I Was Attacked By Predatory Packaging

Packaging News You Can Use
Tip Of The Week
Issue #1273 - April 13, 2007
Publisher: JoAnn Hines
packagingdiva@aol.com ,
http://www.packaginguniversity.com/
http://www.packagingdiva.com/
http://www.packagingbootcamp.com/
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© Packaging News You Can Use
By JoAnn Hines The Packaging Diva

MESSAGE FROM THE PACKAGING DIVA:
In case you missed me the last two weeks I have be feverishly working on two new products. My packaging trends and predictions article collection "The Packaging Diva Anthology" and my new "Do It Yourself Packaging" workbook http://doityourselfpackaging.com/

Need more info on how these products can help your business? Email me at packagingdiva@aol.com for a more complete description.


IN RESPONSE TO MY ARTICLE:
"Is What's On The Outside Of Your Packaging What's Inside" - March 07
Ribena admits it misled people about vitamin C content
The West Australian - Perth,Western Australia,Australia
GSK told the ACCC that advertising and packaging which implied Ribena fruit drinks contained four times the vitamin C of comparable orange juice products ...


INTERVIEW WITH THE DIVA:
I have been interviewed in a lot of publications NY Times, LA Times, Washington Post but I just had my first interview with the Christian Science Monitor. It's an interesting story. I'm on page 3.
http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/0412/p13s02-sten.html?page=1


FEATURE ARTICLE:
I Was Attacked By Predatory Packaging by JoAnn Hines Packaging Diva

Predatory packaging it’s out there -- and it’s everywhere. It could be targeting you, your family, -- your loved ones. We have heard those terms bandied about, but just what exactly is predatory packaging?

It seems everyone has a different perception what this means. Similar nomenclature could include the terms misleading or deceptive packaging or packaging that promises one thing and delivers another. But simply put it’s when any group or person deems a package is using unsavory marketing/advertising practices to lure consumers to purchase their products -- and it has been going on for a long time.

Remember when in 1988, R.J. Reynolds introduced its Joe Camel cartoon icon to market Camel cigarettes? The fervor came from everyone from Ralph Nader and anti-tobacco groups to the Centers for Disease Control and conservative tobacco-state lawmakers. They insisted that Joe Camel on the package, and cigarette ads in general, were created to lure teens into buying cigarettes. The packaging was cool, hip and definitely kid friendly. It put consumer advocate groups in an uproar.

More recently, R.J. Reynolds is launching a new cigarette aimed at female smokers called Camel No. 9. It comes in a pretty pink package (the same color as the breast cancer awareness campaign insignia) as if pink will make women flock to buy them. The package has a hot pink camel emblazoned in the middle of a black box and a hot pink foil cover. Make no mistake that this package is designed to appeal to women, predominately a younger audience. With all the negative publicity surrounding smoking, would you consider this predatory packaging? Was this cool package created to lure a younger generation of female smokers?

Or take the Center for Science in the Public Interests' claim that the marketing of sweet-alcohol beverages, like Budweiser's famous bullfrogs, stimulate teenage drinking. In fact, the latest claims about predatory packaging are alcohol related.

CSPI Urges Nationwide Recall of Spykes 'Liquid Lunchables'
"And according to the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), they are the latest attempt by Anheuser-Busch to get children interested in alcohol. The nonprofit watchdog group is urging the brewer to launch an immediate nationwide recall of Spykes and is calling on state attorneys general to investigate".

A new alcoholic beverage called Spykes is on the prowl for a younger audience or so parents claim. The Anheuser Busch beverage comes in flavors -- mango, lime, melon and chocolate -- but it's also infused with caffeine and energy herbs ginseng and guarana, and it comes in a tiny bottle that's easily hidden from a parent's or chaperone's watchful eye. Is this considered predatory or are kids going to drink anyway regardless of how it’s packaged?

Some mothers think so. Here is a direct quote from Shelly who regularly reads my column.
"As the mother of teenage boys -- on the Spykes and the other new products definitely aimed at attracting the younger -- emerging -- market. Today's kids have cash and they are a VERY powerful consumer! Take a look at Axe and all of the new cologne packaging with Warning Instructions that you may be attacmay be attacked by the opposite sex if you use this product -is product - sweet Jesus!"

