Packaging Trends: 4 Essential Keys to Successful Packaging Savings

  

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An essential element in making any product consumer friendly these days is the selection of packaging design and materials. It’s not enough just to have a good product, it must also have the kind of shelf appeal that catches the eye and elicits a positive emotional response within the consumer. This is no easy task because the competition for shelf space is stiff. Taking a look at current packaging analyst reports, there are four key trends that are having a big impact on a company’s bottom line when it comes to packaging: Convenience, Green Friendly, Age Neutral, Variety. 

People are busier today than ever before. There is very little patience for spending precious minutes going through tedious preparatory steps. This is true whether the product is food, personal grooming, household or other type of goods. People want to gain fast access to whatever it is they have bought. Food is the leading trendsetter in this area. Companies are pre-cutting vegetables, placing single servings into easy-to-eat containers and designing tops that pull or twist off easily without the need for a tool. 

While there is a debate going on about the merits of global warming and what this means for our planet, there is no debate as to how consumers feel about green friendly packaging – they want more of it. Environmental responsibility is no longer an option for many companies as their customers expect them to produce packaging that is both practical and does not harm the environment. This can be a real challenge as green packaging can be more expensive to produce depending on materials used and the process to create it. However, there is ongoing research and development into how to make packaging attractive to consumers, keep it’s green appeal while implementing packaging cost control measures. The good news is that there are financial rewards for companies who seek out ways to creatively use green packaging.

 Age Neutral 

There are millions of aging baby boomers that refuse to be treated as if they are ready for the nursing home. Toda’s packaging is more likely to reflect a person’s lifestyle than their particular age. The reality is that there are 70-year olds who are still quite active and 30-year olds who are lethargic or handicapped. Both can have youthful personalities and expect to be marketed to in a way that respects their view of who they are and what they want out of life. Trends are to create functional packaging using ergonomic, easy open/close design and easy to read graphics. 

Variety

 Packaging designers must be a lot more flexible today than in the past due to the sheer variety of consumer product choices offered on the shelves. Packaging of a product may be periodically reviewed for current appeal. There might be limited editions of certain products, along with limited edition packaging that could be sold as a collector’s item. Some companies are seeing more packaging savings by bringing partial package decoration tasks in-house. 

A lot of effort goes into designing packaging that meets customer expectations while leading to growth in brand loyalty. Expect to see more global expansion of both convenience and environmentally friendly packaging.