I Hate Packaging

Packaging News You Can Use Tip Of The WeekIssue #1263 - November 29, 2006
Publisher: JoAnn Hines packagingdiva@aol.com , http://www.packaginguniversity.com/
http://www.packagingdiva.com/ http://www.packagingbootcamp.com/©
Packaging News You Can Use By JoAnn Hines The Packaging Diva


I'M HAPPY TO ANNOUNCE:
The Hunt For A.M. Commuter Beverage
The company is seeking ideas for innovative breakfast beverages that will appeal to men 20+ who commute.This new breakfast-on-the-go should be tasty, nutritious, and easy to consume during the average commute. Deadline is December 13, 2006. For guidelines and entry form, click http://www.bigideahunts.net/amcommuterbevhunt.html
This is a great opportunity to have an idea licensed. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions, and please encourage your associates to do the same. Be sure and mention the Packaging Diva if you choose to participate.


MEET AND GREET THE DIVA:
I will be speaking at INPEX 2007 http://inventionshow.com/

If you have clients in the invention world please be sure and have them come to the show or contact me if they need help in packaging their product.

If you want to get your products or services in front of the following industries contact me. Catalog and Multichannel merchants ACCM http://www.accmshow.com/Flexible Packaging FlexPackCon 2006- December http://www.4spe.org/conf/flexpack06/ Handcrafted Soap Makers Guild, Inc. http://www.soapguild.org/


IN RESPONSE TO MY ARTICLES:
"Produce Packaging Crisis"
Spinach scare cuts deep at ChiquitaCincinnati Enquirer - Cincinnati,OH,USA... Earnings from core operations rose as price increases on paper and packaging products offset effects of the housing sector slowdown on its timber business. ...

Diligence required to keep food safeSpartanburg Herald Journal (subscription) - Spartanburg,SC,USA... risks of contamination after food is prepared, during shipping, packaging and storing. ... People's concerns about food safety shouldn't only surface when they are

"Baby's Got Bling- You Can Package Anything"
selling TrashBusinessWeek - USA... Danzico: Let’s talk about the packaging itself. ... People went nuts over certain dolls just because the company decided they were "limited editions." It seemed ...

Has Your Packaging Going To The Dogs? (I mentioned this product)
Packaging professionals attending last week's PACK EXPO International voted the sleek package developed for Beneful® Prepared Meals™ as the winner of the inaugural PACK EXPO Selects™ awards program.


FEATURE ARTICLE:
I Hate Packaging by JoAnn Hines Packaging Diva
It's that time again (the holidays) when packaging will be getting top media coverage by its detractors. Those would be the people looking to complain about product packaging because it’s too difficult to open or there is too much of it or they think it doesn't do its job properly. I always read a slew of articles on how many people were injured or had to go to the hospital trying to open a package. Raps on the packaging industry appear in the news all year but with the holiday and all the gifts giving it’s a natural topic to get additional publicity. Just check out my website www.PackagingUniversity.com to read a few of the most infamous cases. I have been interviewed several times to explain the other side of the story: The role packaging has to play (the good side).

Consumer Reports just put its annual call out for the "Oyster Awards" given to the worst packages out there. You can bet consumers are lining up to rant about various problems with packaging and how packaging is the bane of the public.

Yes, I know there are problems with packages that can't be easily opened. Specialized tools have been created to make this problem easier. I had a recent experience with my husband’s new electric razor which elicited a few choice words while I was trying to get it out of the plastic clamshell. But boy did it look pretty on the shelf. I could see the entire product and the nifty freebie gizmo that came along with it. I was very intrigued to finally get the product out (without mishap I might add). Even I was surprised when I finally got inside the package to see all the interworkings that went into packaging this product. It was really great package design at its best.

It is amazing how much thought and innovation went into the design itself. It sat upright and was very well positioned on the shelf among its competitive offerings. The product was clearly visible had some great marketing graphics which caught my eye. The package was composed of numerous types of packaging materials that were well integrated into the complete unit.

