PLMA show: Flexible packaging the rage outside of the USA

By Carolyn Schierhorn/Managing Editor

Consumers look at photos or other images on packaging first or second 90 percent of the time, emphasized Glenn Pfeifer, executive creative director for Stamford, Conn.-based Galileo Global Branding Group, a division of Daymon Worldwide.

“Sometimes it’s the logo, then the image. And sometimes it’s the image, then the product name,” said Pfeifer, who was one of three panelists who spoke on Nov. 13 during the “Packaging Trends Revisited” session at the Private Label Manufacturers Association trade show in Rosemont, Ill.

“Don’t skimp on photography,” he urged. “Imagery-based packaging is impactful.”

One macro-trend influencing packaging design is “communal sharing,” Pfeifer observed. He used slides to show examples of packages that can be transformed into bowls in a couple of easy steps.

“The rise of the bowl is something you’re going to continue to see,” Pfeifer said. “Form and function play a role that’s not only communal in nature but also enhances the [consumer’s] experience with the product."

The use of flexible rather than rigid packaging is another major trend, according to Pfeifer. The United States is “probably one of the few countries that are staunch holdouts for rigid packaging,” he said. “If you go anywhere else in the world and walk supermarkets, you will see very, very little rigid packaging.”

Indeed, in other countries, pasta sauces, salad dressings, mustard and other condiments are commonly found in flexible containers.

Millennial demands for transparency and more healthful and convenient products are also having tremendous impact on packaging design.

“Half of consumers say that they would pay extra for packaging with features like resealability and portion control,” Pfeifer said, drawing on Daymon’s data. He noted that many consumers today want to be assured of accurate calorie counts, fat percentages and other nutrient data.

“Having the manufacturer do that through portion control and having that pre-packaged for us is very convenient and makes it easy,” Pfeifer added.

Historically, retailers aimed to be “fast followers” with their private brands. Today, Pfeifer stressed, “to be on trend and to create new trends, you have to be bold.”