A Message from our President, North America and SVP, Marketing, Design & Engineering

Your packaging represents your brand’s identity, and it must also deliver on the product, packaging features, and functionalities that consumers care about most. Achieving this begins with research—and understanding the consumer and market insights that help brands consider what inspires, motivates, and drives (different) people to make buying decisions.

Welcome to TricorBraun Beat. In this issue, we’ll examine one big trend that can help you develop—from concept to commercialization—your perfect package. This issue looks at the role that consumer experience plays in perceptions of your brand. We will identify what’s driving this trend, the implications for your business, the demographic nuances, and the packaging implications you must consider to maintain and grow your market share. We appreciate and care about your business—and we’re here to help you with packaging that delights consumers and drives brand loyalty for long-term sales success.

Sincerely,

 The Big Picture

Life is about experiences—from simple pleasures to extravagant gestures. Most are ordinary moments: brushing your teeth, making your morning coffee, taking your vitamins, feeding the dog, cooking dinner, and so much more. And in these daily moments lie opportunities for consumer-packaged goods companies to create meaningful, impactful touchpoints and build brand loyalty.

It all starts with the wrapping paper—your packaging. Whether it’s functionality, sustainability, or differentiation, the choices you make impact how someone reacts and interacts with your product. For example, market research firm Mintel found that about one-third of consumers will discontinue use of a product if the packaging fails. From ergonomics to leak prevention, the ease of use and how effectively you protect the product create an experience (good, bad, or ugly) for consumers.

Moreover, experience isn’t measured by premiumization. Whether you have a discount product, a private label, or a luxury item, consumers at all price points are looking for safety, convenience, indulgence, fun, or some combination of experiences. While what consumers want varies by market category, there’s no question that from material selection to format to decoration, making the right packaging choices is more important than ever.

 demographic

From Gen Z to Baby Boomers, consumers make buying decisions and are influenced by packaging. When it comes to demographics, however, there is a split in how older and younger generations perceive packaging value.

• Gen Z and Millennials are aesthetically driven. Younger adults are far more likely to pay attention to both your packaging design and your on-pack messaging. They’re looking for pretty packages: appealing designs, clear ingredient lists, and information about sustainability and/or your corporate values. In fact, Mintel found that 31% of Gen Z and 34% of Millennials have paid more for a product because they like the packaging. From Liquid Death’s water in a can to Bath & Body Works’ hand soap in a paper milk carton, your format choices can appeal to younger consumers and impact your price point. 
• Older generations are more focused on functionality. Gen X and Baby Boomers are less focused on the bling and more concerned with the basics. Gen X consumers are the generation most likely to avoid a product because the packaging failed. Baby Boomers are likewise focused on basic packaging attributes, such as freshness, ease of use, and resealability. 

 packaging

While experience is universal, how different people react and what they value is not one-size-fits-all. While consumers take for granted that your packaging will protect and preserve—most people have had a negative experience (and, often, then switch brands) so you can’t take this for granted. 

While package efficacy is non-negotiable, what consumers otherwise want varies considerably across product categories. In the context of experience, this can mean packaging with effective decoration that delights, evokes a sense of fun, or even appeals to people’s sense of self-worth. It can be packaging that reveals a scent that oozes cleansing or one that evokes an emotional connection. It can even be sustainable packaging that makes someone feel better about their choices and their impact on the environment. Understanding the nuances for your market category can help you design the perfect package.

• Food and Beverage: Packaging is not top of mind for most shoppers in the grocery store—and yet 25% of consumers say that the appearance of a food or beverage package has influenced their buying decision. Material, form, and function can all impact how consumers experience your product. For example, consumers prefer the functionality of an inverted plastic condiment bottle with controlled dispensing versus the retro look of upright glass. Mintel notes that “food packaging is a critical way for brands to break through the clutter both in the grocery aisle and online.” 
• Personal Care: As the population becomes increasingly multiethnic and less gender-restrictive, personal care becomes increasingly personal as people want to see products that reflect them. As a result, inclusively designed packaging that centers their needs, identity, and aspirations is critical. Indeed, Mintel found that 56% of beauty consumers want to see more products for people with mobility challenges. One example of how to achieve this: L’occitane adds braille to its packaging labels to meet the needs of the visually impaired.
• Pet Care: Packaging in this market category offers brands an opportunity to tap into the emotional connection between a consumer and their pet. Pet owners are looking for products that help them bond, play, and treat their pet with love while also keeping them healthy and safe. Flexible, resealable bags, for example, offer portability for rewarding pets on the trail or at the dog park. Sustainable packaging, recyclable materials, vibrant designs, and convenient dispensing options can all help create a memorable experience between people and their pets.
• Nutraceuticals: Nutra consumers are looking for two key things: functional packaging and emotional resonance. Functional packaging means, for example, incorporating child-resistant closures and effective dosing mechanisms. Emotional resonance means that Nutra consumers want “look good, feel good” products—and aesthetically pleasing packaging that conveys a product’s essence speaks to both their outward appearance and their inner self. Disco Fountain of Youth, for example, uses lighthearted terms and imagery while Caliray Get Lit Beauty Boosting Supplement incorporates a rainbow of colors and the language of digital natives. 
• Home Care: With space at a premium, Mintel found that 51% of consumers say that their #1 packaging attribute in this market category is products that are compact and/or stackable. Other key drivers of consumer experience in the home care sector include recyclable (37%) and refillable (33%)—speaking to the value of providing products that are reusable and ease end-of-life recycling. Another key factor that can make or break a consumer’s experience with your product is ease of dispensing and whether or not you’ve made it easy for people to pour and reseal your product without leakage or spillage.
• Spirits: Occasions drive buying decisions in the spirits category, thus giving brands an opportunity to make an impact with a one-off purchase to drive brand loyalty. When it comes to packaging, formats that surprise and delight connect with people. For example, System Seltzers offers 0%, 5%, and 8% proof options—in bold lettering—to cater to designated drivers, wellness-minded consumers, and partiers alike. 

At TricorBraun, everything we do starts and ends with our customers. We provide you with solutions for your most challenging problems to help your business grow. We can help you identify stock solutions that provide functional efficacy while addressing what consumers’ respond to aesthetically. We can design on-pack messaging to highlight how your product nourishes, beautifies, or otherwise fits into a consumer’s life. We’re continuously exploring the world of packaging, and investing in new materials and formats, to bring you both tried and true options and packaging innovations from the US and around the world. We can also create custom packaging to reduce your carbon footprint while protecting your product and showcasing your brand story.

Learn More

• Ferrara Candy Company Case Study 
• SmartMouth Mouthwash Bottle Design 
• Instant Knockout Case Study 
• Bona Hard Surface Care Products Case Study 
• TricorBraun Collaborates with Hemingway Rum Company to Craft a Timeless Legacy 

The TricorBraun Beat is the companion newsletter to The TricorBraun Pulse. Our newsletters are designed to keep our customers abreast of industry shifts and consumer trends—and the opportunities these shifts create for packaging—in order to help you navigate the challenges and seize on opportunities to grow your business. Gleaning insights and behaviors from these trends helps us identify and deliver packaging solutions that protect and preserve your product, resonate with consumers, and boost sales. From supply chain and operational challenges to economic and market opportunities, we are here to help you understand what’s happening and how we can work together to win.  

For more, contact your TricorBraun packaging consultant or marketing@tricorbraun.com.

TricorBraun’s proven process will guide your packaging decisions from napkin sketch all the way to the retail shelf. Click below to get started.