Why did I buy it? The package made me do it, of course, and the fact that my husband broke his old razor so I got to play consumer for a product that I wouldn't normally purchase. It was a reason to experience the process. But the packaging did its job too. It persuaded me to buy that particular product knowing the heartache I would experience to get inside.

Despite what all of the critics have to say, packaging is integral to the successful sale of a product. It has to get it to the shelf, but that's only the beginning. It has to protect, secure and display the product too. It has to convince you to make the purchase. That would be the reason that you just can't live without it.

I'm reading all these rants about excess packaging at the supermarket. Calls to strip away product packaging and leave it at the store. These are the first people that will be complaining if the fruit is bruised or the lettuce is not fresh and even scarier when there is some sort of health threat due to contamination. Have you seen how many food recalls there have been lately? Just think how much more there would be if packaging wasn't doing its job.

Too few of us really understand the role packaging has to play in modern society. Many problems that packaging resolves are taken for granted and only get exposed when it turns into a problem. Look at Tylenol. That poisoning incident changed an industry forever and evolved an entire new packaging category of product security and integrity. This could happen again anywhere in the world. The packaging of food products is 70% of the industry and it is sorely in need of scrutiny for product integrity and security.

So this holiday season think about why products are packaged the way they are. Be on the lookout for cynics and people who give a bad wrap to packaging. Be sure and take the time to explain to them the role packaging has to play. Don't let anyone get away with saying "I hate packaging" without helping them to clearly understanding where would we be without it.


THE DIVA'S PICK OF THE WEEK:
Ladies and Gentlemen, it's time for the annual Consumer Reports "Oyster Awards!" Celebrating hard to open packages, the "Oyster Awards" is no simple snark-fest. The heroes at Consumer Reports start by "sifting through nominations from subscribers." (That's where you come in.) They don't give up there, though! Consumer Reports shops for the types of products mentioned most, find worse examples, and study the packages in their labs.

Finally, a reporter is challenged with the task of opening the nominated packages. He/she is timed, and the order of the choices is based on "a combination of the time it took to crack the package and the potential hazard involved." Get on over to their website and nominate a package for this year's awards.
http://research.consumerreports.org/OysterAwards/poll.cfm?sessionId=2711112801681

The 5 Deadly Sins In Packaging Your Product

Thought you might be interested in my latest article.
You can read it at

http://www.americaninventorspot.com/packaging_your_invention

Regards:
JoAnn Hines
Packaging Diva

All things packaging -- If you are seeking packaging, packaging assistance, packaging help, packaging expertise, packaging consultants, packaging designers or requests for packaging proposals, I can help you with your packaging questions, issues and problems. I will find your packaging solution. Email me at jrhines@packaginguniversity.com

How Packaging Can Transform An Industry

Packaging News You Can Use
Tip Of The Week
Issue #1262 - November 10, 2006
Publisher: JoAnn Hines
packagingdiva@aol.com ,
http://www.packaginguniversity.com/
http://www.packagingdiva.com/
http://www.packagingbootcamp.com/
© Packaging News You Can Use
By JoAnn Hines The Packaging Diva

FROM THE DIVA'S READERS:
From Deborah... Loved the packaging crap thing
Just wanted to share a story with you that I shared this weekend at a local craft fair with a chocolate maker:

Years ago, probably 45 years ago,(when I was 5) I used to go to a very exclusive country club with my aunt and uncle, they owned race horses so we were probably hanging out with a horsey crowd.

To this day I still remember him handing me a box, of what looked like candy (chocolate confectionaire) Godiva? Well it wasn't Godiva, it was horse manure shaped in balls, put into the little candy trays, wrapped in a gold foil shrink wrapped box and handed out to these "horsey folks" as a gifty promotional item to promote this particular race horse.


From that day on, (must've left an indelible impression) cause I would always remember, that with the right packaging you could package crap, (literally) and it would sell!

I'M HAPPY TO ANNOUNCE:

I will be speaking at INPEX 2007 http://inventionshow.com/

If you have clients in the invention world please be sure and have them come to the show or contact me if they need help in packaging their product.


