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Archive for December, 2010

Top Packaging Trends for 2011

Friday, December 31st, 2010

As 2010 comes to an end, and a new year is about to begin, many things in our world are about to change. The packaging industry, for example, is expecting changes for 2011. As technology advances rapidly, a push for sustainability is expected to grow. The possibilities for the packaging industry are endless for 2011 with new innovations becoming present everyday.

Here are the top trends for 2011:

1. The attraction of design: The purpose of design is to communicate with the consumer and entice them to purchase. Understanding the customer and what they want is the key to this trend.

2. The color of 2011 is green: Demand for eco-friendly and sustainable options in packaging is increasing. Consumers are more apt to buy products made from eco-friendly materials and/or eco-friendly practices and processes. Energy saving, water saving, material reduction, and recyclability are just a few examples of how eco-friendliness is getting incorporated in the packaging industry. The idea is to lessen their impact on the environment and look for innovative ways to do so.

3. Robots are coming: Automated technology is always improving. The ability for this technology to be used in the packaging industry helps to improve production and lower costs.

4. A digital world calls for digital printing: Digital printing is a method of printing that is done from a digital based image. This process allows for shorter production runs, flexibility, and rapid turnaround. Digital printing will increase in versatility and application in 2011.

5. These aren’t your average tags: Radio-frequency identification (RFID) is a technology that uses communication via radio waves to exchange data between a reader and an electronic tag attached to an object. The purpose of these tags is to identify and track. It provides security and authenticity. This will be a common feature on packages. QR codes and M Tags are new applications that are becoming apart of packaging. These tags are a different type of tag that incorporate mobile phones and allows businesses to increase exposure.

6. Customization is key: Companies are looking for ways to set themselves apart from others. That is where customization comes into play. Packaging is the first thing a customer sees when buying a product. Unique packaging allows a business to grasp the attention of customers. By having the option to customize packaging, companies have a million possibilities at their disposal.

The new year holds positive trends for the packaging industry as well as a positive outlook. The packaging industry continues to grow and has a world of potential for 2011.

Tags:2011, customization, Eco-Friendly, Packaging Design, packaging industry, packaging trends, RFID tags
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11 Social Media Marketing Tips

Wednesday, December 29th, 2010

Social media has only been around for a short while and it has greatly exploded into a network of possibilities. Not only is social media used to communicate with friends and family, shop, and find love, it is also a way for businesses to market to their present and hopefully future customers. Social media has allowed marketers to transform one-way communication into an interactive experience. The ability to shape products and services based on real time customer feedback is the brilliance behind marketing via social media. Although social media sounds so simple, it may be difficult to decipher how to utilize social media for marketing purposes.

Here are 11 tips to help with social media usage as part of a marketing strategy:

1. Research: There are many social media outlets available and it can get crowded and confusing trying to decide which ones to use. Research should be conducted on how to use social media and what social media outlet is the best to use.
2. Set goals: Have a plan set so you can measure your progress and success.
3. Use the correct social media outlet for your audience: Different social media sites cater to certain things. To reach a specific audience, the right outlet must be used. For example, if your business sells consumer products, Facebook might be the best platform.
4. Be on your best behavior: Everything said online can be seen and gets recorded. It also becomes permanent. Think before you type.
5. Be interesting: Anything boring will not be read or followed. Updates or tweets should be lively and catch the attention of your audience.
6. Communicate instead of broadcasting: Social media is about engaging your audience and creating two-way communication. Avoid bombarding followers or fans with useless information.
7. Don’t be negative: Never say anything negative about another business. It could come back and haunt you and ruin your reputation.
8. Keep updated: Make sure you are keeping current. Don’t leave your audience to wonder and become stagnant.
9. Personalization: Make profile pages match the business atmosphere and incorporate the business culture.
10. Quality over quantity: Don’t go overboard and sign up for every social media site available. Keep it simple and only choose a couple of the top sites.
11. Use links: Add links to your social media accounts. Links help to get customers to your actual website. Also do the opposite and link your social media sites on your company website.

Tags:business, communication, Marketing, marketing strategy, Social Media, social networks, tips
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Pooh Bear Loses Some Baggage

Monday, December 27th, 2010

Disney has cut packaging waste by 80% for its 12 inch Winnie the Pooh Plush. In designing this new package, Disney’s goal was to create less waste, cut costs, and reduce carbon emissions. The packaging is designed to use less material by taking Pooh out of the open box and sit him in a saddle instead. The saddle allows for Pooh to maintain the sitting position on shelves. The branding information is moved from the original packaging design and is placed on a small paper label that attaches to Pooh’s hand. This new label reduces the amount of ink used in this new package. The use of the new packaging has saved 8 metric tons of cardboard and translates into nearly 10 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions avoided.

