Great packaging design is critical to giving products the edge against rivals on a shelf – but when choosing a packaging partner, FMCG companies need to consider much more than how their packaging looks.
By nature, grocery products are shipped to multiple destinations in bulk regularly and packaging must comply with a myriad of requirements set by government regulators and retailers. External packaging must also be designed with structure to protect the contents.
“So it is critical that your packaging partner is across all the rules, and understands retailers’ requirements,” explains Alexandria Jurcic, national marketing manager, at Australian corrugated cardboard and packaging manufacturer Abbe.
In Abbe’s case, the company works closely with companies that supply the likes of Woolworths, Coles and other major retailers so they can help advise clients on requirements for retailers’ warehousing and supply-chain processes.
“We understand industry requirements around packaging. It can be quite complex with so many factors to take into consideration such as print design, cardboard structure, sizing and stacking configurations, along with cold chain considerations,” says Jurcic.
“If a company is looking to get into Coles or Woolworths, for example, we know what they would need from a packaging perspective to make sure that products get stocked on shelves. Our design team is across all of that, so they will convey suggestions and recommendations back to the customer so that we are helping with the whole packaging journey, and become their packaging partner, not just their packaging supplier.”
Abbe has multiple manufacturing facilities in Victoria and NSW. A key part of Abbe’s team is its in-house design crew that works to help bring clients’ brands to life, helping companies create packaging for all industries and products.
Structural integrity is key for the packaging of any retail-bound products – which dovetails with the need to embrace sustainable solutions.
“If we get the packaging right from the start, then structurally, the product is safe, and the company does not have to remake a product or miss a deadline or product launch. Right-sized packaging reduces product damage which itself results in lower rates of returned goods,” says Jurcic.
All these points enhance the overall customer experience, says Jurcic, who is confident that corrugated cardboard packaging will have an increasingly significant role in Australia’s FMCG industry.
“Cardboard packaging in general is on the rise – in many cases because companies see it as a sustainable product. Research shows that paperboard – corrugated, folding cartons, and liquid paperboard – remains the largest material segment, accounting for 31.8 per cent of the global value of packaging materials last year: US$373.8 billion. The segment is set to grow at a 4.2 per cent CAGR through to 2028. It’s not going anywhere.”
Sustainability is a key driver
With consumers moving away from plastic for sustainability reasons, many FMCG companies are switching to cardboard packaging to demonstrate their environmental awareness – and maintain a ‘wow’ factor on store shelves. Jurcic counsels that the way goods are delivered to stores and displayed on shelves in boxes should be an important component of your brand’s overall marketing strategy.
Due to its abundance – coming from renewable resources and its ease of recycling – corrugated cardboard is recognised as the world’s most sustainable packaging material. Jurcic says that through existing infrastructure, the paper used in corrugated cardboard can be recycled up to seven times.
But she cautions that adopting it as a sustainable solution is not enough – brands need to make sure they clearly display the carton’s sustainability credentials in their on-package artwork, with confirmation the packaging is suitable for recycling.
“Sustainability is a massive thing for most people these days, especially among Gen Z consumers who are far more likely to reach for something that says it’s got sustainable packaging as opposed to something that doesn’t. This is where we can develop a commercial advantage with our packaging design.”
For Abbe, the commitment to sustainability extends beyond just cardboard. For example, the company advises clients to print information directly onto cartons rather than use decals. There are multiple print options available for Abbe customers, including Digital printing, Lithographic printing and Flexographic printing, each with its unique benefits and budgets.
“Sometimes putting a sticker on a box might be easier, but having a fully printed carton looks more polished, so we advocate including all of the company information as part of the packaging artwork.”
On-shelf is critical as well
Of course, great packaging is vitally important on the shelf as well. Once an FMCG product gets to a store shelf, its journey from the factory through the supply chain may be over, but now the product’s packaging design has to wow the consumer.
“With FMCG retail, the visual appeal of your product and branding should make them look and feel more desirable than the rival product alongside it. That will make shoppers more likely to pick your product up as opposed to the one next to it that lacks visual appeal.”
“It is important to push your branding through packaging and to make it visually appealing so that it really catches the consumer’s eye and makes them more likely to purchase,” she concludes.
“Usually the first physical impression someone has of your brand is when they see it in a package. So it’s vital to make that experience count.”
- To learn more about how Abbe can help make your packaging journey easy, leave your details and one of our packaging specialists will be in touch.
