BEAUTY vs HYGIENE: ADDRESSING THE TENSION IN PACKAGING
The pandemic has changed many things; and some of those changes are here to stay. Concerns over hygiene has left us with an apprehensive consumer. As a result, what consumers deem important when it comes to making their buying decisions has transformed and as packaging experts we must sit up and take notice.
The PaperTalks panel including packaging expert Stefan Pryor and antiviral champion Paul Morris discuss the tension that now exists between creating beautiful packaging and ensuring it is hygienically safe. New research confirms the change.
To explore the change in consumer mindset, we conducted some attitudinal research* with over 2,000 consumers, which confirmed our suspicions; hygiene is now top of mind for consumers when it comes to packaging, and while aesthetics for gift purchases still remains important, a safe experience is what people are looking for.
More than half of the survey respondents said they are much more concerned about how clean and safe packaging is now when touching products in store, compared to pre COVID-19.
* Over 2,000 UK adult consumers surveyed on behalf of James Cropper, Nov 2020.
Could a new focus on hygiene could mark the end of unboxing experiences? Experts in our field need to address this tension between beauty and hygiene and react to it effectively.
In our research,* we found that almost two-thirds of people agreed that if they knew a product was packaged in materials that fought pathogens like COVID-19, Norovirus and MRSA, they would definitely choose to buy it over similar products.
Organisations in the packaging industry are looking to address antiviral technology and recognise it as a way to gain a competitive edge.
What’s interesting is that this solution has always been available at James Cropper. For many years, PaperGard™, our range of bespoke papers with antiviral and antibacterial properties have been used in the medical industry. Only now is it attracting broader attention with recent tests having proven the papers to be effective at reducing the presence of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, on the surface of paper.
(*scroll down to see full results)
The protected papers reduced the viability of the viral strain by over 95% in only 15 minutes, and by 99.9% within 2 hours. This could play a huge role in helping brands win consumer confidence in a post pandemic world.
Brands have a huge task on their hands to provide product assurance to consumers in a world where everything that is touched seems to pose a risk. This is where packaging comes in. Packaging and those innovating in the packaging industry have the ability to act as key components in the story and help brands to affirm their commitments to safety and hygiene.
(Graph: refers to PaperGard™ results 2020 tested against ISO 18184)
Using antiviral technology in packaging can reduce the risk of surface transmission of the COVID-19 virus, which could instantly offer reassurance to customers. It’s a perfect solution to the tension between beauty and hygiene - beautiful packaging with in-built protection.
| • 77.3% consider the hygiene of products and packaging they interact with while browsing in store or when purchases are delivered • 86% of people believe those concerns for safety and hygiene will remain after the pandemic • Safety and hygiene is now the number one concern for people when it comes to packaging • 62% of people agree that if they knew a product was packaged in materials that fought pathogens like Covid-19, Norovirus and MRSA, they would definitely choose to buy it over similar products • 57% agree they are much more concerned about how clean and safe packaging is now when touching products in store, compared to pre COVID-19 • 69% sanitise their hands after handling packaging and leaving a store • 17% say they are more focussed on the green credentials of the products they buy since the pandemic • 18% disinfect the packaging of any products they buy in store • 21% disinfect the packaging of any products delivered to the home • 21% say that products coming into the home are left for a period of time before being unpacked and handled to reduce the risk of COVID-19 being brought into the home *2164 general UK adult consumers were surveyed | ||