Another new alcohol product that emphasizes convenience and ease of use that has been targeted by parents is the Pocket Shot. Pocket Shot (which I found quite revolutionary in its packaging concept) is a new way to enjoy hard liquor. From their website "No longer will you need to carry full size bottles. Each Pocket Shot is sealed in a near unbreakable, flexible, squishable, pocket stuffable pouch making them perfect for active activities, outdoor adventures, and glass restricting venues." Will this product lure a younger consumer though ease of use and ability to hide discretely?

Here is another example. In September 2002, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) reported that false claims were common in weight loss advertising, with many "grossly exaggerated or clearly unsubstantiated performance claims" of particular concern. So what about the weight loss products that continue to tempt us to purchase them despite the fact that most of us know deep in our hearts that they don’t work. I’m personally swayed to buy the NV Rapid weight loss product just because of its intriguingly shaped package; never mind what’s inside. But are they eliciting sales with misleading information on the packaging on the uneducated, ill informed consumer with unsubstantiated claims they can't deliver?

Last but not least what about all the male impotency drugs out there capitalizing on male psyche? Lots of products purport to help the problem. Take Enzyte for example. If you've watched CNN, ESPN or a few other cable channels chances are you've seen "Smiling Bob" pitching the pill that supposedly induced his silly grin. But does this product and its packaging really work or is it just another in a long line preying on hopeful consumers. You decide.

Whatever the product, the consumer it targets depends upon a variety factors. What’s predatory packaging for one may be an innovative packaging concept for another. But just in case you are one of the unsuspecting few, be on the lookout for attacks by predatory packaging hoping to lure you into making an unanticipated purchasing decision or sway for example your children to try it out. Remember the old adage Caveat Emptor - let the buyer beware. But even more important let the manufacturer beware too, the very consumer you are trying to lure may end up rejecting the very product you are pitching.

Want more of the latest packaging insights and packaging trends that drive consumer purchasing? Be sure and visit the Packaging Diva website http://packagingdiva.com/ where you will find, packaging tips, technology and the latest news.


THE DIVA'S PICKS OF THE WEEK:
New Invention Detects Spoiled Food
Ivanhoe - Winter Park,FL,USA
(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Several million people in the United States are afflicted by food poisoning each year, but a new product could gulp that number down. ...
http://www.ivanhoe.com/channels/p_channelstory.cfm?storyid=15793

Is It Beer Yet? Coors Packaging Says 'Yes'
CHICAGO -- Coors Brewing again distinguishes its cold positioning by leaning on packaging, and will support Coors Light with a new tagline: “The world’s most refreshing beer.”

The cold front approaching from the Golden, Colo., brewer will arrive by summer in the guise of the Coors Light Cold-Activated Bottle. The label’s white lettering and Rocky Mountain icon turn blue once the beer reaches optimal drinking temperature.
http://www.brandweek.com/bw/news/recent_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003562729

The Industry Position on the Future of Packaging Policy in Europe
Packaging & Converting Essentials (press release) - Antwerp,Belgium
... only grew in the last 10 years by 8%, less than 1% a year, which means much less than the growth of GDP and of the amounts of packaging products sold. ...

http://www.packagingessentials.com/news.asp?id=2007-03-21-19.20.37.000000



Webcast: Mega Magic: How to Become a Go-To Supplier for Walmart ...
Matt Kistler Vice President of Product and Packaging Innovation for Sam's Club, ... Matt Kistler joined Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. in 2003, as the Director of ...

http://searchopensource.bitpipe.com/detail/RES/1173882359_140.html

With Launch of RGX™ Bodyspray, Dial/Henkel Wastes No Time ...
Business Wire (press release) - San Francisco,CA,USA
From positioning through packaging and marketing, RGX is designed to win loyalty among young men who have rejected the overpowering scents and “juvenile ...

http://home.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/index.jsp?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20070305005658&newsLang=en