Last year had been a good one for the global flexible packaging industry. Emerging markets in Asia and Latin America led to a strong resurgence after the global recession, and it is projected that flexible packaging will be a $100 billion industry by 2016.
This year, packaging industry players are looking forward to new efficiencies and economies of structure. Reorganizations, consolidations, lean manufacturing and sustainability are some of the measures they consider to tackle the current situation. Apart from this, flexible packaging industry is heavily relying on other areas such as performance metrics and looking more stringently at project proposals.
Here we will discuss packaging trends to watch closely in 2013:
Smart Packaging: With changing lifestyles and consumers being more demanding, active and intelligent packaging focus more on consumer benefits such as food quality and safety, freshness and information rather than specific retailer and manufacturer driven benefits.
Bio-Based Plastics: Recyclable PET made from renewable resource is projected to offer significant growth potential in long term. Hence the corporations involved in the soft drink industry, are investing heavily in the development of this material.
Stand-up Pouches: Bottles and cans have become the things of past. Stand-up pouches are preferred more because of their flexibility, sustainability and convenience. They are one of the most innovative marketing approaches to stimulate the sales of a stagnant brand.
Retail Ready Packaging (RRP), a method of packaging to make the products easier for the retailers to stock, continues to gain traction in North America more and more retailers have started to consider implementation, and others broaden the scope of existing initiatives into additional categories.
Social Media’s Role in Packaging: Marketing strategies are changing and internet continues to revolutionize how we find, buy, sell, and interact with brands and their products or services. While traditional marketing focused on pushing messages out, nowadays, it’s more about getting found by customers. Hence, market players need to provide value and earning customer loyalty instead of simply conveying message to the consumers and hoping it will stick.
Along with this, packaging industry professionals must not ignore the consumer voice. Studying consumer culture will always reveal packaging trends and labeling needs in future. Considering the lifestyle changes and economic growth, UFlex Ltd. always follows a strategy with innovation, proximity to customers to provide better services and quick deliveries and focus on operational excellence.
