Launching a brand new product is, without a doubt, a time-consuming process.
From the initial concept to the development stage, devising a marketing strategy, and figuring out the technicalities of getting the product to retailers, there is much to consider – and plenty of moments when something could go wrong. Introducing something new is an excellent way to keep your brand relevant and draw in new customers, but if it’s not executed properly, your product launch could put a permanent stain on your brand image.
Fortunately, more and more of today’s leading producers are choosing flexible retail packaging, like stand up pouches, to help differentiate their products and get as many eyes on them as possible. Packaging should be a key part of your overall marketing strategy, and there are many ways in which innovative new package solutions can help sell your goods more efficiently than traditional advertising or sales tactics. Below are just a few ways flexible retail packaging has helped leading brands like Kraft Heinz and Procter & Gamble launch additional items in their product lines.
1. Standing Out from Competitors
Shoppers these days don’t want to walk through store aisles and see carbon copies of the same product over and over again from multiple brands. Too many choices can cause shoppers to dismiss the product altogether – a phenomenon referred to as the Paradox of Choice in psychology. Companies that draw too much inspiration from competitors during a product launch aren’t really innovating or creating a new experience for customers.
According to Food Business News, 85 percent of new products fail, in part because consumers are tired of seeing so many “me, too” products. Flexible retail packaging helps brands differentiate themselves by presenting their goods in a fresh new type of container that doesn’t look like the traditional boxes, bags, cans, or jars shoppers are used to seeing. As the name suggests, stand up pouches are made of materials sturdy enough to stand up and stand out on the shelves. They allow brands to launch bite-size or single-serve products, or even new forms of liquids or on-the-go pureed drinks or snacks – both of which are seeing a boom in popularity because they are innovative and conducive to consumers’ active lifestyles.
2. Integrating Online Experiences via Mobile
Because stand bags are designed with water-based inks using a rotogravure printing process, they lend well to vibrant colors, images, and graphics. This opens new doors for consumer interaction with the product that connects them from the physical to the online retail world. QR codes and even invisible barcodes printed right into the flexible retail packaging’s exterior layer can make it easy for customers to slide their mobile device over a product to learn more about it or gain immediate access to online coupons or discounts.
As newer, smaller retail locations are opening up across the globe – meaning less shelf space for new products – companies need to find new outlets to get their products seen. Taking advantage of ecommerce apps to proudly display your new product in its bold, eye-catching stand up pouches will make it easy for customers to find and order it online or view the precise location where they can purchase your new product. Flexible pouches have the ability to create innovative new customer experiences for today’s digital consumer due to their high-quality printing and technologically advanced structural elements.
3. Targeting Specific Demographics
Launching a product to a niche audience can be tricky, but when brands pay close attention to the habits and desires of specific age groups, they can better retool their offerings to appeal to larger, influential sects of consumers. We hear a lot about millennials – the tech-savvy generation starting families, entering the workforce, and buying products both online and in retail stores at a steady rate. This group is overwhelmed with option
Companies should target millennials with intriguing new ingredients, and they should be creating products that can easily be taken on the go. Flexible packaging allows producers to package their food in a durable, lightweight, puncture-resistant container that can be easily opened and reclosed and is safe for adults and children alike. It’s the perfect option for active consumers because they can throw the pouch in their bag, pocket, or vehicle without worrying about it breaking or spilling.
Generation Z, on the other hand, seeks out meals made with fresh ingredients they can easily prepare themselves. These are consumers age 20 and younger who may still be in school or working at a part-time job. They desire healthy, natural foods without a long list of complicated or confusing ingredients. Because this group is younger, bold, vibrant packaging designs will catch their eyes. Baby boomers are another demographic also seeking out healthier, high-quality snacks with savory flavors. Producers can use stand bags for single-serve snacks and prepared meals to successfully reach both of these unique groups.
4. Providing User Friendly Design and Structure
No matter how much confidence you have in your new product, if it’s impossible to get to because your packaging is difficult to open, people simply aren’t going to buy it. Stand up pouches are becoming the preferred form of product packaging because they feature easy-to-open tear notches, heavy duty re-closeable zippers, and protection from puncture as well as outside containments like moisture, odor, air, and light.
Because flexible pouches are made with two wide front-and-back layers, brands are embracing these as “mini billboards” that allow them to boast bold and creative designs and branding. You’ve only got a few seconds to grab a shopper’s attention in a retail store, and if you’re still relying on small, cylindrical bottles and cans or flat boxes or containers, your product is going to be obscured on the crowded shelves.
Stand up bags keep the goods inside protected because they are made of multiple layers of food-grade laminated film, each serving a specific purpose in the protection of your product. This type of flexible packaging will help brands stand out because it quickly shows customers your company is committed to innovation, paying attention to trends, and refreshing its offerings to accommodate the modern consumer’s lifestyle.
(Image Sources: Middle Eastern Plastics, DropAnFBomb.com)
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