Final registration is being taken for the 8th annual “Proof: Market Research & Development For Package Design” conference, Sept. 25-27, 2006, at the Drake Hotel in Chicago.

Packaged goods become abstract when even the smallest supermarket stocks thousands of SKUs. In this disconnected environment, consumers gravitate toward products with identifiable origins.

From fabric and skin care to energy drinks, new packages communicate what the product does

Mintel’s Global New Products Database cites several products that have recently come on the market. Each product’s packaging spotlights the product benefits.

From fabric and skin care to energy drinks, new packages communicate what the product does

Mintel’s Global New Products Database cites several products that have recently come on the market. Each product’s packaging spotlights the product benefits.

From fabric and skin care to energy drinks, new packages communicate what the product does

Mintel’s Global New Products Database cites several products that have recently come on the market. Each product’s packaging spotlights the product benefits.

Consumers strongly prefer glass for beer and liquor. The ‘cold threshold’ makes plastic ideal for water but not for beer. Soda lovers are divided on packaging choice.

For brands that have earned icon status, the single most powerful marketing tool is an identity that synthesizes authenticity and relevance.

If we keep our eyes open, the belief goes, consumer trends will point to opportunities. Given new research on consumer perceptions of “green” marketing, can this commonly held belief possibly be true in packaged goods?

Anyone who is looking for evidence that huge sales gains are possible in a commodity category should study the success at Glaceau. The regional marketer restaged its Smartwater bottled water brand, expanded distribution in specialty food stores, supermarkets, and in Costco warehouse club stores in the central and southern United States—and sales increases are exceeding 100%.