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No, Marks &Spencer aren’t returning to selling loose meat slices between paper sheets, but they are going to be offering pre sliced meats in packaging made using Billerud’s Fibreform material.
This great new paper is highly formable, provides enough barrier properties for the cooked meats and of course is seen as being environmentally friendly – Great for M&S’s Plan A.
Thanks to Packaging Gazette.co.uk for making us aware of this one.
Now maybe this is a spot of research many of us could take part in or even reach a conclusion for ourselves. Earlier this week Waitrose announced that it would stocking wines in plastic bottles especially to make it’s ‘festival going clientele happy’ This came hot on the heals of M&S who’d announced only a week ago that it would now be stocking wine in 25cl plastic bottles. Â
Both of the stores claim that the wine looses none of its taste, or gains any taint from the plastic and is guaranteed to keep for at least 12 months.  Sounds great and will be ideal for the summer (if we ever get one) and alfresco dining, whether in the back garden or at a festival. BUT……………..
Also released this week is a report by researchers at the Institute of Vine and Wine Sciences (ISW) in Bordeaux, France. Â They say they found that the alcohol starts to oxidise and that wine stored in plastic bottles and boxes loses its freshness within six months!Â
That doesn’t bode well for the new plastic wine bottle trend.  Maybe we should all do a little bit of further research on this – of course I’m not encouraging anybody to drink, and if you do please drink responsibly, but if you are opening a bottle of wine tonight it would be interesting to hear your own views on plastic vs glass in the taste stakes. (Jane Bear)
You can find more details on the report here – Daily Mail
To read Waitrose’s claims just follow this link to our friends at Packaging News
According to Mintel the new trend in Cosmetics is ‘Cocooning’ – basically staying at home and pampering your self rather than going to a spa.  That sounds great to me, so long as the house is quiet (although mine rarely is). Â
It might not be everybody’s ‘cup of tea’ but it is having an interesting effect on cosmetic and skincare packaging with more distinctive shapes appearing.  According to Karine Dussimon, Packaging Analyst at Euromonitor ‘people are not only spending more time at home, but are also expecting to be increasingly individual in their product choices’ (Jane Bear)
To read the full article just follow this link to cosmeticsdesign-europe.com
Heineken’s new summer marketing campaign will include the use of 2D barcodes. Maybe not what 2D barcodes were intended for, but definitely a fun and engaging use for them.
The idea behind their campaign is that you text a number on the pack and they send you a link so you can download a free app which enables you to scan 2D barcodes with your phone. You then scan the 2D barcode on the promotional packs and you’ll then be told whether you’ve won.Â
Not really pushing the 2D barcode to its potential, but certainly making far more consumers aware of their existence. According to Heineken ‘their consumers are early adopters of new technology’
I think it will be interesting to see where else the barcodes ‘pop’ up and who will be next to use them for interacting with their consumers? (Jane Bear)
To read the full article just follow this link to Mobile Marketer
Some interesting research has recently been undertaken by Helsinki University, commissioned by M-real Consumer Packaging. I found it interesting because it provides the strand of an insight that opens up a wider debate about ‘Innovation’ and how that fits with the provision of consumer benefits and convenience. The research report details two studies. The first is a ‘brand stand-out’ study using ‘eye-tracker’-type spectacles’. The second was an ‘innovation test’ where participants were asked to handle variously shaped cartons, all with the same print design. The researchers found initially positive impressions – considering an unusual shape to be innovative and tempting, for example – but that consumer perceptions soon changed if the carton was found to be tricky to open or close.
OK it’s not ‘rocket science’ but this second test, got me thinking. If you read any Mission Statement or marketing plan these days, ‘Innovation’ is a word that will crop up as a ‘must have’ for the majority. It is a term which is much overused, a bit like ‘environmentally friendly’ is as well. But what does it mean really? Many companies claim to want innovation and differentiation, but don’t want to pay any extra for it. Very few will look at it from a consumer convenience perspective, or look at innovation as a holistic consumer benefit of both product and packaging working in perfect harmony.
Indeed the Helsinki researchers noted that “many consumer comments referred to the product itself, even though they were only asked to evaluate the packaging”. They concluded that “The outcome of the consumer perception test was clear: the package is an integral part of the product itself and both need to be complementaryâ€.
Whether working in food, toiletries, beauty or healthcare & pharmaceuticals, it would be useful for brand owners and designers alike to bear this in mind when thinking & talking about ‘innovation’ and to decide, before they start the design of the (integrated) product & packaging, what their real ‘end goal’ is. Chris PenfoldYou can read the full article by following this link to Food Production Daily
We’re pleased to announce that our CEO Chris Penfold will be presenting at the ‘Future in Design’ Learnshop. (Easyfairs, NEC, UK)
Chris’s presentation entitled ‘Web 2.0 & Web Squared – implications 4 packaging design now & future’ will take place at 3pm on Wednesday 24th and is not to be missed.Â
In it Chris will be talking about the growing effect, implications and opportunities of the internet on the packaging design process and on ways of working. He will be looking at the convergence of Web & technology and the effect on consumer and patient interaction and personalisation, with some great examples of emerging and leading-edge packaging design.
If you’re at easyFairs why not pop along and have a listen. You can register FREE for easyFairs NEC (avoiding a £20 entrance fee) by following this link and becoming a Design Cognition visitor.
You can find out more about all the Learnshops here on the main easyFairs web site.
Design Cognition are offering a limited number of FREE product and packaging advisory sessions. Are you worried about the non-compliance of any of your products?  Do you know what regulations your products need to comply to? – Why not book yourself one of these limited sessions and come for a chat?
 If you are attending easyFairs Packaging Innovations show at the NEC (UK 24-25 Feb) then why not take advantage of this fantastic FREE offer? To book one of the limited 15 minute sessions simply email packagingsurgery@designcognition.com
 Places are limited though, so if you aren’t quick enough to book one, why not visit us on STAND 582 – right by the main entrance – to leave us your details and arrange a follow-up chat after the show.
If you’ve not already registered for the show why not do it now by following this link and becoming a Design Cognition visitor.
It seems that despite the economic downturn and environmental concerns regarding it’s packaging and transportation the global market for bottled water is still growing. How much longer can this continue though and what alternatives could we offer? (Jane)
Global bottled water sales increased in 2009 as growth in China compensated for declines in Western Europe and North America, according to Canadean. According to its recently published Global Bottled Water Report, the worldwide market grew 2 per cent despite the combined impact of the recession and growing environmental concerns.
Interesting move from Nestle, who will be next to follow?  There is definitely a market out there, and as the average age of the population rises and people live longer it’s an area of the market that is likely to grow in size. I hope they’ve got the packaging right though – easy to open closure and legible text will be a must! (Jane)
Nestlé has launched a 200mL nutrient drink in Switzerland targeting the malnourished elderly – a segment of the population it says is deficient in key nutrients such as vitamin D, calcium and protein.
via Nestlé target elderly with high-dose drink.
Well, the anti-aging colour foundations have already proved very popular, as have the anti-aging lipsticks, so I suppose it’s only natural that the eyes should be the next target. (Jane)
The cosmetic-skincare hybrid category is, according to Nica Lewis, director of beauty innovation at market researcher Mintel, a new class of products in the prestige beauty sector that combine color cosmetics with skincare functions.
via Innovation leads to anti-aging color cosmetics for eyes.
