The right package structure can help build incremental sales opportunities for a product when brand managers know how consumers use their product and they leverage that knowledge in creating new “touchpoints” with consumers.

The best packages consider needs throughout the value chain, and Pittsburgh Brewing Co.’s “Rack Pack” is a recent example of another package that succeeds. An innovative plastic-ring carrier allows a dozen 12-oz beverage cans to be joined together by one ring in a 2x6 configuration.

The ring, from ITW Hi-Cone, is made of a proprietary blend that includes low-density polyethylene. Previously, carrier rings held six cans in a 2x3 arrangement.

Among key consumer benefits are the pack’s quick-chilling properties. The 12-pack ring carrier eliminates the need for a paperboard carrier carton, which slows the cooling process in the refrigerator or in ice, explains Tony Ferraro, PBC Vice President of Sales.

From a retailer perspective, the 12-pack ring carrier’s 2x6 configuration provides a more economical use of space on the store shelf. At 15 1/2” long, 5 1/4” wide and 4 3/4” high, the Rack Pack fills the entire depth of the shelf while providing a narrower “footprint” than a standard 3x4 configuration, which measures 10 1/2” long, 7 3/4” wide and 4 7/8” high.

PBC studied the success of the “fridge pack” carton concept used by beverage companies, but wanted a unique, more economical pack for consumers and the distributors/wholesalers who sell PBC’s Iron City brand. Ferraro says the ring carrier has helped the regional brewer to differentiate its brands.

“You have to think ‘outside of the box,’ and we have to consider the wholesaler’s needs. They are our partners,” Ferraro says.

The brewer plans to use the Rack Pack carrier for its Iron City and I.C. Light brews. Initial distribution will be in Ohio, West Virginia, New York, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Georgia, North and South Carolina, and Florida.