Bad Things Happen To Good Packaging

Bad Things Happen To Good Packaging
by JoAnn Hines Packaging Diva
Packaging News You Can Use

Tip Of The Week
Issue #1294 - Feb 15, 2008

http://packaginguniversity.com/

http://packagingdiva.com/

http://packagingbootcamp.com/

http://packagingcoach.com/

http://doityourselfpackaging.com/

http://packagingyourinvention.com/

IMPORTANT MESSAGE:
I'm still working on my email problem so please bear with me while I get it all sorted out. If you are missing a response from me be sure and let me know. If you get an email twice let me know that too please

UPCOMING EVENT ON SUSTAINABILITY:

Sustainable Packaging Event Set for Feb. 26
Join me JoAnn Hines, “The Packaging Diva,” in exploring what really works in the world of sustainable packaging innovation. Find out how you can take innovative, best sustainable practices and incorporate them into your brand. Hines is one of three presenters in the Retailing Today-sponsored program, “Best Practices in Sustainability: Top Trends, Tips and Takeaways from Thought Leaders in Green Retailing,” which will occur Feb. 26 from 6:30-9:30 a.m. at the Embassy Suites, in Rogers, Ark. The seminar agenda includes:

•Exclusive Consumer Study: What is “Green,” and Who Cares? Understanding how responsive (or unresponsive) today’s consumer is to the latest in green’ merchandising and marketing by Art Angel, research director for Leo J. Shapiro & Associates.

•Sustainable Packaging — From “Green” to “Great.” Hines offers her perspective on what it takes to maximize the appeal of green packaging.

•Ten to Watch: Best Practices in Green Retailing. This virtual tour of 10 retailers at the cutting edge of sustainability is presented by Tim Craig, editor-in-chief/associate publisher of Retailing Today.

For more information and to register, visit www.retailingtoday.com/beyondbentonville/index.aspx.

If you cannot attend and want to order the post show report email me please for details.

FEATURE ARTICLE:

Bad Things Happen To Good Packaging by JoAnn Hines Packaging Diva

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.

Need to know whose got the latest concepts in packaging innovation? I know that's what I do-track packaging trends and innovation and how it is going to impact your business. Get connected with me JoAnn Hines Packaging Diva at my website http://packagingdiva.com or by phone 1-678-594 6872.

PACKAGING GREENWATCH:

What does it mean to go greenLa Vista Sun - Papillion,Ne,USAWhen shopping, the website suggests that people look for items that have minimal packaging. Many items come wrapped in packaging that is made from petroleum ...
http://www.lavistasun.com/site/tab8.cfm?newsid=19204557&BRD=2712&PAG=461&dept_id=557010&rfi=6

Expo Notes: FastTrack makes it easier being greenMacworld - San Francisco,CA,USAThe company has heard from people in the entertainment business who are working on coming up with more environmentally-friendly packaging for DVDs, ...
http://www.macworld.com/article/131726/2008/01/fasttrack.html?t=104

Food Chains Take Lead in Conscious-ConsumerismOak Brook Business Ledger - Oak Brook,IL,USA... total waste outputs, limiting excess packaging and reducing energy consumption. “At Whole Foods each individual is empowered to be green,” said Kwiatt. ...http://www.thebusinessledger.com/Home/Archives/CommentaryViewpoints/tabid/86/newsid415/224/Food-Chains-Take-Lead-in-Conscious-Consumerism-/Default.aspx

Compostable tray devised for meat packagingPackWire.com - Montpellier,FranceIn a further boost to the packaging's green credentials, Biopak claims that the secondary packaging used to transport the trays is also biodegradable, ...
http://www.packwire.com/news/ng.asp?n=82700-biopak-meat-tray-polylactic-acid

Promoting your firm's 'green side' can pay off bigAugusta Chronicle (subscription) - Augusta,GA,USAIf your packaging is made from recycled paper, then say so. If your company has reduced energy costs, then brag about! Making fuzzy claims, however, ...
http://chronicle.augusta.com/stories/012808/yrb_185203.shtml

Poly-Pak unveils green packaging programmeLaundry and Cleaning News - Sidcup,England,UKPoly-Pak Industries has unveiled an environmental packaging programme designed to help US retailers become more environmentally responsible. ...http://www.laundryandcleaningnews.com/story.asp?sectionCode=138&storyCode=2048458


PACKAGING DIVA'S PICKS OF THE WEEK:

Past times in a packageEast Herts Herald 24 - Stevenage,Engalnd,UKThey are mostly 20th century advertising tins and well-known brands but people don't always recognise the old packaging. "People like to be able to connect ...

http://www.herald24.co.uk/content/herald/news/story.aspx?brand=EHHOnline&category=NewsEastHerts&tBrand=herts24&tCategory=newsehhnew&itemid=WEED30%20Jan%202008%2012%3A58%3A36%3A227

33rd Annual Graphics of the AmericasWhat They Think - Lexington,KY,USAHowever, what few people realize is that counterfeit packaging is a $700-billion-a-year problem, with at least $350 billion attributed to bogus print, ...http://members.whattheythink.com/home/080207rromano.cfm

New Ideas for Old People: 157 Packaging Design ConceptsCore77.com - New York,NY,USAThe goal was not to find specific packaging solutions for older people but to create attractive solutions that work for all generations aka universal ...
http://www.core77.com/blog/object_culture/new_ideas_for_old_people_157_packaging_design_concepts_8863.asp

JoAnn Hines

Packaging Diva

All Packaging All Of The Time

I package people, products and services. Get started in the right direction by visiting any one of my websites for free advice, articles or just plain help. You can ask a question to a packaging expert too, list your packaging request, subscribe to my complimentary newsletter Packaging News You Can Use or just visit my website to ask me your packaging question. I *will* find your perfect packaging solution!

