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