Tags:Eco-Friendly, green packaging, greenshouse emissions, packaging, sustainable packaging
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A Greener Christmas

Friday, December 24th, 2010

The holiday season is very close, with Christmas being tomorrow. The thoughts of candy canes, cookies, ornaments, decorations, and presents dance in the air. Along with the holiday cheer comes added waste. Americans throw away 25% more trash between Thanksgiving and New Year’s as compared to the rest of the year. This extra waste amounts to 1.2 million tons per week. Although this time of year produces so much waste, there are ways to help reduce the amount and help the environment.

Here are 8 ways to make the holiday season greener:
1. Consider no-waste gifts such as music or sports lessons, gym memberships, or concert tickets
2. Buy products made from recycled or organic content
3. Purchase vintage clothing or accessories from consignment or second hand stores
4. Give potted plants, flowers, or trees
5. When shopping, bring reusable cloth bags
6. Make your own wrapping paper by using old maps, posters, newspapers, or magazines
7. Use email for holiday greetings, photos, and letters
8. When entertaining, use washable utensils, plates, glasses, napkins, and table coverings. You can also send leftovers home with guests in reusable containers or donate them to local shelters or soup kitchens

By using a little imagination and putting in some effort, we can all contribute to a greener holiday season and hopefully reduce the amount of waste we produce during that time.

Merry Christmas!!

Tags:greener christmas, holiday season, organic content, recycled, reusable, waste
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The Luxurious Side of Whiskey

Wednesday, December 22nd, 2010

The new packaging design of Johnny Walker Gold Label is associated with two words: Serve Chilled. The idea is to freeze a bottle of Johnny Walker Gold Label and then place it into the accompanying “Ice Pillar”. The Ice Pillar acts like a cooler and allows the bottle to keep cold. The design is inspired by frosted gold leaves. The outer box is transparent and has the look of ice wrapping around the package. The outside packaging also possesses a metallic gold ring with the logo embossed out. The overall creation of this packaging is to symbolize gold confined in ice.

Johnny Walker Gold Label was created in 1920 and had been designed to celebrate the first 100 years of the House of Walker. The Gold Label is depicted as smooth, sweet, luxurious and elegant. The new packaging for Johnny Walker Gold Label reveals all those qualities of what the Gold Label wants to achieve and the Ice Pillar packaging allows for longer drink-ability of the refined quality that Johnny Walker believes in.

Tags:Gold Label, Johnny Walker, luxurious, packaging, Packaging Design
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Moving Ahead With Greener Packaging

Monday, December 20th, 2010

Companies are jumping on the green packaging bandwagon and are focusing on eco-friendly options. Green packaging is a win-win situation for these companies because it’s environmentally friendly and it provides cost savings by tossing out wasteful and outdated materials and techniques. Going green is about trying new things to help save the environment and that is exactly what companies are doing. They are experimenting and finding ways to reduce waste and harm on the environment by producing more sustainable packaging.

Walmart has been a leader in searching for greener packaging alternatives. Last year they pledged to eliminate all waste at its stores in 2025 by reducing, reusing, or recycling all materials.

Dell has been taking efforts to provide more eco-friendly packaging by trying out packaging materials made from bamboo. Bamboo replenishes itself quickly, making it a great resource for packaging.

Amazon has been thinking of ways to rethink traditional packaging. Colorful packaging was originally used for display boxes, with the intention to maximize the visual appeal, which is not necessary for online shopping. So Amazon started offering “frustration free packaging”, a program aimed at reducing shipping waste and difficult to open packaging. They work directly with manufacturers to ship products in hassle free boxes.

Other companies such as FedEx and the U.S. Postal Service offer shipping boxes made from recycled materials.

Companies are becoming more environmentally friendly when it comes to packaging and have taken different approaches to doing so. The world is full with ways to reduce waste and produce greener packaging.

Tags:Amazon, Dell, Eco-Friendly, eco-friendly packaging, environmentally-friendly, FedEx, green packaging, packaging, sustainable packaging, Walmart
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It’s Not an Optical Illusion, It’s Mobile Marketing

Friday, December 17th, 2010

Mobile tags (also known as 2D barcodes) are stepping out into the spotlight as the new way to engage customers. What looks like an optical illusion is actually a barcode that is designed to attract the attention of customers, inviting them to try, discover, share, save, and interact with brands. These tags are apart of a new concept in marketing called mobile marketing.

