Today’s businesses are collaborating and innovating at a pace never seen before, and a lot of that progress is being driven by technologies that are disrupting and shifting whole industries.
Korpack’s packaging engineering services and packaging consulting initiatives can give your firm the edge on today’s packaging trends and expand your notion of what’s possible today.
Merchandising and marketing aren’t going to stay relegated to the POP display or the retail shelf any longer. Today’s innovative packaging trends are making one thing clear: innovation in packaging is creating big opportunities for businesses, big and small. Are you ready to think outside the box?
Sustainable Custom Packaging
Does your existing packaging service allow custom packaging, or is it impossible for you to design and implement custom, sustainable packaging solutions for your goods with the vendor you’re using?
It’s a well-known fact that mainstream responsible consumerism is a growing trend in the marketplace. The spotlight here is not only on the quality of your products but how environmentally friendly your packaging is.
But that’s not all. Many well-informed consumers put their money where their mouth is when they talk about wanting to buy local goods because of the diminished environmental impact these goods have across the entire supply chain.
This growth trend is projected to continue, with consumer behavior dictating a needed response from producers about transparency regarding local origins. On-pack labeling that responds to this trend will drive sales — you can believe that.
Packaging that places an emphasis on being local is, in the eyes of the consumer, a huge indicator of how sustainable your brand actually is. So if your packaging is 100% recycled, recyclable, and local — but you don’t educate the customer about that fact — you’re missing an opportunity to stand out from the crowd.
Signage, shelf tags, and on-pack callouts can help your business capitalize on this trend.
Smart Packaging Means Innovative Packaging
As you work with your packaging service provider to find ways to continuously innovate and separate yourself from your competitors, you may want to consider smart packaging.
In one sense, this trend involves technology — as you probably thought. But in another sense, it simply means thinking about smarter solutions.
The tech side of smart packaging involves the use of near-field communication (NFC), which is by no means nascent. This technology, which permits short-range wireless communication for mobile phones and other kinds of electronic devices, has been around for a while.
Most often, at least in this context, NFC is used by customers to make payments, which is a huge leap forward in customer service (allowing users to bypass checkout lines). Even public libraries use NFC technology to expedite their checkout processes: simply stack your books on the NFC reader, and every item in it is automatically checked out.
But you can also smarten up your packaging by offering:
- Personalization
- Product registration and community
- Incentives and exclusive content
- Gamification
This last item, gamification, is a little like building an app around your product family that can integrate into an interactive game, encouraging customer loyalty. With innovations in smart packaging, the sky’s the limit. The more creative you can be with it, the better your results may be.
Custom Reusable Packaging
A great example of this concept in action can be found in the boutique beverages space.
POM juice has always had a distinctive packaging design for its products. When the company decided to delve into teas as a way to get a little closer to the lucrative but crowded energy drinks space, it decided to throw in a bonus for its customers.
The package in which POM ships its beverage is a drinking glass with a shrink-wrapped lid securing the contents. Whenever a customer buys POM’s product, they’re getting a free reusable glass along with it.
Certainly, there are other ways in which the idea of reusability can be applied in spaces other than this. Let your imagination run wild.
Active Packaging
As technology matures and becomes more ubiquitous, features that were once reserved for more permanent applications (such as endcap video displays) will migrate to in-aisle retail shelves and even packaging itself. It’s just a matter of time.
And while there are less intrusive ways to engage the concept — such as telling your product’s story or explaining your ingredients list in plain terms — active and intelligent packaging seems to be the future.
If your product is temperature sensitive, for instance, or if connectivity is required for location services, there is a way to integrate these features into your packaging.
Imagine being able to extend shelf life, display quality information, or monitor product freshness right on your packaging. And if that’s possible — which it is — imagine how the data can be deployed. You can even program active packaging features that are triggered by consumer behaviors.
Innovative Packaging in Design
If you make the design the focus of your packaging (think Apple products), you’re already a step ahead of your competition. You can explore many options regarding design:
- Use sandwich printing (on both sides of your label, for clear containers)
- Print on metallic foil to stand out from the competition
- Tailor your packaging to your demographic (e.g., Axe toiletry products)
- Take your inspiration from nature (e.g., bananas, pea pods, corn cobs)
Providing retail-ready packaging can give you the edge too. The less prep and labor your product requires, the better your chances are of having the product on the shelf when your prospects walk by.
Swiffer recently took this step, reducing downtime and speeding up restocking time for retail employees. Retail-ready designs in your packaging could make all the difference in your bottom line.
Packaging Engineering Services from Korpack
Korpack offers packaging engineering services that can give your firm the edge in every retail space in which you compete. Our packaging consulting services can help you sort through the huge array of options out there and find the best packaging strategy for your business. Reach out to us to get more information today.