If you want to get your products or services in front of the following industries contact me.
Catalog and Multichannel merchants ACCM http://www.accmshow.com/
Flexible Packaging FlexPackCon 2006- December http://www.4spe.org/conf/flexpack06/
Handcrafted Soap Makers Guild, Inc. http://www.soapguild.org/


IN RESPONSE TO MY ARTICLES:
"Packaging: A Cause for Profit"
Retailers Think Pink for Breast Cancer Campaigns
In-Store Marketing Institute (Subscription) - Skokie,IL,USA
... promotion with Polaroid, which provides a pink digital camera in special packaging. ... and a breast self-exam kit -- as well as Newton John's latest CD -- first ...

"Does Your Packaging, Umm Smell?"
Big Marketers Smell Money in Scent Technology
Mars, Pepsi, Others Add Aromas to Their Package Goods
The New Smell Of Marketing: Innovative Advertising Method Fills The Air—Marketers Making Sense Of Scented Promotions In Latest Trend

Smell is the most powerful sense tied to memory—which is exactly what marketers are banking on by embracing a not-so-new but rising trend in the marketing of food products...


FEATURE ARTICLE:
How Packaging Can Transform An Industry by JoAnn Hines Packaging Diva

Some industries are keeping current with innovative packaging technologies better than others. Packaging innovation can move your business from a commodity driven product into a premium product category. Not only that, it can build sales and create its own unique niche with little or no competition. Entire new categories of product have been created around a single niche market that may not have existed a few years ago.

Why are so many companies not paying attention to this? They rely on the old industry standbys or packaging campaigns that are "tired" and "trite." Remember "Beer Profits Drop: Could It Be The Beer Bimbos?” (Yes, I got a lot of readers who wrote to me indicating that they liked the beer bimbos). Businesses tend to stay with the tired campaign and then wonder why sales are in a slump, or at the best, a status quo. Competition is fierce in the retail environment whatever the product. It’s not enough to just create a new product or revitalize an old one you have to get it to SELL too. That's where packaging comes into play. It is your best sales tool. It needs to capture the consumer’s attention while informing them about the contents.

A good example of creative thinking in packaging is how the wine industry is transforming packaging innovation into more sales. They have explored several options and created products based around an unfulfilled need. They have redesigned and created new packaging that satisfies the consumer’s wants and desires. This is creating a demand in previously untapped markets. They are creating brands with a synergistic approach, new bottles, new packaging materials, new shapes, new labels, new dispensing features, new closures, and consequently new customers.

Here are a few examples of how the wine industry is meeting consumers needs.

The Trend: Convenience and Portability
Wine packages that can go places glass packaging can't go. There are a lot of restrictions on glass packaging. Wine has created new packages made from paper and other materials that can be easily transported and are non breakable. They also have developed a whole new market of single serve package products.

The Trend: Marketing to Women
They are now marketing to largest consumer demographic. Women purchase more wine than men yet the packaging was never geared toward women. Many new offerings have appeared capitalizing on "feminine" appeal. More insights on this topic in my article "Wooing Women with Packaging."

The Trend: Socialization
This approach takes wine out of the category of fine dining or serving only at a special occasion. The new packages are adding to wine drinking becoming a fun experience and a part of every day life by introducing funky labels and memorable characters. The array of wine labels with an animal theme is quite astounding.

The Trend: Luxury Market
The luxury market is booming while some brands are down scaling product packaging others are moving up to more luxurious packaging. The industry is working to keep wine equated with the luxury experience.

Whatever the trend in your industry, you can capitalize on it with your product packaging. Think about an unfulfilled need and how your product packaging can capture that consumer. Don't get caught with slumping sales by not staying on top of consumer trends. Pay attention to the consumer. They know your business and might be the driver in transforming sales into profits though product packaging.

