies.

Need insights on packaging trends that can impact your business? Get the Packaging Diva on your team. Visit PackagingUniversity.com to find out about the latest packaging innovations.

Green Packaging

I just got a call from Brandweek to comment on green product packaging backlash. I’ve been writing about it for a while but this week reading about square milk bottles brought it all to a head.

While the idea of a square milk bottle looks good on paper and its attractive financially to the retailer, a lot of consumers hate it. It’s just like the bag of milk I discussed earlier its cumbersome and very consumer unfriendly and mostly likely will never fly here in the US no matter how environmentally friendly it is.

Every week I get dozens of new green packaging press releases. Some of these are really a stretch. Its seems with green the “in” thing to do, everyone is trying to jump on the band wagon. Many of these innovations really don’t make sense or in many cases won’t “connect” with the consumer.

Just because its green, environmentally friendly, sustainable, compostable, recyclable or biodegradable doesn’t mean that consumers will buy your product. Consumer acceptance is a very complicated issue. The growth of convenience and luxury categories flies in the face of the environmental movement too. They use lots of packaging and expensive too!

We want it and we want it now. If it happens to tap into the “green movement” so much the better. The average consumer really does care about the environment they just aren’t going to sacrifice their creature comforts to get there. In reality only about 10% of the American populace inhabit this space any way. Sure we can all use a little less packaging in our lives just take a look at your trash can. Remember however, without the package you cannot have a product so give packaging a break!

As I have said many times packaging has many roles to play ones in addition to protecting the product and getting it in your hands, attributes consumers will not willingly give up. Just think how you shy away from any damaged product packaging or reject the damaged or bruised product at the supermarket. The rejection rate is already 20% without packaging this would skyrocket. And who do you think pays the ultimate price for less packaging? It’s not the retailers or the consumer products companies, its you the consumer.

When was the last time you saw a sales person trained to tell you all about the item you are considering purchasing? The packaging tells you the story about what is inside and why you should buy it. You know the “silent salesperson.” So before you jump on the “less” packaging bandwagon give some consideration to why the packaging is there in the first place. I wrote this little jingle for Twitter and that’s says it all. “Toothpaste squeezes, eggs aren’t cracked, pizza delivered, headache’s better, beer anyone? Packaging a love affair you never knew you had.”

Now don’t get me wrong, I have seen some very interesting concepts in “green” product packaging some that make sense to the consumer. But I have seen a lot of junk too. Some companies that are just making some green packaging noise hoping to capitalize on some of the current media buzz. So think about your green product packaging message and how it integrates into your brand. Does it make real sense or are you just trying to spin green? Remember before you jump into the frenzy consider what your consumer wants and expects out of your product packaging. Will it truly make a difference in the eyes of your core customer?

About the Author:

JoAnn Hines is the Chief Executive Officer at J.R. Hines International, a firm providing consulting services in the packaging industry. For over 30 years, Ms. Hines has been engaged in packaging trends, forecasting, ideation/brainstorming and implementing innovative new packaging technologies.

Need insights on packaging trends that can impact your business? Get the Packaging Diva on your team. Visit PackagingUniversity.com to find out about the latest packaging innovations.

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