Just like clothing fashion, graphic design, and cars, packaging trends are constantly evolving. Popular brands are always trying to outdo one another to stay on top of consumer preferences. Now that consumers have an abundance of choices shopping online and are concerned with sustainability, it’s important to have high-quality, unique packaging now more than ever.
Here are 5 popular trends driving packaging decisions:
Hygienic Packaging
With the COVID-19 outbreak, citizens are worried about their health and safety and therefore expect a certain level of sterility in their products. Hygienic practices can be extended out into packaging for the food and medical industries.
Some ways food production companies can prevent the growth of bacteria in their products is by using packaging film that is coated with clay nanotubes. These nanotubes can hold antibacterial oils that when releases increase the shelf life of food products.
So how do companies practice hygienic packaging while still maintaining some level of sustainability? Well, companies can use bio-based plastics to reduce greenhouse gas emissions instead of petroleum based products. However, while there are a few ways to be sustainable while producing medical packaging, there is still some uncertainty of how to get there. With greener packaging becoming more of a concern amongst the younger generations, there are efforts in place to make medical packaging more sustainable. The Healthcare Plastics Recycling Council is at the forefront of making this possible.
Minimal Packaging
Clean, fresh, and minimal looks for packaging have been on the rise recently. Customers are now purchasing more attractive packaging that shows the product off than those using flashy colors and busy designs. Minimalist packaging also floats well with sustainability because less packaging also can look more environmentally friendly.
Fun and Unique Designs
Recently, we talked about the craze around the unboxing experience. With more and more users posting unboxing videos to their social media accounts, it’s crucial to include some “wow factor that drives a multi-sensory experience. To accomplish this, incorporating an unconventional structure or a tactical element will intrigue users online.
Smart Packaging
We also recently discussed the idea of smart packing in ecommerce boxes. Smart packaging also extends out to the actual product packaging. In fact, a popular and easy way to use smart packaging on your product is by adding a QR code to the product. For example, Malibu rum drinks allowed users to scan a QR code where customers could enter into a sweepstakes or win prizes. Another example of smart packaging is integrating with technology and allowing users the ability to heat up products right from their phones. More and more innovative smart packaging ideas are being created and tested everyday.
Sustainability
Last and certainly not least, eco-friendly products and packaging are a main driver of purchasing decisions. We have discussed the importance and trends happening with sustainable packaging, but it still remains one of the most important elements in consumer preferences. 68% of buyers consider the sustainability of a product as a whole (that includes packaging) before making their final purchase.
However, all companies and brands are waking up to this concept. Within the sustainability boundaries, how does a company make their green product stand out amongst the rest? It seems like every product nowadays has the recycle logo on their packaging, everything says “all natural.” Products now need to have a cohesive, well-rounded story that uses eco-friendly concepts. This includes minimal packaging, biodegradable materials, post-consumer waste paper, and more.
At Pioneer Packaging, we know the difficulty of competition amongst products in this ever-changing market. From design efficiency to manufacturing, we partner with you and your company to help your bottom line. Contact us today to see how we can help take your business to the next level with packaging.