If you have an example of packaging that created increased sales through a package design change, please let me know. I'm working on an article on the subject and would love your input. Email me at PackagingDiva@aol.com


THE DIVA'S PICKS OF THE WEEK:The controversially named energy drink Cocaine has been removed from the shelves of US convenience store giant 7-Eleven after complaints about its name were made by parents and politicians. The Redux Beverages-owned product, which contains high levels of caffeine and shares its name with an illegal recreational drug, has seen significant growth since its US launch in August, despite receiving ongoing negative press.
Ecostretch friendly for environment, consumers
Monticello Herald Journal - Monticello,IN,USA
... The Arthritis Foundation has recognized the feature for enhancing ease of opening for people with arthritis, and the packaging was also recognized for its ...

http://www.thehj.com/main.asp?SectionID=9&SubSectionID=32&ArticleID=18288&TM=22512.46

Strange. I wrote an article on how easy it is to been "green".

Business becomes Earth friendly
Penn State Digital Collegian - University Park,PA,USA
... Fabri-Kal, said. The switch to better and safer forms of packaging products has been ongoing for Ben and Jerry's. "We worked on ...

http://www.collegian.psu.edu/archive/2006/10/10-03-06tdc/10-03-06dscihealth-03.asp

Baby's Got Bling - You Can Package Anything

Packaging News You Can Use
Tip Of The Week
Issue #1261 - November 3, 2006
Publisher: JoAnn Hines
packagingdiva@aol.com ,
http://www.packaginguniversity.com/
http://www.packagingdiva.com/
http://www.packagingbootcamp.com/
© Packaging News You Can Use
By JoAnn Hines The Packaging Diva


FROM THE DIVA'S READERS:
I got lots of requests for the rest of Wendy's report from the Sustainable Packaging Forum. You can still request my Wal-Mart packaging news file too by emailing me.
This just in from Mike at the Center for Health, Environment and Justice
"I thought you might be interested in our press release about Wal-Mart's new packaging scorecard. (You can get this in my Wal-Mart file.) In addition, I thought you might also be interested in our funny new cartoon about PVC hazards at http://www.pvcfree.org/"

Want to get some visibility with thousands of other packaging professionals?
Let me know if you are attending a show or conference and would like to write a short report for my readers.

Speaking of conferences be sure and check this out.

How To Package A Product In 3 Hours

Seriously, I just spent days condensing 30 years of experience into How To Package A Product In 3 Hours for the Packaging Boot Camp workshop. I'm fried! It's hard to condense all the material into the essence of what works and what doesn't. I know I have been doing this for 30+ years, but to beak it down to the basics is tough.

It’s a morass of information out there and what you don't know CAN get you into trouble. (Just look at all the stories that deal with packaging in the news.) In fact, your product may never see it to the retail shelf if you haven't done your homework.

People contact me all the time when they are in trouble. Most of the time it is after the fact and they want me to give them the quick fix to their packaging woes. Well, it doesn't work that way. Packaging is a complicated intricate issue. Understanding it requires time and consideration. It’s not just about getting the product there; it’s also about getting the product to SELL.

That's where the packaging comes into play. Packaging is a complex equation. It IS the sales person. It IS your brand. It IS your company and if you haven't given it the consideration it deserves it will fail or most certainly not live up to its expectations.

So don't make packaging your last thought -- make it your first. Find out more about how you can win with packaging and attend the Packaging Boot Camp. At the very least, satisfy your curiosity and check it out at http://www.packagingbootcamp.com


I'M HAPPY TO ANNOUNCE:
Couple of months ago the producer for a National Geographic special contacted me about packaging products. Now the show is a reality. I'm not sure they used any of my material but be sure and watch and find out.

The National Geographic Channel (NGC) presents three specials - A Closer Shave, Flushed and Shrink-Wrapped & Boxed Up - that explore the science, art and cultural impact of some of daily life′s common paraphernalia. A Closer Shave and Flushed premiere on Tuesday, November 7, 2006, at 9 and 10 p.m. ET/PT. The premiere of Shrink-Wrapped & Boxed Up follows on Wednesday, November 8 at 9 p.m. ET/PT. Each one-hour show focuses on the evolution of a seemingly simple thing - shaving, toilets and packaging - tracing its course through history as it takes root in our culture and ultimately changes the way we go about our daily routines. And along the way, surprising facts are revealed.

