Out with Excess, in with exceptional...
The world of packaging is experiencing dramatic change. Heavily influenced by the climate crisis and the attentive post-covid consumer, if brands aren’t listening; they’re out.
Post-covid consumer demands are two-fold; sustainability credentials are absolute, while a high-end and faultless product experience is expected. Consumers want more for less; scrap the excess and give them exceptional. So, how should the packaging world respond in this era of conscious consumerism?
At a recent conference at LuxePack, the premier trade for creative packaging, the idea was discussed that it’s time to correct the imbalance that has come about from an over-saturation of throwaway products and packaging. We need to start creating packaging that is truly functional and beautiful.
We need to take an inventor’s approach and devise futuristic concepts. I agree, particularly if you apply this to sustainability. COLOURFORM, James Cropper’s newest enterprise, partnered with futurologist Dr Ian Pearson, who predicted that packaging with a ‘second life’ will be a matter of course in less than a decade.
Picture packaging for a popular whisky brand: aged, crafted and perfected over decades, only to be quickly discarded as soon as the bottle is empty. What if we could design and create packaging – whether primary or secondary – that was aesthetically worth keeping and could serve another purpose? Visualise whisky packaged in its own small oak barrel, reused as a bowl for appetisers or a home for kitchen utensils, or in recycled glass to become a vase, water pitcher, or a decorative keepsake box. There’s beauty and logic behind each idea.
With the future in mind, brands must also focus on creating more, with less; we need to focus on designing projects, not products. This applies to any brand; luxury or not. The aim is to avoid succumbing to fads and instead, focus on creating a high quality and reliable range of products. Be in it for the long-haul.
Consider the selection of drinks you’re faced with at lunchtime. Now, consider this as a post-covid consumer. From a packaging perspective, the choice made will be whichever is high-quality, trustworthy and sustainable. Even with our fast-paced lifestyles we can make sustainable choices, such as ensuring that disposable latte cup gets a second life. The positive is that once you’re in; you’re in.
We’re creatures of habit; not always needing something new, but something reliable. If we can start implementing this approach to our packaging from the creative and design teams all the way up to the top of the business, we will remain relevant in this rapidly developing market.
It’s important that brands partner with manufacturers who will work alongside them from the inception of an idea to its execution. At James Cropper, we pride ourselves on our ability to achieve this. Take Ruinart, as an example, who in wanting to improve their sustainability credentials made the decision to develop a game-changing champagne wrap for their entire collection. By contributing to the circular economy, this future-focused brand has brought to the market a new vision to inspire change.
The packaging industry needs to up its game, but there’s reward in it for those who do. Noticing an improvement in the sustainability and quality of products, it’s likely that customers will become loyal to the brands that are investing in their futures. To do this, ensure that functionality, sustainability and beauty is at the heart of every product. The rest will follow.
