Vendors are innovating to stand out and extend their online reach. Key packaging trends include customer-facing and smart elements. Customer-facing packaging enhances the consumer experience with personalized designs, QR codes, and AR features, strengthening brand connections.
Smart packaging improves functionality with temperature-sensitive labels, RFID tags, and NFC technology, adding value and enhancing security. These innovations help vendors differentiate, deliver exceptional experiences, and drive engagement and loyalty.
This article was last updated in July 2024.
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Interactive Packaging
Long gone are the days when visual elements are the only key factor influencing customers’ purchase behavior. Instead, innovative companies put more focus on touch, which is intensively linked to people’s willingness to buy a product – even if it comes at a higher price. Attractive interactive packaging solutions focus on providing consumers with added value by integrating interactive elements in addition to the product itself. QR Codes and packages that change their appearance in response to various stimuli or pressures are only two applications of interactive packaging.
Flexible Packaging
Resealable stand-up pouches are already omnipresent, so packaging companies aim for the next generation of convenient packaging. To satisfy consumers’ need for practical transportation (think on-the-go) and to optimize logistics processes, smaller, lighter, and more easily disposable packaging solutions are being developed.
Smart Packaging
We identified two types of smart packaging: First, packaging that interacts with a product, and second, packaging that adds information or functions – often in the form of sensors or communication features. This can be achieved through RFID, NFC, and chemical sensors which track information of a product (shelf life, expiration, temperature etc.). Moreover, printed electronics provide consumers with nutritional facts, coupons, or games among others while e-inks take care of a user-friendly display of information. To round up this process, cloud-based platforms connect smart packaging.
Sustainable Materials
As people become increasingly conscious of the environment, they look for eco-friendly and sustainable products and packaging. Packaging companies aiming to innovate in this area can profit from this movement as the competition of values has displaced price competition. Zero-waste packaging along with reusable packaging and bio-based materials soon will become even more relevant.
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Custom Packaging
Custom packaging is designed to expand consumers’ engagement with the product and the company behind it. Companies already turn to big data to target specific markets such as geographical areas or interests, slowly entering the area of mass customization. As customized packaging gives consumers the impression of making their mark on a product, personalization has the potential to create a new source of revenue as consumers are willing to pay a higher price.
Social Branding
Consumers increasingly reflect the values of a brand onto its branding efforts, including packaging. Companies that work in a “responsible” manner in terms of local sourcing of products are becoming more popular and customers are willing to pay a premium price for it. To profit from this innovation area, companies communicate their engagement in social causes via QR Codes on products or give consumers immediate access to a community that is purchasing the same products as they are.
Meet Some of the Disruptive Packaging Startups
- UK startup Blippar equips companies to use products, packaging, and merchandising to activate interactive personalized digital content through augmented reality and image-recognition technology.
- Finland-based PAPTIC develops an original material replacing paper and plastic. The material is twice as durable as paper and weighs 30% less while being 80% biodegradable.
- The US-based startup Tap The Cap provides Single-Serve Cap drinks featuring a unique dosing and dispensing cap. These caps are pre-filled with powder and compatible with almost any water bottle. Users simply tap the cap, shake the bottle, and enjoy their drink.
- Pakible creates custom branded packaging including type and size of packaging, text, logo, and color – making it simple for any business to prototype and then ship product packaging.
- Finnish RePack develops delivery packages that can conveniently and easily be returned and then reused; enhancing customer experience and reducing waste.
Explore Emerging Packaging Startups & Technologies
The packaging industry along with emerging startups offers extensive opportunities such as mobile-engaged, textured, and intelligent packaging, holistic packaging, as well as fiber printing and micro-patterned packaging materials.
All of these serve both the consumers in their on-the-go lifestyle and manufacturers in extending their products’ shelf life. As the average consumer demand is growing, technology advances, and resources become scarce, packaging companies need to rethink their products to stay ahead.
