Evolvling a brand
Today, many food brands are at the crossroads of their evolution. After years, and in some cases decades,of developing relationships with consumers,brands need to find ways of redefining themselves.Packaging technologies
can be applied that completely redefine a product category or, in some cases,create an entirely new product from an
existing brand.
Innovation from ground up:the example of pull pack
A good example of this kind of pro-activ packaging technology design is the Pull Pack from Sigpack Systems. The Pull
Pack enables consumers to simply pull off the short end of the wrapper for quick access to contents, without contact with the product. This concept was not dreamed up by designers and then pushed to packaging developers. Instead,
it was the team at Sigpack Systems, working with existing equipment and with knowledge of existing lines, that
wanted to create a new package that would require minimal alteration of those lines.
Innovations and perceptions
Evolving a brand sometimes expands into evolving an entire new product category. Bistro Tea (www.bistrotea.com) is
a good example of packaging that plays a huge part in how the company is changing the landscape of the tea category.
Using stick pack technology from Sigpack Systems, Bistro Teas come in perforated foil sticks that consumers can simply add
to hot or cold water. Together with the secondary packaging in a Pull Pack (see picture below) these two innovations
create the perfect packaging. Opening and consumption of the product will be a great experience.
What automation brings
Of course, evolving a brand isn't as simple as creating a new design. Cost of production is also a factor and cost-consciousness, coupled with creative design, can be a successful formula for brand evolution. Once thought to be too expensive and too difficult to handle by food production and packaging facilities,robots have come down significantly in price. A robot’s enhanced flexibility adds to its process and production speeds.
Less is more
Efficiency is also built into the creation of a packaging line. In this case, less is often more. For example, Sigpack
Systems recently launched a new flow wrapping system that is smaller in size and integrates all of the wrapping and carton logistics into one machine. In the past, this required a top loader and a tray loader, in addition to the flow wrapping system.
Cross over potential
Some of the greatest boons to the packaging side of food could come from the pharmaceutical industry. One technologi-
cal approach currently being adapted to different specific requirements in pharmaceutical industry is Process Analytical
Technology (PAT). PAT works on what is called closed loop control - nothing advances to the next step unless a problem
is fixed. True innovation comes from a thorough investigation and investment in developing and adapting for example of
specific technologies used to fulfill PAT requirements.
Conclusion
In the end, consumers decide what is successful on the market. However,consumers must be given the innovation
to choose from,in order to advance the market and assign value. Working together with Bosch, a packaging expert,
early in the packaging design process,can gather more success in the store aisles and in a production environment. |