September PackageDesign.com Interview

For the third and final Q&A of this series, Packagedesign.com spoke with PMMI VP Industry Relations, Ben Miyares to discuss the challenge of balancing innovation and function in package design and how the upcoming PACK EXPO (October 5-7; Las Vegas Convention Center) can help.

 
Q: What do you consider the most important factor in determining the “viability” of a packaging innovation?

A: Ultimately, it depends on how the product relates to three key groups: consumers, retailers and manufacturers. To create viable and innovative packaging, designers must consider how members of each group interact with the product. Can the package run on the existing lines? Will it stack efficiently on store shelves? Can consumers easily dispense the product? All of these factors are vital.

For example, Diesel introduced a triangular carton for men’s underwear last year. The package’s unique shape served as a departure from traditional packaging in that product category but also added a functional element by facilitating stacking and creating a whole new perspective for the consumer standing in front of the display. Another great example is Nyquil, Dayquil and their private label alternatives, which are packaged in triangular plastic bottles that stand flush against one another on the shelf. The day-time and night-time formulas are shrink-wrapped together, improving the convenience of distributing, displaying and purchasing the products. By considering all steps of the supply chain, the package designers created an innovative and viable package that hits all the marks on target.

Sometimes, packages are viable through emulation rather than individuality. Historically, private label brands have drawn consumer attention with packaging that echoes the colors and structures of branded products. If a retailer were offering a private label alternative to the Head & Shoulders shampoo and conditioners, the bottles would likely simulate the familiar blue and white color combination and wide, rectangular shape. However, private label brands looking to mirror the look of another product must tread carefully. Many CPGs are very protective of their brand equities and guard their trade dress.


Q: What are some of the new functionalities and innovations that consumers are demanding in packaging?

A: Consumer convenience remains an important consideration. If the consumer goes to the supermarket to buy sliced cheese and one brand offers individually wrapped slices while the other doesn’t, all else being equal, the consumer will purchase the product with added convenience.

Easy opening and recloseability are also vital to enhancing convenience. Consider the zipper pouch, a feature that solely addresses convenience but is so effective that whole product categories, such as shredded cheese, have adopted it as a standard packaging format. Despite the added costs of adding a zipper to the pouch, manufacturers understand the value consumers see in the resealable, multi-use bag. For retailers, a zipper pouch with the appropriate die-cut hole is relatively easy to display on the pegboards found in most dairy sections. 

Demand for larger packaging formats with enhanced convenience is also on the rise.  When you move to a larger size, adding handles or wheels that ease handling is the sort of innovation that consumers are demanding. Lawn seed and fertilizers are packaged in triangular cartons with wheels affixed to them and a zipper so you pull the package across the lawn and distribute the seed. The dispenser package  was added as a convenience for the consumer. It was certainly not there because the grass seed needed that kind of applicator. Consumers are interested in packaging that makes it easy for them to access, use and store the product.

Though convenience is key in innovative packaging, designers must balance this need with demands for more environmentally-friendly packaging. Features that offer full dispensing for condiments and toothpaste help eliminate product waste and offer convenience. Some of the mayonnaise marketers have introduced plastic bottles or jars, which are promoted as full-dispense or easy-serve containers. The sidewalls have been reconfigured so consumers can run a knife down the side and get the very last bit of product. Some brands have taken the idea a step further by increasing the lubricity of the walls to make accessing the product even easier. Upside-down stacked bottles aim to accomplish the same goal for products spanning the food and cosmetics industries much to the pleasure of budget-conscious consumers who want to get that last bit of product out of the container.

PACK EXPO is well positioned to help package designers and brand owners address both of these consumer demands. At The Brand Zone, attendees will find the latest advances in containers and materials that enhance portability, resealability, recyclability and portion control, among others.

In addition, the show’s PACK EXPO Green program will make it easy for attendees to find sustainability-enhancing technologies. This symbol will be seen on special signage in booths featuring sustainable and/or environmentally friendly solutions. The symbol will also appear in exhibitor profiles on www.packexpo.com, helping attendees identify the technologies they’re looking for before they step foot on the showroom floor.


Q: How are packaging developers working with the product manufacturers and/or marketers to meet these demands?

A: Communication up and down the packaging supply chain is critical to assuring that consumer demands are met. I recently facilitated two separate meetings between retailers, packaging machinery manufacturers and container suppliers. Both meetings were conducted with the end goal of developing packaging that could perform all the way from the manufacturing stage to consumer use. Even though each meeting addressed different needs, both resulted in effective solutions because all of the stakeholders were part of the conversation.

In the same way, events like PACK EXPO benefit product manufacturers, designers and packaging suppliers by uniting them in a single place so they can interact and share ideas on tomorrow’s innovative solutions.


Q: What are some examples of new packaging features that enhance convenience for both the manufacturer and consumer?
A: Designing lighter-weight packaging that effectively uses less material enhances convenience for both parties. Through size optimization, designers can utilize the least amount of material to hold the most amount of product for a closer product-to-container ratio. For example, a brand may offers beans in two sizes. Let’s say the smaller can is the same diameter as the larger can but shorter. That short can is the optimal size for that particular canned product in that the volume of beans it holds versus amount of metal that surrounds it. Squat packages are more stable, lighter weight, as well as more stackable.

Rather than optimizing the size of an existing package, companies can also adopt new packaging formats to achieve a lighter package. Many product categories have seen a rise in flexible packaging over heavier, rigid materials. Often, flexible packaging is lighter-weight, increasing the convenience and portability of a product. In transportation and storage, flexible packaging can improve cube efficiency so manufacturers can fit more units onto a pallet or in a truck. However, the conversion to flexible packaging can have a downside. At the end at the day, the manufacturer must respond to consumer demands. If the consumer perceives glass as a superior packaging material for milk, brands will satisfy that demand.  


Q: Food safety is an important issue in the packaging industry. What are some examples of new packaging features that offer better product protection?
A: There are a multitude of options to achieve this goal. Bottles for beverages or pills usually have a seal that peels back over the mouth. The seal prevents leaks, insect intrusion, and signals whether the bottle has been tampered with. To preserve products, some closures are equipped with oxygen sensors. When consumers open the bottle, the sensor indicates the amount of oxygen in the headspace of the container. Too much oxygen in the headspace can cause products such as aspirin to expire quickly

Time temperature indicators have been around for a long time. A temperature-sensitive label will change color if the package reaches a set temperature to let consumers know that their product has been exposed to too great a variance in temperatures.

On the horizon are materials that will change color in the presence of microorganisms. Think of the soaker pad under a trayed chicken. Based on the condition of the juices it absorbs, the tray reveals green stripes to show consumers that the poultry was exposed to microorganisms. In the next couple of years, this technology will be tailored to a range of applications in fresh and refrigerated products.

 

About PMMI
PMMI is a trade association with more than 530 member companies that manufacture packaging-, processing and related converting machinery, 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. PMMI organizes the PACK EXPO trade shows: PACK EXPO International, PACK EXPO Las Vegas and EXPO PACK México. Learn more about PMMI at pmmi.org.

 PACK EXPO Las Vegas will be held October 5-7, 2009, at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. The show will be co-located with Converting & Package Printing EXPO and PROCESS EXPO. PMMI also produces EXPO PACK México, the premier packaging show in Latin America. The next edition of EXPO PACK México will be held June 22-25, 2010, at Centro Banamex, Mexico City, Mexico. PACK EXPO International 2010 will be held Oct. 31–Nov. 3, 2010, at McCormick Place in Chicago. Visit www.packexpo.com for more information.