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.

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