What to look out for when choosing packaging for your products

The sustainable use of resources has become a key trend in the packaging and logistics industry over recent years and is an important consideration for customers as they decide what to purchase. The goal of the global logistics industry and growing e-commerce sector is to minimise their impact on the environment whilst offering fast delivery times. Inefficient transport routes are a major source of environmental damage: whether it’s the delivery driver who only manages to hand over a package at the third attempt, or a parcel that was put together incorrectly at the warehouse.

Companies such as Amazon lead the way when it comes to automated logistics, with innovations such as fully automated warehouses and drones that provide same-day delivery of items weighing up to 2.3 kg – without the packages ever coming into contact with a human being.

Personalisation is set to play a central role in the future of packaging design. According to a study carried out by ThePackHub and Packaging Innovations, almost 53% of the participating retailers, brand owners and suppliers believed that personalised packaging would have a positive impact on customer retention.

Mintel, the global market research company, predicts that digitally printed packaging will become increasingly important. Digital print technology allows appealing graphics to be designed and printed efficiently, quickly and cheaply, which in turn is a way of making a lasting impression on customers. Digital printing gives brand owners the opportunity to communicate with their customers on a personal and emotional level.

A successful example of personalisation is the Share a Coke campaign by Coca Cola, in which popular first names were printed on bottle labels. The campaign was designed to get customers’ attention and thus boost sales.

For the new generation of consumers, knowledge is power: they read up on products before they buy and find out about how and where their purchases were produced. If a potential customer notices that an item is falsely claiming to be “Made in ...”, this damages the image of the company in question.

Packaging manufacturers who wish to continue operating successfully in the market long-term need to be mindful of their environmental footprint when producing goods – as we noted in the first trend in this list. This means that transparency and honesty are paramount. Large manufacturers aiming for a strong brand image are working towards having transparent supply chains which allow customers to track the entire manufacturing process.

The electrical goods manufacturer Bosch has demonstrated how the right packaging can help companies to position a product range in the minds of their customers. Bosch uses different colours to show consumers which price categories there are for a product within a particular range. Blue indicates the main line of the product family, black is for more expensive premium products and grey for products with an older year of manufacture, such as used cars or older machines.

The strategic use of colour allows Bosch to present themselves as a company offering a diverse range of products to suit different types of user. This in turn allows them to attract more customers. The demand for innovative packaging design will continue to grow, and companies, even smaller ones, should not underestimate the importance of effective brand communication.

In an age dominated by technology, creating a connection between online and offline channels is key. Packaging can provide touchpoints not only in the physical world, but also in the virtual sphere. QR codes and augmented reality applications serve to link up the two worlds – they provide opportunities to connect with the customer through packaging and guide them towards the brand, both in the analogue and digital spheres.

Siemens AG has been taking a leading role within the DACH region when it comes to digitalisation in the packaging industry: for a number of years, the famous German company has been researching and developing new technologies that improve efficiency in packaging manufacture and logistics. Siemens will once again this year be showcasing the latest trends and innovations in the field of packaging and digitalisation at Interpack, the world’s largest trade fair for packaging, which takes place in Germany.

Digitalisation brings new opportunities to optimise the entire value creation chain and the associated production times. Companies, especially medium-sized ones, should invest in smart system solutions that help them to remain flexible and automate their processes, allowing them to meet the growing demand for fast delivery times.