CPG companies in North America (the United States, in particular) need to take a long hard look at their success at the retail store level and, for once, consider the effect their packaging is having on that success (or lack thereof).
Just one walk down a local grocery aisle, or even a major retailer like Walmart, and we are overwhelmed with The Sea of the Same™ — the same folding cartons, cereal boxes and yes… stand up pouches, just printed differently, of course.
Where is the innovation? Why are CPG companies averse to trying something different? Why is there always a rush to copy what their competitor is doing? Can’t companies think for themselves?
Forgive me for sounding harsh, but it’s true. For every Method Soap or Seventh Generation out there, we have hundreds, if not thousands, of other brands using the same lousy product packaging everyone else does. Do CPG companies realize that those who use innovative packaging, with unique, convenient features and/or environmentally friendly facets, actually increase their sales, build their brand faster and make more in margin? Are retailers telling them to “stay the same” as everyone else? Hardly.
Retailers are ruthless! If your product sells, it stays, If it doesn’t, it goes. Retailers need products that are different. They need products that jump out as a consumer walks down an aisle, not those that get lost in between the countless Sea of the Same™ on store shelves.
What does sets your brand apart? What grabs shoppers' attention in those crucial first few decision-making seconds? What can make your product stand out over others? Your retail packaging.
However, there is a problem, whether CPG companies want to agree with it or not. Many companies don’t know or care to learn about other types of product packaging that are different from what they (or similar brands) are currently using. Either they don’t have time to explore or they are too busy trying to run their business. Further, once these companies get desperate enough, they’ll entrust this most important job to someone else (whether it be a buyer, clerk or shipping manager) who neither has the time, energy nor desire to do anything different.
And why should they do anything different? If they take a risk, choose a new style of packaging and it fails, they are out of a job. If they choose a new supplier and the supplier doesn’t ship on time, or there are quality problems, again, they are out of a job.
Because of this, too many U.S. companies stay the same. No one changes, and only the biggest of the big brands (P&G, Unilever and Nestle) survive. Same old, same old.
There has to be a better way! There must be. Why should only the largest CPG companies have access to cutting-edge, cost-saving and innovative supply chain solutions?
At ABC Packaging Direct, home of StandUpPouches.net, we’ve been there. We know how overwhelming the retail packaging landscape can be, from new styles and materials to graphic design, color matching, on-site quality inspection and BRC/FDA and international certification.
We’ve spent the past 15 years perfecting a model that provides access for companies of any size to the same resources and options of the biggest companies in the world.
Now, companies can compete on their product quality — and their product packaging — and go head-to-head with the “big boys” and win. Would you rather be in The Sea of the Same™ or would you rather be another Seventh Generation or Method Soap? We thought so.
If this is of interest to you, let’s chat. But be real and upfront so we can help you faster and provide as many options as possible. If you are looking for someone to just quote for the sake of a low-ball number to share with your current vendor, don't bother. If you are looking for a race to the bottom, again, don’t bother. But if you are ready to have a frank and honest discussion about what you are trying to do, the retailers you are working with, the price points you need to be at to make this work, count us in.
You’ll find that our approach is refreshing. We offer options, materials and styles that often haven’t been seen in the U.S. before, giving you ways to stand out from your competitors. We guarantee everything we provide, which always comes with a No Risk Trial to test.
If your company is floating in The Sea of the Same™ shame, take heart: Your company can change and see a drastic increase in sales, profit margins and brand awareness. Have the courage to be different, stand out, get noticed and WIN at the retail level. Otherwise you can expect more of the same... trading pennies just to keep your product on a store shelf, being irrelevant and, in the end, going out of business because you failed to do anything different.