IN RESPONSE TO MY ARTICLES:
Why you should read my newsletter. I break this news before the media.

"Produce Packaging Crisis"
Feds Probe Salmonella Outbreak in 18 States
By MIKE STOBBE, AP

ATLANTA (Oct. 31) - A salmonella outbreak potentially linked to produce has sickened at least 172 people in 18 states, health officials said Monday.

Health officials think the bacteria may have spread through some form of produce; the list of suspects includes lettuce and tomatoes. But the illnesses have not been tied to any specific product, chain, restaurants or supermarkets.

"The Perils Of Packaging Junk Food"Frito-Lay Proves Its Dedication to Health and Wellness: Snack King Announces Plans to Release Line of Fruit and Vegetable-Based Snacks


Consumer desire for less fattening and organic food products is taking hold as a virtually irreversible trend. Major corporations like Disney, McDonald’s and Dunkin’ Donuts have honed in on the demands ...

"Has Your Packaging Gone To The Dogs?"

Something To Bark About: Three Dog Bakery Chooses Sonoco's Sonotort(TM) Retort Pouch for Its Gourmet Food for Dogs

CHICAGO, Oct. 30 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Pack Expo 2006 -- Gourmet food is going to the dogs and Three Dog Bakery, a company known for its healthful diet options for dogs, has chosen Sonoco's Sonotort(TM) retort pouches for Entree for Dogs(R), a line of premium shelf-stable wet dog food made from 100 percent human quality ingredients.


FEATURE ARTICLE:
Recently I've seen a host of new product introductions and I wondered who is going to buy that? But there are products out there for everyone. After reviewing the items I got thinking these are great examples of the "Power Of The Package" you know packaging as the silent salesperson. After all its the packaging that going to sway you or not to consider purchasing these products.

When I read about Bling H20, I initially thought what a great marketing ploy but then I realized that primary target demographics: boomers and women would be the ideal audience. These groups have money to spend and are willing to spend it for the right products. The luxury consumable market is also on the rise and product are being created to meet the demand. (Ask me about DIVA vodka) People are willing to invest in themselves with a little luxury spending so why not luxury bottle water.

For those of you that are unfamiliar with this product Bling H20 ($35 a bottle) is no ordinary water. It comes in a thin, tall, frosted glass bottle and each 750ml bottle is handcrafted, corked, and decorated with exquisite Swarovski Crystals. Wow what a concept! I love Swarovski Crystals anyway. If you want to see a picture I'll have it archived on my website shortly.

Along with other products in the super luxury category comes this example. "ICE ROCKS are a secured ice cube product made from spring water for the luxury market." But its more that just high priced ice cubes. It touches us in other ways that are important such as product purity and security. They even touch the environmental button too with eco-friendly containers. "The ice cubes are made for savvy consumers who seek the same level of purity for the ice cubes they place in their favorite beverages. These cubes, to be consumed within two (2) years, are hermetically packaged in disposable, eco-friendly containers, providing the user with a complete guarantee with regard to hygiene and safety, while respecting the environment." Ready to buy some prepackaged ice?

I had to finish with this one. Packaging Crap. Yes, you heard it you can package anything and sell it if you have the right marketing message in your product packaging. This is a direct quote "If the package looks pretty, people will buy just about anything. So says an advertising executive in New York, and he has proved his point by selling boxes of rubbish for the price of an expensive bottle of wine. Justin Gignac, 26, has offloaded almost 900 carefully presented plastic cubes of trash from the street of the Big Apple at between $50 (£26) and $100 each. Buyers from 19 countries have paid for the souvenirs. The idea has been so successful that he is thinking of franchising it around the world." Yikes buying crap, my husband would love that one. He thinks all my packaging "examples" are crap too so maybe I should put them on Ebay.

But to recap why and how packaging works as a sales tool. It sends a message to the consumer. Its up to you the product manufacturer to determine what that message will be and who the audience is. But whomever the demographic the package has an important role to play and its integral to building your brand.

