As discussed in earlier blogs, new packaging can lead to an increase in sales.  However, sometimes it’s hard to know what path to take in terms of innovation.  Here are a few tips from Peter Renton’s article in Packaging Digest that discuss different innovative options along with some real world examples.

Create a Reusable Package

Pom tea is unique in design, and exceptionally eye-catching.  Renton’s article discusses the truly original design:

“The boutique beverage market is mature and extremely competitive, so you might think there are few really new ideas when it comes to packaging. You would be wrong. POM Tea has created something truly different. For a start the product itself is different – it is tea infused with pomegranate juice. But it is the packaging that is remarkable; the drink is packaged in a regular tall drinking glass with a lid and a clear shrink wrap label. It says on the label: Remove the label, keep the glass.”

Add a Little Extra to Your Packaging

Renton’s article points out Amy’s pasta sauces, specifically that “it looks like the way your grandmother would package it, and you can’t go down the aisle of pasta sauces without noticing it.” Fans of Amy’s products would agree.  All of their packaging is simple, usually with appetizing pictures. And their products for a gluten or wheat-free diet are exceptional.

Merge Two Packaging Concepts
Renton also discusses the Anheuser Busch bottles.  Wow – what a great idea  to make a beer bottle out of recyclable aluminum!  From being a brand that is known for being less exotic than others, they have certainly stepped it up in the class and style factor!  It would not be surprising if these bottles lead to new customer sales.

For more innovative packaging tips visit:

Packaging Digest

One key way that you can gain customers and brand/product recognition is by changing up the design of your packaging.  Yes, if you have a “classic” design, you do not want to change it up too much and risk confusing or losing customers, but you also do not want your product to look outdated.  An old design can blend in with the competition, and you want your product to “pop” and stick out on the shelf.

Kayem needed a new design for the packaging of their hot dogs. “Classic is one thing, but ‘stale’ isn’t a term a marketer wants people to associate with his edibles.”

To change the packaging effectively, Kayem had to do a lot of market research to figure out what was wrong with the old packaging and what could make it better.  First, Kayem removed the banner, “DELI”, because customers did not know what that meant.  They decided to stick with “Old Tyme” to convey emotion and describe their hot dogs as being tasty and classic.  They also decided to add “gluten-free”, “made in the USA”, and “no fillers, no artificial flavors, no byproducts” to the packaging.  These statements have always been true of Kayem hot dogs, but they decided to focus on the health and quality of the food, otherwise consumers would not know.  Kayem also decided to stick with the blue packaging to differentiate themselves from the competition and added a pictured of a cooked hot dog to grab the consumer’s attention.

Kayem’s new packaging design proved to be effective.  After 12 weeks (ending July 11, 2009), Kayem’s volume rose 7.3 percent and sales were up 15.7 percent, according to ACNielsen’s Grilling Index.  The new packaging is proven effective, because it catches attention and people are recognizing the brand.

With the ever increasing popularity of USB flash drives, also known as jump drives or thumb drives, companies are coming up with more and more creative designs for these devices. Here are some that we found at Gadget4all:

Care for a flash memory shot?

This one is a mp3 player, voice recorder, AND a flash memory stick:

Like to eat/cook? There are plenty of creative food designs:

Don’t go without protecting these valuable devices. When you need to package all of your creative USB flash drives, give Sunrise a call. We can help create a custom package to go with your unique devices that can help prevent them from being lost/damaged.

(All pictures from gadget4all.com)

You can package your product in a simple white paper sleeve or paperboard mailer and we can help you with that. There are lots of projects that this type of packaging is perfect for.

However when you are talking about products for the retail market, either on-line or at a bricks and mortar store, movie and music enthusiasts choose the physical product over a download for one reason… The Packaging.

The following is a short list of movie and music reviewers and their thoughts on the packaging and the value it adds:

Rev/Views DVD & Television blog

Review of the first season of the TV series “Chuck“:
“Now I am a bit of a packaging enthusiast, mostly because I feel I’ve invested money in purchasing DVDs and as such I want them to look nice on the shelf and work well.”

Creative Review blog

Review of “Glastonbury The Movie“:
“At a time when you can get online and simply download music and films, really it’s down to the packaging of albums and DVDs to make the tangible music or film product a viable option to the consumer.”

Pulse Wrestling blog

Review of the WWE “Randy Savage Ultimate Collection“:
“As someone who collects a lot of disc based stuff (hardcore video game collector here), I like it when the stuff occupying my shelf looks good.”

MamaPop blog

Review of “Wilco (the album)”:
“certain bands, you need to buy the physical recording, because there’s packaging that speaks to what the album is and isn’t.”

NSRMTB blog

Review of “Tipping Point“:
“To all those out there that would rather download a DH DVD than buy one you are going to miss out on some cool packaging and shame on you.”

Bring on Mixed Reviews blog

Review of “The Dear Hunter“:
“The album’s packaging is also something to behold. The time and effort put into the old timey photos that double as track lyrics/notes, is simply amazing. If you have The Prize Fighter Inferno‘s album “My Brother’s Blood Machine” then you know what I am referring to, it returns my faith in the CD medium, where so many have abandoned it for hollow digital downloads.”

These are just some of many comments that prove that the packaging adds value to an album or movie.  You could decrease piracy and downloads by investing in custom packaging that is creative and eye-catching.  By doing this, you are making the physical product of your album or movie a must-have for every fan.

Ever have problems being the person making the coffee run and trying to remember how each person likes their coffee?  I came across this creative packaging idea that I have not seen anything like before.

Josh Harris came up with the “Coffee Top Caddy”, which was created to help the people going on those large coffee runs for their co-workers.  Many people are very specific on how they like their coffee, so with this invention, you do not have to worry about getting each person’s order right.  These lids are designed to hold creamer and sugar packets right on top.  Each person can then customize their own drink by adding however much cream or sugar that they would like.

Not only does this form of custom packaging make the product more helpful, but it also makes the product much more distinctive.  Customers will recognize and remember that your store has the creative lids that make the office coffee runs so much easier.  Custom packaging lets you bring your own creativity and flair to your product’s packaging by matching the personality of your product or company.  It also allows your product to stand out on the shelf above the competition.