Five packaging trends set to impact global market

Postable packaging, personalisation and unique structures play a key role in the five top global packaging trends set to affect manufacturers, consumers and retailers in 2017, according to research firm Mintel.

David Luttenberger, global packaging director at Mintel, said, “Consumers often and easily get caught up in the unending ebb and rapid flow of commercial fads, social issues, and branded messages. With so much activity constantly vying for their attention, packaging becomes white noise – an often silent but steady force in consumers’ daily lives.

“However, the impact of the combination of superior structures and succinct branding, the way packaging and our mobile devices are becoming inextricably intertwined, and the way brands are using packaging to reach out to consumers beyond their traditional categories – to include the influence of online shopping – is having more of an impact than consumers realise. At least for now.”

The [re] union of package
With one third of US adults noting that high quality food packaging is an indicator of product quality, Mintel’s global packaging team says the time is now for brands to roll out unique packaging structures that not only differentiate on shelf, but also help form and support brand identity. A survey by the research firm found that 21 per cent of Canadian consumers are interested in resealable or reclosable packaging in order to reduce waste.

Looking ahead, Mintel sees a current and continued emphasis on package functionality and the emergence of structures that work hard for consumers and build equity for brands.

The face and role of packaging online

As e-commerce grows, Mintel believes brands must explore both the opportunities and threats that this can bring, as the shift from in-store to in-home shopping becomes a core part of the packaging design conversation and brief.

An example of this is snacking brand Graze, which offers personalisation. Consumers are able to select four snacks to fill sections of the packaging, which is designed to fit through a mailbox and to give a good presentation of the products when opened.

Packaging gets smart, active and intelligent
While there is a lack of standardised definitions for smart, active, intelligent, and even mobile-enabled packaging, there are still clear and measurable connections with consumers and in some cases it is even saving lives, according to Mintel’s global packaging team.

The experience of packaging
Packaging design has become dominated by the need for brand recognition and variant identification and information. Consumers are increasingly looking for brands to entertain and engage them. For example, in Japan many consumers are giving a pack of KitKat chocolate bars to students taking school or college entrance examples to wish them luck.

As many of them write some well-wishing messages on the pack, Mintel says the company has created this ready-to-mail KitKat pack, which only needs a JPY140 ($1.23) stamp affixed to the pack to be mailed to the recipient.

Extend my brand
Price is a key factor in consumers’ purchasing decisions, but brand trust also plays a pivotal role. Mintel believes brands can leverage trust to create loyalty and extend a product portfolio well beyond traditional categories.

An example is Sargento’s balanced breaks snacks. The company used an elegantly styled dual-chamber thermoformed tub to differentiate its Balances Break protein snacks from others in the category, enabling it to move out of its traditional segment.

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