In This Issue

How much packaging is too much? Interesting ongoing packaging experiments are being conducted in Germany.

Pruner package: Failed opportunity to cut to the chase Marketers often talk about packaging's needs to both entertain and solve consumers' problems.

HBA Expo spotlight: Building strategies around current market drivers In today's economy, it is more important than ever for creative teams to arm themselves with the industry knowledge and best practices to produce packaging that brings sales results.

Package Gallery

Three packaging ideas that put eco-friendly in the branding mix

By Jim George, Editor, and Anne Marie Mohan, Contributing Editor

Though the recent trend of packaging that's good for the environment clearly is gaining traction, the idea of incorporating eco-friendly packaging into a marketing strategy continues to stump many creative teams. Many teams, especially those working

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for small or midsize brands, continue to ask, "Developing a sustainability program seems daunting. Where do we begin?"

By analyzing some recent package introductions, a few common themes begin to emerge that provide ideas for a starting point. To begin with, have your brand clearly positioned in the market. Success occurs when you truly know your consumer. From there, understand what materials work from a pro-environment perspective by looking at your design not only in the traditional way of starting the primary package unit, but also by working from the back end to the beginning. And, pursue brand objectives by maximizing the use of renewable and/or recyclable materials.

Following are several recent examples of packages that succeed on these points.

• Procter & Gamble's Ariel granule laundry detergent, marketed in Belgium and Turkey, features a polyethylene film that replaces an outer corrugated shipping carton and contains eight bags of detergent. These multipacks can be stacked on a pallet or shipped "deadpile," meaning they're manually loaded into trucks without pallets. P&G says the packaging's benefits are threefold: An easy-opening feature makes the packages easy to handle without the need for sharp objects when they are opened, transparent film makes the products easy to identify within the warehouse, and the packs minimize shelf space to provide additional space for distributors and retailers.
• Naya Canadian Natural Spring Water,

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  from Danone Naya Waters Inc., Laval, Quebec, Canada, has a mission of providing great-tasting water while also protecting the environment. The bottled water is sourced within a 400-mile radius of New York City, and the company employs a team of lab technicians and independent laboratories to test that the water is high-quality. To minimize the product's "footprint," the water is bottled directly at the source, at the foot of the Canadian Laurentians Mountains, near Montreal, which also preserves its natural properties. The product's small carbon footprint also includes 50% recycled plastic, which reduces the product's overall footprint by 25%, the company says.
• Sara Lee Corp., Downers Grove, IL, is finalizing specific, quantifiable goals related to sustainability. But one of the objectives already is clear: maximize cube efficiency. How is that accomplished? Glenn Ventrell, Director of Packaging Innovation and Development, advises creative teams to examine their packaging "from the truck going backward, as opposed to looking at it from the container going forward." Case in point: Sara Lee has reduced the height of the tub

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  for its Hillshire Farms lunchmeat by 3/16 inch. What does such a seemingly small adjustment mean? It adds one more packaging layer per pallet; the pallets are double-stacked. That translates to 60 additional layers per truck—taking 900 trucks off the road annually and 6,500 pallets out of the system, and also reducing the amount of plastic used by 79,000 lbs and the amount of corrugated by more than 630,000 lbs.

Want more ideas for sustainable packaging as part of a branding strategy? Check out the winners at the 21st DuPont Awards for Packaging Innovation.

Intelligence on Design How much packaging is too much? By Ted Mininni, President, Design Force

Interesting ongoing packaging experiments are being conducted in Germany. British supermarket giant Tesco co-opted the idea recently to conduct an experiment of its own over a six-week period. The premise of the exercise is simple: Customers in a defined number of supermarkets are allowed to shed any packaging they find excessive near the checkouts after making their purchases.

Not only does Tesco recycle packaging its customers leave behind, it plans to study the results of its exercise and relate feedback to product manufacturers. Tesco says common customer packaging complaints cited are the amount of plastic, board, and foil used; toothpaste cartons; and trays and plastic film containing produce.

New insights are being seriously considered as Tesco, a food retailer, looks for ways to reduce extraneous packaging on its own store brands and peripheral department packaging based on feedback from its experiment.

Consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies have been reducing excessive packaging for some time, of course. As retailers increasingly focus on developing and managing their own store brands, more sophisticated, responsible packaging is one of their primary concerns, too. Yet, consensus is growing that more can and should be done.

