Creative Food Packaging

Creative food packaging can be the difference between increased sales and lost sales. As consumer tastes –literally and figuratively – continue to change, old style package designs hold little attraction and run the risk of leaving product gathering dust on the store shelf. As with any other type of design, food packaging requires the proper blend of form and function. A stunning design doesn’t serve much purpose if its cost is prohibitive. On the other hand, a design that reduces cost 40 percent has little value if it causes a drop in sales and lost customers. The first step in any design project is to determine what the consumer values and what he or she is really looking for in the brand and what is packaging it.

Consumer Design Considerations

Regardless of the category, there are certain consumer sentiments that can be “baked in” to virtually any creative food packaging design. The two widespread preferences that get the most attention in packaging design circles are convenience and sustainability. Convenience is a preference that dates back to before packaging became an industry, but sustainability is a relatively new phenomenon that has driven a great deal of change in design concepts and the packaging materials they incorporate.

Convenience manifests itself in four aspects of creative food packaging. They include ease of opening – caps, tamper evident shrink bands, thermoformed clamshells, reclosable bags, etc.; ease of use – thermoformed trays, pouring from bottles, etc; ease of storage – package size, shape, and weight; ease of disposal – recyclability and reusability. If a package fails in any of these areas, consumer satisfaction is likely to be low. It is important to remember that consumers will seek out new items based on the product itself and the packaging.

Sustainability and Creative Food Packaging

Today’s consumers demand packaging that is functional, attractive, and environmentally friendly. This sentiment is more pervasive among the younger demographic, but is rapidly expanding. Since many plastic packaging products have a poor sustainable profile, they have fallen into extreme disfavor. However, since plastic possesses many functional advantages in the food industry, this dynamic presents a serious challenge to designers. Fortunately, paper materials are rapidly coming to market that appeal to consumers and provide the necessary thermal and protective characteristics. Heritage Pioneer, with many years of experience in food industry design, packaging distribution and fulfillment is well positioned to assist food processors create packages that combine shelf appeal with economy. Link back to the Creative Food Packaging page.