by Jennifer Mapes-Christ
May 15, 2024
There is no panacea – but a balance can be struck to develop the correct package option for a particular beverage and the target customer group.
The beverage packaging landscape is in a constant state of flux, shaped by shifting sustainability attitudes, cost pressures, functionality preferences, and convenience demands. Therefore, it is important to understand your consumers and strategically balance their diverse needs.
While no universally “perfect” beverage packaging option checks every single box, with clear knowledge of the target customers and their needs and attitudes, the right one can be found for each product.
On one hand, eco-awareness is driving demand for beverage packaging made from recycled, renewable, recyclable, or biodegradable materials. However, this laudable quest for sustainability is often at odds with economic realities -- sustainable packaging can carry higher costs that get passed to price-sensitive shoppers.
In our busy, on-the-go lifestyles, convenient packaging designs that are portable, resealable, and easy-to-use curry favor. But convenience often comes at the expense of sustainability, using more plastic or complex composite materials that undermine recyclability. Brands must carefully weigh these tradeoffs. Investing in and partnering for expanded recycling collection when consumers are out and about could be a step in that direction.
As consumer preferences continue to evolve, so do their expectations around packaging functionality. Brand differentiation may hinge on innovative packaging with smart packaging technologies, improved dispensing caps, ergonomic grips, leak-free construction, or even interactive labeling. However, such “bells and whistles” can add multiple layers of materials and higher costs creating another level of complexity.
There is no panacea – but a balance can be struck to develop the correct package option for a particular beverage and the target customer group. Companies that understand customer needs and are clear about their goals – whether budget pricing, on-the-go one-handed dispensing, optimal sustainability, chill-time, or shelf-life – will be well positioned to hit the mark.
The goal isn’t to find a one-size-fits-all solution, but to adapt and innovate to aligning with consumer needs—one recyclable bottle or convenient cap at a time.
About the Author:
Jennifer Mapes-Christ is the Manager of Consumer & Commercial Goods for Freedonia Industry Studies and Food & Beverage Research for Packaged Facts.
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