CLEAR PLASTIC BOX PACKAGING
SUCCESSFULLY ENGAGE THE CUSTOMER
Eyewitness report from a local supermarket while I was buying some holiday taste treats for the family table: An area adjacent to the store's check-out counter was detailed for holiday duty as a display area to promote a few items on sale as last-minute presents.
I nearly did a doubletake upon catching sight of a 12-inch doll in a package. For openers, the tan paper carton with a plastic window lacked character, with black lettering. Little thought seemed to be given to branding. Even worse, the carton was scratched and scraped badly over its surface. Lacking a clear view, any normally intelligent shopper had to be concerned whether the doll had been damaged. Obviously, this carton, and perhaps others in the same consignment of dolls, failed somewhere in distribution. That's hardly conducive for inspiring impulse purchases.
Shines in every setting
This holiday anecdote is a reminder of the need not only for packaging that travels well but also that an individual package can serve promotional display duty at the retailer's discretion. The packaging should be designed for any possibility. One option is clear plastic packaging. Its versatility can meet a variety of challenges in every setting through the ideal marriage of materials, modern production and printing techniques along with sustainability.
But what are more specific reasons to recommend clear plastic box packaging? It is rigid enough to provide high impact resistance to adequately protect the product and lightweight to save on transport. Today’s plastic boxes using PET and PP produced with energy-saving state-of-the-art equipment meet recycling concerns. Our doll could have enjoyed a comfortable and “green” journey secured within the friendly confines of a clear plastic box.
But the journey is just the means to the end – a sale to a satisfied customer. Perhaps the biggest question is how can packaging help the retailer achieve the end? One thing to commend clear plastic packaging is the opportunity to showcase the charms of our little lady. Key here is using high quality resins with resistance to scratches and static to avoid dust buildup as well as a low incidence of water flow marks. All of these flaws can deface the surface, denying a would-be customer a clear appreciation of product quality. Safely nestled in a clear plastic box, our doll’s beauty might have been more evident in the eyes of beholders – potential customers in the department store.
Engaging the customer emotionally
To close the sale, how can the high emotional component of impulse purchases be addressed? Designing a package to meet branding requirements is a good start. Consider plastic’s inherent flexibility to create just the right package at one of the most important brand touch points, spanning multiple tiers in all sizes. Standard clear plastic box, tube or drum packaging can house a wide range of products. For example, an easy-crease effect in a firm and elegant PET box lets our doll stand tall and proud.
And what about satisfying the necessity of retailers to create a more enjoyable shopping experience? Form, function and fun are the key watchwords. Again, plastic’s flexibility presents an attractive proposition. Plastic boxes can be custom-moulded beyond the packaging function to serve in a variety of retail and POP displays as well as to convey fun. And branding can be enhanced by visually appealing decoration through silk screen, litho-, flexo- and gravure printing as well as foil blocking and embossing.
Even in these economically challenging times, green purchases are gaining in importance. How can plastics meet this demand? For starters, biodegradable APET, RPET and PP are earning the “green” credentials. Recycled PET costs the same as virgin amorphous PET, and its performance characteristics are identical.
In fact, plastic packaging products are much easier, cleaner, and cheaper to recycle than paper. And the latest manufacturing equipment optimised for PET resin to produce plastic packaging from the US or Europe requires less energy than paper board production.
The lesson to be learned from our doll’s experience is that each package should be ready for active duty on the front line – the store shelf – to market the brand with a positive image while accenting product quality. Like a good soldier, the package needs to endure potential hardships encountered enroute. Once ready for action, clear plastic packaging can help successfully engage the customer, whether in the realms of implementing “green” purchasing practices and inspiring consumer confidence, all while achieving merchandising and branding objectives.
Mar 2010