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Cost savings can be significant with reduced packaging on the front end, yielding fewer materials used and less energy consumed as highly desirable added bonuses. But savings on the back end are noteworthy as well. When consumers send less material to the trash and into recycling containers, energy savings are likewise substantial. Even better: Consumers appreciate having fewer packaging materials to discard after consuming products. CPG companies and retailers should not overlook this insight; consumers attach greater perceived value to the brands involved.

As is the case with most initiatives, a balanced approach is the key to successful packaging changes. A small percentage of consumers are avid environmentalists and more sensitive to perceived excess packaging. But other shoppers might require more information about ingredients and prefer to retain additional packaging. Results will have to be weighed with these considerations after the experiment concludes.

The less packaging consumers have to dispose of during the test period, the greater the affirmation that product manufacturers and retailers are doing a good job.

Brilliant package-reduction solutions are being devised. For example, HP's laptop-in-a-bag won Walmart's competition for innovative packaging ideas, and an exclusive promotion in its stores sold out the 15,000 laptops in a limited run.

Good package solutions can be developed when companies know where their packaging can be reduced without compromising product integrity or consumers' "need to know." Actually seeing how consumers interface with packaging gives companies the most solid information possible and also a real starting point.

Rather than viewing consumer disenchantment vis-à-vis current packaging as a negative, it is wiser for CPG companies to regard these insights as great opportunities ...Read more

Thinking in 360° Pruner package: Failed opportunity to cut to the chase By Jim George, Editor

Marketers often talk about packaging's needs to both entertain and solve consumers' problems. But if you want to cement a sale and give the user a good experience that prompts a repeat purchase, there also is no substitute for packaging that educates, too. In certain product categories, on-pack instruction is essential, and a conspicuous lack of rudimentary information could make the product downright dangerous to use.

I thought about these points recently as I happened across packaging for a tree pruner. The packaging consists of a plastic clamshell covering the pruning head and saw blade, with the handle protruding from a die-cut in the clamshell.

Inside the clamshell is a die-cut graphics card containing assembly instructions that, frankly, are somewhat confusing for anyone unfamiliar with tree pruners. Worse, the package lacks instructions for operating the tool or guidance on how to get the best pruning results (hint: expanded-content label). So I thought I'd follow this product manufacturer's user experience through to its conclusion. What I discovered was the only salvation for a bewildered first-time user of this product appears in the fine print on the back of the graphics card. Squint your eyes, and you'll see the product manufacturer's Web site. After searching the Web site, clearer assembly instructions and operating tips were found at the bottom of the Frequently Asked Questions page.

Basic requirements for any good brand experience are that the product should delight the consumer at both the point of purchase and the point of use. In the case of the tree pruner, the manufacturer assumes too much—that the user knows how to operate the tool and also how to properly thin and shape a tree or bush. Consequently, packaging fails to deliver on the second requirement, especially if the product user is an unsure novice who lacks Internet access at the point of use.

What a missed opportunity for packaging to maximize product value.

HBA Expo spotlight: Building strategies around current market drivers

In today's economy, it is more important than ever for creative teams to arm themselves with the industry knowledge and best practices to produce packaging that brings sales results. The trade show and conference at the 17th annual HBA Global Expo, Sept. 15 to 17, will give attendees the information they need on market forces currently impacting packaging's influence on sales.

HBA Global Expo will be at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York City, targeting the personal care, fragrance, wellness, and cosmetic industries. Nearly 750 exhibitors and educational partners will be associated with the show.

This year's event will spotlight a revamped educational program to help attendees understand the business drivers in the current market so they can formulate strategies for success.

For example, consumers are paying closer attention to price, and 45% of companies in the health and beauty segment are looking for resources in private label and also in contract packaging and manufacturing. HBA Global Expo is responding to those needs by introducing a Private Label/Contract Manufacturing Pavilion at this year's show.

The Private Label/Contract Manufacturing Pavilion will feature innovations from private-label, contract packaging, and contract manufacturing firms from around the world. Attendees will receive current information on how to position private-label brands and also gain market share. An all-day conference track will complement the pavilion.

For registration, show, and exhibitor information, visit www.hbaexpo.com.