12.08.09
Boxed In
Today’s rigid boxes and folding cartons not only house the product, but also influence purchasing decisions by upping the perceived value.
Specialty soap and body care product developer Baudelaire chooses recyclable packaging for its point-of-purchase carton display. |
By Lindsay Mattioli, Contributing Writer
Once upon a time, a consumer would browse the department store counters, scoop up an intriguing beauty item and head over to the register to pay. As consumers now have less discretionary funds, they are critically evaluating their purchases and deciding if they are indeed necessary. So what is it exactly that causes the consumer to purchase versus put the product down? According to several companies Beauty Packaging spoke with, it runs the gamut from perceived value to environmental responsibility.
A Package Is Forever
According to Joanna Sasso, vice president operations, Knoll Printing and Packaging Inc., Syosset, NY, there is a trend toward turning the outer packaging of a product into a keepsake item, in order to boost the value-add benefit in the consumer’s mind.
“We’re seeing our customers request boxes that aren’t meant to be thrown away—in unique shapes and luxurious materials such as faux suede and leather with adornments.”
According to Sasso, the gift-with-purchase concept has declined, and the outer packaging can now take the place and be used as a gift. “There’s a perceived value in putting a separate plaque on a box, rather than just embossing it,” she says. “Maybe a customer is new to a fragrance, but if they think that they’re getting a luxurious box that they can store jewelry in, it gives the brand an edge.”
Cardboard displays, like this from Dapy, help attract the customer to a specific product line. |
John Rebecchi of Disc Graphics, Hauppauge, NY, explains that the newest developments are in coatings and the variety of gloss levels, textures and combinations that create unique points of contrast on a carton. “This is a continued trend of making the carton an element in the consumer purchase experience to support the visual brand equity with ‘touch equity.’
Cardboard displays are also a way to attract attention when brand marketers are trying to promote a certain product or line. Dapy Paris, recently developed a display for the Lancôme Teint line of cosmetics with three distinct levels to highlight the three stages. The base and the panel are coated paper, matte black, with a shiny black border outlining the various stages. Two black, double-sided satin ribbons with Velcro connect the base and the panel.
Value Is King
Consumers are not the only ones looking for value-added features. Packaging buyers are, too, and manufacturers need to fine tune their processes to provide a great package in a cost-effective manner.
“Packaging buyers are looking for as much value-added as they can get in a single-pass operation,” says Bacchetta. “To support this,
carton manufacturers have modified existing processes or purchase new equipment with custom figurations.”
Bacchetta says that Diamond Packaging plans to invest in folding carton equipment, as well as contract packaging technologies and equipment in order to meet the needs of customers more quickly and effectively.
All State Paper Box, Newark, NJ, recently acquired a ribbon company to give its customers the option to add ornamental bows to packaging.
“The simple addition of a bow and ribbon around the box gives a three-dimensional feel to the package,” notes Howie Greenberg. “With our in-house sampling department, we can provide something extra that the customer may not have thought of.”
According to Ares Printing and Packaging’s George Filippidis, packaging buyers are flocking to folding cartons and displays made from e-flute, b-flute and paperboard materials because they not only effectively and economically protect and sell the products in them, but they ship and store flat.
“These cartons are great because their strength and rigidity protects the product without internal platforms and vacuum forms, which are both costly and not so great for the environment,” explains Filippidis.
Small Order, Big Style
A number of manufacturers Beauty Packaging spoke with agreed that holiday gift sets weren’t as in demand as in years past. According to David Lunati, director of marketing, Monadnock Paper Mills, Inc., Bennington, NH, the holiday forecasts, which typically happen at least six months before the season, were rather
conservative.
Knoll Packaging’s Sasso also found holiday programs to be lower than usual. “Inventories are being used up and stores aren’t stocking as much. I think the projections for the holiday seasons were low and that’s what we’ve been seeing in the news for the past two months.”
Steve Frey, senior vice president sales for Disc Graphics explains that companies aren’t simplifying their packages, they’re actually looking to enhance them and order in smaller quantities.
“They are cutting back on ordering quantities in light of an uncertain consumer buying season,” says Frey. “The combination of these two points—unique, enhanced decorating and smaller quantities—present suppliers with challenges to develop extremely cost-effective solutions.”
However, Sasso found that holiday programs in Europe did not suffer the same level of drop-off that was experienced in the U.S. “We did a large holiday program for Givenchy, and those order quantities were quite large,” notes Sasso. “We provided a number of different sets, materials and colors for Givenchy’s fragrances, so I don’t think that the trend of cutting back is being experienced in Europe.”
Eco-Elegance
Natural, organic, sustainability and eco-friendly continue to be buzzwords in the beauty industry. Makeup and skin care products tout natural ingredients and omit parabens and harsh chemicals, and now the green movement is really making headway in the packaging sector. Lunati of Monadnock Paper Mills found that major cosmetic players such as Estée Lauder and Elizabeth Arden were looking to go green in terms of packaging, but didn’t want to compromise aesthetics or performance.
Lunati says that choices available about two years ago in terms of eco-friendly packaging were a little too literal, veering into the “granola” territory. Monadnock set out to develop a green carton that looked just as beautiful on shelf as any other package and came up with the Envi folding box, which uses 80% post-consumer waste and is used by beauty brands such as Pangea Organics. The Envi folding carton achieves what Lunati refers to as eco-elegance, a product that looks and feels just as luxurious as its non-eco-friendly counterparts.
The economy has forced consumers to think about everything they do, says Lunati. “When a consumer has a finite amount of money to spend, they want to buy something that exudes quality, while also being aware of how it impacts the economy, environment and the world overall. They want to feel good about the purchase.”
Lunati adds that companies are taking things a step further and affixing logos and certifications right on the packaging so that consumers are fully aware that the packaging was responsibly sourced.
Diamond Packaging’s Green Chic package conveys the essence of luxury brands while offering an environmentally friendly message, according to Bacchetta. “It’s beauty without compromise.”
Even when not using a Green Chic package, Diamond Packaging still tries to integrate an environmentally responsible approach. Diamond recently developed packaging for two popular fragrances, Vera Wang Look and McGraw, by Tim McGraw. Both cartons were manufactured using wind power, in an effort to responsibly produce the packaging.
The carton for the McGraw fragrance was manufactured using wind power. |
Knoll Printing and Packaging has also been taking steps to green its products, processes and offices. “We’re working with a couple of foil mills that are recyclable, so we’re taking boxes that we’ve produced and are conducting trials with this recyclable foil. Our paper is also FSC-certified,” says Sasso.
Knoll, which recently moved into a new building, is also in the process of greening its offices and will ultimately have solar power and be LEEDS-certified, which will mean that its building uses resources more efficiently compared to conventional buildings. “Whatever positive influence we can have on the environment makes a difference,” says Sasso.
Packaging continues to be a driving force at the point of purchase, and is now more important than ever in swaying consumers to buy. Luxury, keepsake packaging raises the perceived value, while sustainable packaging and sourcing helps the consumer feel like they’re making a worthwhile, responsible purchase.