There are two types of mobile tags: QR codes and MS tags:

A QR (quick response) code is a matrix barcode that consists of black modules arranged in a square pattern on white background. These codes were created in Japan and used for tracking vehicle manufacturing. Now these codes are used in applications such as commercial tracking and convenience-oriented functions aimed at mobile users. The intention of this code is to allow its contents to be decoded at a high speed.

A MS (Microsoft) tag was created by Microsoft and features small, brightly colored triangles in geometric patterns. These tags were designed to work with the capabilities of a typical camera phone. MS tags can connect almost anything in the real world such as information, entertainment, and interactive experiences using a mobile phone.

So how do these tags work you ask? These codes can be found on products, posters, ads, packages, boxes, the list is endless. Using a mobile phone, download the application to read tags. When you see a tag, using the read tags application, point your camera at the tag, and within seconds the information will be unveiled. The tags are filled with encoded information and links, that when scanned by a mobile device, it is revealed to the customer. Tags can be linked to whatever the business wants a customer to know. Whether its their homepage, other related links, or a site specifically made for the tag, the capabilities of what these tags can do is limitless.

Why use these tags? The usage of smartphones are growing exponentially. 285 million Americans are mobile subscribers, which is 91% of the population. By integrating mobile usage and marketing, mobile marketing is becoming a great way for marketers to increase brand engagement and meet customer needs and expectations. Tags are able to be fully customizable to fit the individual needs of businesses. They also provide the ability to:

integrate print advertising with mobile devices

manage customer experience

measure campaign effectiveness

maintain brand identity

maximize information delivered

These tags allow offline pieces to connect with online experiences. The ability for marketers to customize these tags result in personalized interactions with customers via a mobile device. Mobile marketing will continue to grow as mobile usage does. Keep your eyes peeled for these tags and remember its not an optical illusion.

Tags:advertising, brand engagement, mobile marketing, mobile tags, mobile usage, MS tags, QR codes
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Going Green is Going Healthy

Monday, December 13th, 2010

Many companies are taking unique and innovative approaches to reducing the usage of plastics in their packaging. As strange as it may sound these companies have found ways to use potatoes, milk, mushrooms, and sugar cane to make their packaging more environmentally friendly.

PepsiCo’s UK brand of potato chips, Walkers, is innovating their packaging by looking for ways to use starch from unused potato peels. Starch is very sticky and when made into a large mass can become stabilized into layers. These bags will be naturally compostable and plan to hit store shelves in the U.K. in the next 18 to 24 months.

Ecovative Design has created a new packaging material that is made out of mushrooms. This new design is called Mycobond, and is heat and fire resistant. It has the ability to absorb energy and can biodegrade even in conditions that are lacking oxygen. The hope is for this material to replace petroleum based foam that is currently being used.

Got milk? Well just ask clay. Milk and clay have partnered together to be used as an alternative to Styrofoam. Scientists at Case Western Reserve University have designed a way to use clay and milk protein and make an eco-friendly packaging material. This process started by taking the cow milk protein called casein and strengthening it with some clay. The material is said to be strong enough for commercial use and a third of it biodegrades over time.

Proctor and Gamble have taken a “sweeter” approach to sustainable packaging by using sugarcane in their packaging of select Covergirl, Pantene Pro-V, and Max Factor products. The Polyethylene from sugarcane will be used in the plastic of those select products, making them easily recyclable.

Tags:compostable, Eco-Friendly, mycobond, packaging, packaging material, recyclable, sustainable, sustainable packaging
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The Blue Box has a New Design

Friday, December 10th, 2010

The famous blue boxed macaroni and cheese was introduced in 1937 by Kraft Foods. Since then they have expanded the original brand to more then 50 macaroni and cheese products. Some of those products include Easy Mac, Deluxe, and new to the group this year is Homestyle. Kraft Foods wants to streamline its portfolio by refreshing it brand with a more contemporary look to its packaging for the entire macaroni group.

The new look was designed by Landor Associates, a branding/design firm based out of California. Through their market research, consumers identified happiness, smiles, and joy with Kraft Mac and Cheese brand. Kraft Foods wants to integrate that feeling of happiness towards their brand which is why the new packaging will feature a “noodle smile”. The smile on the box is intended to elicit positive emotions and memories associated with the brand. The “noodle smile” will be featured on all the macaroni and cheese brands, making it easier for consumers to find them while shopping.

The new packaging development actually started in the spring of 2009 and started to appear on Kraft’s Homestyle brand. Look for the “noodle smile” as the new packaging will be fully unleashed by the first quarter of 2011.

Tags:Kraft Foods, market research, packaging, Packaging Design, packaging development
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