So what constitutes compelling packaging brand? How "connected" are you to your consumer? Here are a few emotion descriptors that your package must convey. Does your packaging Engage, Evoke, and Engross the consumer?

Let’s look first at ENGAGE: to attract and hold by influence or power. Can you say that about your product packaging? Or is your product packaging just the opposite? Boring!
Got any BLING in it?

Think about what you can do to improve the odds that your package will engage a consumer: Colors, features, shapes, value and benefits are all ways to reach out with your package. Swarovski Crystals?

EVOKE: To call forth or call up as in evoking memories. What about your package will make the consumer recall a successful or enjoyable product experience? How can you make them remember that they were satisfied in buying your product? In case they haven't purchased before, what is going to "connect" them to your product on your package? What is so special about your package that they have to take a closer look?

ENGROSS: To engage the whole attention of (and that's the key point). You have to get their attention to pick up our product before they can even consider buying it. Use features that will capture their interest in seconds because that's all the time you are going to get before they move on.

Another "feeling" word that conveys a strong and compelling brand is TRUST. You must create a place where people look for information and feel more secure doing so. It's important to understand the strength behind the brand and why people turn to it for a sense of security and information. So what about your product packaging conveys the experience that consumers can trust your brand? ICE ROCKS anyone?

Regardless of the reason a consumer may be in the store or looking at your product, introduce them to a "lifestyle" experience . . . trust, security, necessity or even peace of mind. Your package presence needs to call out "Buy Me" because I provide the experience of all of the above emotions.

Product branding is a powerful influence on everyone. It’s important to understand the strength behind the brand and why people turn to it for a sense of happiness, satisfaction, security and information. The best of all brands cross gender, ethnicity and age demographics. That is to say that everyone will recognize and identify with the brand.

When you capture the power of the package people will integrate your product into their everyday life. They will not just turn to it as a convenience but as a necessity for comfortable living. So create your own story through powerful product packaging. Whatever your category, you should strive to engage, evoke, and engross the consumer to revitalize your brand through product packaging. Just remember when you have BLING, You Can Package Anything.

THE DIVA'S PICKS OF THE WEEK:
More Wal-Mart. We need another news subject.
Giving Wal-Mart environmental award is obscene
Seattle Post Intelligencer - USA
... or locality, until they remove all packaging other than ... cheap clothing was made using Fair Trade fabrics and ... A report published last week shows that resources ...
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/opinion/290254_walmart29.html

Remember I predicted that this story wasn't going away for a while.
Beef Packaging Technique May Mislead Consumers
cbs4denver.com - Denver,CO,USA
... tiny print on them sometimes and I'm not sure people read those ... "Packaging technologies are used to deliver consumers higher quality products at competitive ...
http://cbs4denver.com/investigates/local_story_285135712.html

How To Package A Product In 3 Hours

Seriously, I just spent days condensing 30 years of experience into How To Package A Product In 3 Hours for the Packaging Boot Camp workshop. I'm fried! It's hard to condense all the material into the essence of what works and what doesn't. I know I have been doing this for 30+ years, but to beak it down to the basics is tough.

It’s a morass of information out there and what you don't know CAN get you into trouble. (Just look at all the stories that deal with packaging in the news.) In fact, your product may never see it to the retail shelf if you haven't done your homework.

People contact me all the time when they are in trouble. Most of the time it is after the fact and they want me to give them the quick fix to their packaging woes. Well, it doesn't work that way. Packaging is a complicated intricate issue. Understanding it requires time and consideration. It’s not just about getting the product there; it’s also about getting the product to SELL.

That's where the packaging comes into play. Packaging is a complex equation. It IS the sales person. It IS your brand. It IS your company and if you haven't given it the consideration it deserves it will fail or most certainly not live up to its expectations.

So don't make packaging your last thought -- make it your first. Find out more about how you can win with packaging and attend the Packaging Boot Camp. At the very least, satisfy your curiosity and check it out at http://www.packagingbootcamp.com

Can't attend the next workshop? Be sure and let us know so you can be notified when the Packaging Bootcamp Workbook goes on sale in late November.