Personal Website: http://packagingdiva.com/

Corporate Website: http://packaginguniversity.com/

Packaging Help: http://packagingcoach.com/

Packaging Valentine's Day for Profit

Packaging Valentine's Day for Profit.
by JoAnn Hines Packaging Diva
Packaging News You Can UseTip Of The Week
Issue #1293 - Feb 8, 2008

http://packaginguniversity.com/

http://packagingdiva.com/

http://packagingbootcamp.com/

http://packagingcoach.com/

http://doityourselfpackaging.com/
http://packagingyourinvention.com/

IMPORTANT MESSAGE:
My computer had a major meltdown last week so if you are missing a response from me be sure and let me know.

UPCOMING EVENT ON SUSTAINABILITY:
Sustainable Packaging Event Set for Feb. 26

Join me JoAnn Hines, “The Packaging Diva,” in exploring what really works in the world of sustainable packaging innovation. Find out how you can take innovative, best sustainable practices and incorporate them into your brand. Hines is one of three presenters in the Retailing Today-sponsored program, “Best Practices in Sustainability: Top Trends, Tips and Takeaways from Thought Leaders in Green Retailing,” which will occur Feb. 26 from 6:30-9:30 a.m. at the Embassy Suites, in Rogers, Ark. The seminar agenda includes:

•Exclusive Consumer Study: What is “Green,” and Who Cares? Understanding how responsive (or unresponsive) today’s consumer is to the latest in green’ merchandising and marketing by Art Angel, research director for Leo J. Shapiro & Associates.

•Sustainable Packaging — From “Green” to “Great.” Hines offers her perspective on what it takes to maximize the appeal of green packaging.

•Ten to Watch: Best Practices in Green Retailing. This virtual tour of 10 retailers at the cutting edge of sustainability is presented by Tim Craig, editor-in-chief/associate publisher of Retailing Today.

For more information and to register, visit www.retailingtoday.com/beyondbentonville/index.aspx.

If you cannot attend and want to order the post show report email me please for details.

FEATURE ARTICLE:Packaging Valentine's Day for Profit By JoAnn R. Hines, Packaging Diva

Holidays are a great time to market new packaging innovations. Consumers look for that special something to celebrate the occasion and prowl the isles for that unique gift that means you are special to someone. Valentine's Day is one of the best holidays because it’s emotionally connected to the heart; and the heart is at the crux of what connects product packaging to consumers. If your product packaging cannot "connect" to the consumer, then it will never make its way out of the door.

So what is the emotional connection that says to consumers “buy me or pick me up for a closer look”? Pulling at consumer heart strings can be accomplished in numerous ways. Remember those "E" words I often write about (evoke, engage, emotion). How can you capture that essence in your product packaging?

However you reach out to your consumer it needs to be something unique and beyond the ordinary. It could be a clever new design, shape or in the case of chocolate, trade on the packaging innovation of "chocolate smells packaging. I recently cam across some very unusual "packaged" Valentines:one was a lucite keepsake container and one was in deep purple. So much for pink and red.

By the way, did you know that vanilla is the number one fragrance that appeals to men? This may be attributed to remembering to all those homey smells, apple pie, and mom. So why not utilize a vanilla smelling package to appeal to that man in your target market? "Connecting" to the consumer (whether man or woman) is paramount in getting them to buy. I'm amazed at the success of vanilla soaps and shampoos. That translates that into opportunities for product packaging innovation.

In any case, your product needs to be more than just the typical Valentine's Day product packaged in red or in some cases pink with a big bow and cellophane. (That is so passé.) I received a great package of chocolate from Noka Chocolate. Surprisingly, it was packaged in black. The packaging was a great concept too. Not only was it an elegant package but after the chocolate is gone, long before Valentine's Day in my case, the box is designed to be saved and reused as a keepsake holder. Hitting emotionally on two fronts "saving the environment" (packaging trend for 08) because I'm not throwing it away and by giving me something to reuse in a "meaningful" way (not just as junk). It got my interest and a mention here as a company that put a lot of thought into their product packaging. (By the way, if you're packaging diamonds, be sure and send some my way for a product review tee, hee.)

However you evoke, engage or emote the consumer it’s important to look for ways to distinguish yourself from your competitor’s product. Can your product packaging piggy back off a cause that lends itself well to the heart? It just so happens that the American Heart Association, has made February Go Red for Women month. There are myriad's of ways to make a "heart" connection with Valentine's Day. Obviously "red" anything will work, but last year I wrote about companies that were missing the opportunity to capitalize on chocolate: Missing the health connection to buying chocolate not as an indulgence but as a necessary component to a healthy life. This year it seems that a few companies have taken notice in their product offerings. Healthy is "in." Just look what is happening to trans-fats.

The important thing to take way from this article is how you can turn Valentine's Day into a profitable opportunity to package your products. It’s a holiday when participants expect to get or give something special. As a result, consumers are ready and willing to spend money on that unique item that shows them or their loved one that they are a special person in the giver’s life. Accomplish that with your product packaging and you will have a winner -- and a heartily profitable one too.

NO GREEN OR PACKAGING PICKS THIS WEEK


Regards,
JoAnn Hines
Packaging Diva
All Packaging All Of The Time

I package people, products and services. Get started in the right direction by visiting any one of my websites for free advice, articles or just plain help. You can ask a question to a packaging expert too, list your packaging request, subscribe to my complimentary newsletter Packaging News You Can Use or just visit my website to ask me your packaging question. I *will* find your perfect packaging solution!

Personal Website: http://packagingdiva.com/

Corporate Website: http://packaginguniversity.com/

Packaging Help: http://packagingcoach.com/