Be Heroes

The importance of the package printer is immeasurable when it comes to designing a package to succeed for a consumer packaged goods company.

Most consumers have no concept of what goes on when designing a package. A consumer products company (CPC) has a tremendous amount invested into presenting just the right image with just the right amount of splash to draw a consumer in to have them to buy an item. What some printers do not realize is how much of an impact they can have on this process and how their roles are not only to print the finished products.

From start to finish

When a packaging provider or designer begins to craft a new package or enhancement to a current package, the first step is research. "We typically do a thorough visual audit and analysis of the category and segment in which the product or brand competes," says Martha Seidner, vice president, Smith Design (Glen Ridge, N.J.). "We look for strengths and weaknesses in the current packaging versus competitive sets. Whether it is a redesign or a totally new product, we look for opportunities for our client's package to differentiate and stand out on shelf. Additionally, if we are handling structural packaging and graphic imagery, we will look at ways to improve the functionality and usefulness of the package. Repurposing and sustainability are key areas that we've been asked to address when working on package design."

The potential for repurposing falls into the "life cycle" category, and that is one area Unilever spends a good deal of time studying, according to Matthew McCarthy, a director of brand development at the company. "What is the consumer doing with that product? What do they want to do with it to recycle it or reuse it? With some of the products we make, the packages are actually reused for other things," he says. He cites one example of parents taking spent margarine containers, cleaning them out, and using them for crayons for their children. "So, understanding the full life cycle of the packages is central to a consumer packaged goods company," he relates.

For Unilever, the life cycle begins at the point of manufacture (getting the package from a printer or converter), and then to Unilver's facility. Then there is the distribution process to retailers, and to the stores, and then onto the shelves. "At the end of the day we're designing a product that has to fulfill a wide range of needs," he says.

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