As the consumer landscape becomes increasingly complex, many brand managers question the future of packaged products and how they can keep ahead of rapidly shifting trends while maintaining interest in their products.
FREMONT, CA: Irrelevance is the riskiest situation a firm can find itself in. Often the result of unfulfilled market expectations and overlooked trends, it is a company's demise. Industry and consumer trends are meaningless unless they are incorporated into a business strategy. Packaging innovation is critical for consumer packaged goods (CPG) brands to meet consumer needs.
There is no other element influencing consumer demand and trends more than the epidemic at the moment. COVID-19 has pushed businesses of all sizes, especially consumer packaged goods (CPG) firms, to increase their innovation pace. CPG and retail businesses have been compelled to satisfy the demand for e-commerce sales that have increased by more than 30 percent year over year since the pandemic began, despite significant—and unanticipated—supply chain difficulties.
However, this is only one manner in which consumers are pressuring brands to develop. Some packaging developments motivated by consumer trends are as follows:
E-Commerce Packaging: ECommerce packaging is the closest a firm will approach to providing a personal touch to its clients. The best eCommerce packaging for an excellent unboxing experience is a combination of the appropriate box and infill. These simple additions elevate the product's packaging from standard to completely custom. The eCommerce packaging selections will affect the
manufacturing and shipping costs. Weight and cost are critical factors since they might increase the delivery cost when boxes become more prominent or the infill becomes heavy. Businesses can take advantage of the e-commerce growth to reconsider their packaging requirements. When more items are sent directly to consumers, and there is less need for romantic packaging that attracts the eye of a potential buyer among a sea of competitors on store shelves, the door to inventiveness is thrown wide open.
Connected Packaging: Convenience reigns supreme for the modern customer, and connected packaging represents the most significant step toward a genuinely frictionless retail experience. A connected packaging platform connects physical packaging to smart devices. The physical platform may have various advantages, such as active materials or shelf-life-extending packaging design characteristics. Additionally, it utilizes the Internet of Things (IoT) to communicate with a mobile device or computer app, with most intelligence residing on a smart device.
The benefits of connected packaging solutions for merchants are numerous. Connected packaging alleviates the customer's mental load of remembering to purchase everyday basics, from paper towels to dish detergent, by providing them with a favorable first impression of the product. Week after week, order after order, consumer brand loyalty continues to grow, all without the consumer having to lift a finger.
Finally, this technology enables firms to incorporate smart sensors into their packaging, providing information into how consumers use their products at home, increasing inventory accuracy, and even assisting with anti-counterfeiting efforts.
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