About 80 million adults make up a group in the United States that have the potential to make or break the longevity of a brand.

There is plenty of buzz about the millennial generation from all corners of our world today. With plenty of research on this demographic readily available, we know these are tech-savvy adults starting families, entering the work force and expecting their goods and services to be delivered at lightning-fast speed. This is an important market brands have been fixated on in the last few years because of its influence on our society both presently and in the future — not to mention its tremendous buying power.

According to a study conducted this year by Forbes and Elite Daily, traditional advertising influences only 1 percent of millennials, and 60 percent of shoppers from this generation say they are always or often loyal to a particular brand.

This means companies aren’t going to effectively communicate a brand refresh or product revamp to this consumer base through commercials or billboards. If you want to keep young customers loyal through an update, what better way to communicate than through your packaging? Shoppers are going to be checking the shelves for their favorite items anyway, and your packaging can act as powerful way to reach your target audience through color, text, and overall design.

Tic Tac is one brand that recently overhauled its traditional flavor offerings to appeal to the millennial generation, offering a new product called Tic Tac Mixer. These tiny treats change flavor as they melt on the tongue – something the brand felt would appeal to shoppers who, per information gathered in the company’s internal studies, may no longer be satisfied with the classic white mint. Tic Tac changed up the appearance of its packaging as well, opting for bright colors associated with the new flavors contained in the little plastic boxes. (Image Source: http://www.csnews.com/)

General Mills this month announced it would begin removing artificial colors and flavors from its cereals by the end of 2015. More packaged food companies are retooling their recipes as consumers opt for more natural meals and snacks. Product reformations can be risky – in this case, some of General Mills’ trademark cereals will lose their bold, bright colors, which could affect consumers’ loyalty to the brand. This is a perfect opportunity for the food giant to use its product packaging to convey this positive change to customers and ease skepticism over the changing recipes of the cereals they know and love.

It’s surprising how overlooked packaging truly is as an advertising tool. As retailers try desperately to cater to certain shoppers with premium offerings like new flavors or a improved recipes, the product packaging can play an important role in the overall customer experience. Custom printed stand up pouches, for example, are an excellent way to represent the quality of your product while telling your brand’s story.

Let’s face it – poor packaging can destroy a product’s reputation, especially if customers feel like the goods inside aren’t properly contained to seal in freshness and keep moisture, air, and other undesirable elements out. Transparency is key to reaching millennial consumers, and if you aren’t communicating a change or upgrade in the products these savvy shoppers love so much, you’re going to lose them. Building and maintaining loyal customers is as easy as presenting your product and message in well-designed flexible retail packaging – it’s that simple.

http://www.standuppouches.net/blog/4-retail-packaging-pitfalls-that-kill-your-presentation

http://www.standuppouches.net/blog/the-4-best-reasons-to-use-flexible-retail-packaging

http://www.standuppouches.net/blog/walmart-revamps-its-retail-packaging-%E2%80%93-and-so-can-you