Packaging as a Brand Ambassador

Packagedesign.com sat down with PMMI VP Industry Relations, Ben Miyares for a Q&A exploring the role of packaging as a brand ambassador and the introduction of The Brand Zone at this year’s PACK EXPO trade show (October 5-7; Las Vegas Convention Center).

Q: A package can often become so recognizable that it becomes an intricate part of a brand’s marketing efforts.  What have you found to be some of the common difficulties packaging engineers face, especially on a global basis, when trying to create a powerful visual mnemonic?
A: The challenge is always to recognize the differences between markets. After thoroughly considering the marketplace, packaging engineers can discover the most efficient process for producing, filling, and packaging and decide whether to make conventional or radical alterations. If a brand wishes to adopt a radical package, it is important to justify going in that direction.  The research must indicate that consumers will accept the new design and that people are unhappy with the current category standard package. 

Many problems can develop if packaging engineers are not engaged in the product development or package re-designs. For example, if the material of the primary packaging is reduced in a way that makes it less protective, the packaging engineer must make the appropriate accommodations or the manufacturer may see an increase in product waste.  

Q: What new packaging materials are in high-demand as brands aim to differentiate themselves?
A: In general, we have seen lightweight, flexible packaging replacing heavy rigid packaging.  An across-the-board observation is that there will be more plastic and flexible packaging in the future than glass and metal containers. Market statistics indicate that plastic bottles and containers outstripped glass containers about 10 years ago.

We are also seeing a growing interest in bio-polymers, such as PLA.  These plastics are produced from renewable feed stocks like corn. Research is underway on the production of bio-polymers from celluloses. Cornell University & Novomer are working to develop plastics derived from carbon dioxide, green house gases. These plastics are not on the market yet, but they fuel the on-going interest in eco- or bio-polymer materials, which is only likely to grow.

This year’s PACK EXPO will feature The Brand Zone, a special pavilion designed to help brands leverage innovative containers and materials to meet consumer demands for convenience, portability, recyclability and portion control, among others. Exhibit space in the area is completely sold out, with 160 companies occupying more than 45,000 net square feet of space. A large portion of the materials that will be exhibited by the suppliers will be conventional geo polymers that reflect the needs of the market. We hope it will help packaging professionals begin to answer questions about barrier protection, product freshness and a host of other issues.

At PACK EXPO International 2008, executives from Frito Lay presented the company’s process in converting bags for its Sun Chips brand from geo-polymers to bio-polymers, with the goal of completing the transition by 2011. This is a great example of how one company is putting science to work in an effort to market and protect goods. It also demonstrates that PACK EXPO stays in tune with industry trends and is a forum for sharing successes.

Q: What role does machinery play in the package design process?  
A: Machinery transforms two-dimensional concepts to three-dimensional reality in the marketplace. If a package design is not machineable, it is only a concept.

With its focus on the full spectrum of solutions for the entire packaging supply chain, PACK EXPO is an ideal resource for designers, CPGs and private label manufacturers to consider options and alternatives to get their package to the marketplace economically and efficiently. It’s not unusual for attendees to come to the show with specific dilemmas or ideas. Some even come with package samples so they can determine if different systems can handle or produce the particular item.

Q: How important do you think the structural packaging is to the overall brand image and do you think its importance has increased with the advent of digital marketing? Do you think that the physical structure is overlooked or less important than graphic messaging on a package?
A: Both elements are essential to a strong package. The actual structure is what adds interest and functionality while graphics are what capture the consumer’s attention and serves as the primary form of communication about the product. Each plays a role in selling the product to the consumer and the success of both can also depend on the product itself. For example, the Paperboard Packaging Council has an annual competition with a section where judges evaluate blank paperboard cartons.  The idea is to get the judges to concentrate on the intrinsic structural advantage and value of the given structural design.  That is always a challenging part of the competition because it is virtually impossible to say with certainty that it is a good or bad box structure without seeing the product in it or its complete form with the graphics.

PACK EXPO attendees can see how brands from around the world have balanced the structural and graphic elements of their packaging to best convey brand messages in the Showcase of Packaging Innovations®, sponsored by The Dow Chemical Company. Housed in The Brand Zone, the display features about 300 innovative, award-winning packages from international industry groups and associations. Attendees can also gain inspiration may from the finalists of the PACK EXPO Selects competition, also on display in The Brand Zone.

Q: Public pressure with regard to environmental concerns influences the types of products that are marketed and how they are made and packaged. More and more companies are opting for packaging and labels with nontoxic, soy-based inks; nonpolluting solvents; recycled and recyclable materials; redeemable glass, aluminum, and plastic containers; less material waste; and so on. Are there specific challenges associated with taking this approach?
A: Several challenges are associated with the transition to more eco-friendly packaging, especially when the format changes drastically. For example, one brand of chili was repackaged from a can into a revolutionary paperboard carton. The carton looked very much like a drink box, and they were able to form, fill and seal the box in a plant. The package had no foil component, was retortable and represented a significant technology advancement. However, the product ultimately failed because consumers did not immediately associate the package with the product type and overlooked it on the retail shelf.

As consumers, we do not know enough about the science of food processing and preservation so if we see something in a box, we assume it is a mix and we have to add something.  Or there’s an assumption by consumers that because it is in this lightweight carton it is pumped with preservatives. The challenge comes in converting a product to a new packaging format and still retaining the consumer relationship. A brand must retain the faith and build on the relationship established with customers.

Q: Customers are better informed and more powerful than ever because of the unprecedented transparency created by the Internet. In what ways are packages being altered to deliver the brand experience and results the product promises? What trends and technologies do you see emerging as brands aim to live up to these promises?
A: Before the Internet, consumers relied largely on TV and radio ads for information about new products. Today, it’s entirely possible that consumers will hear – and debate the merits – of a product before it’s even launched, often resulting in an unclear brand image and message.

These factors have led to packaging assuming a primary role in communicating key brand attributes. Product packaging has more exposure to consumers than any other advertising medium a brand marketer can purchase. Packaging is particularly influential on store shelves, where the vast majority of purchase decisions are made. If I see the ad on TV that shows a ketchup brand, I may be entertained by it, but at that moment I am not making a purchasing decision. When I buy groceries, I may or may not remember the ad, but I will remember the bottle and graphics and would expect it to be the same on shelf. The actual package on the shelf and its relationship to the consumer is what makes it successful, not the media.

About PMMI
PMMI is a trade association with more than 550 member companies that manufacture packaging and packaging-related converting machinery, processing equipment, commercially-available packaging machinery components, containers and materials in the United States and Canada. PMMI’s vision is to be the leading global resource for packaging, and its mission is to improve and promote members’ abilities to succeed in a global marketplace.  

PACK EXPO will be held October 5-7, 2009 at the Las Vegas Convention Center. To register for the show or obtain more information, visit www.packexpo.com or contact PMMI’s Show Department at 703.243.8555 or expo@pmmi.org.