09Sep2009

What You Need To Know About Packaging and Brands

PACKAGING HAS MORE influence on consumer buying decisions than ever. Packaging adds value, keeps products fresh longer or makes them easier or harder to use, open, reclose, carry, store, pour, understand, and throw away.

Ask yourself and your vendors the same things consumers do: Is the package eco-friendly? (Many shoppers like supporting brands that seems to be doing the right thing.) Does it address shoppers’ cost concerns? Will it help them or their kids control their portion sizes? Is it microwavable? Is it reusable? Is it good for little hands? Does it work for on-the-go? Is it lighter than it used to be, and if not, why not? Is it refillable, and if not, could it be?

THREE KEY POINTS Here are three key points to keep in mind:
1 Reduced advertising and broadcast media power mean that the package is the only way the brand communicates with many consumers.
2 Shoppers see many packaging attributes as consumer-responsive. Deciding to buy a brand that is consumer-responsive, even if it costs a little more, is rewarding to consumers and fits their perception of how things ought to be, e.g., that companies should give them what they want and make money by making them happy.
3 The three eco- R’s, Reusable, Refillable, and Recyclable are joined by Less Packaging in making shoppers feel good about buying.

Now let’s look at some important packaging attributes.

MULTIPACKS. Multipacks sell well in the dairy case because many shoppers, especially parents of younger children, see them as a way to control portions, reduce product waste, and give little kids packages that are just right for them. Busy parents of young children also want packages that fit on the refrigerator doors that they “open and close 100 times a day,” often while carrying a baby.

REUSABLES. Many shoppers just can’t get enough reusable packages, whether wide-mouth jars, Chinese food containers, or empty packages of cottage cheese or whatever. The appeal comes from a combination of thrift, storing and gifting leftovers, and eco-friendliness. (Consider how popular reusable bags have become in supermarkets.) The dairy case used to be a major source of free reusable packages. Now most yogurt cups come with non-resealable foil lids which use less plastic (which consumers like) but are less resealable or reusable (which they don’t). If one of your vendors decides to reintroduce snap-on yogurt tops, stock them and see if they fly – even at a slightly higher price.

HANDLES. Half gallons and even quart containers of milk and other beverages increasingly come with handles, making them easier to pour, carry and balance. Whether the user is weak, shaky, small, or uncertain, having a handle makes them feel better about themselves – always a powerful selling tool.