The reinvention of the yoghurt pot

26 October 2015



The reinvention of the yoghurt pot


The reinvention of the yoghurt pot

Innovation is above all a matter of finding the "true" problem to be solved - the one with potential. Danone's yogurt pot Kiss is a major example of this. Its name means 'Keep It Simple and Safe', reflecting the demand for Danone Fresh Products' packaging to be simplified. The pot brings consistency in the range and the company's message, and results in true differentiation on the retail shelf thanks to its look and ergonomics. Vincent Ferry, responsible for the packaging research and development of this innovation for Danone, explains.

"The concept struck me during the Danone Convention in February 2009: the special series of yogurt pots made for our 90-year anniversary aroused in me a creative flash. I told myself that the Danone pot had to be reinvented." Although the idea was simple, Vincent Ferry, packaging manager at Danone, knew its execution would not be. The reinvention of the pot would have to be achieved with modern technology adapted to the contemporary world - but before that, the team had to convince the group's senior executives to adopt the concept.


The design work consisted of attempting to analyse and meet consumers' needs while considering the numerous constraints (such as economic, industrial, logistic, environmental, and legal) on the project. The development lasted two years, during which the innovators carried out an industrial pilot with ARCIL, Danone's machine supplier, and consumer tests.
Concurrent with the new packaging, Danone also improved its recipes and made its store displays more appealing. Velouté was the first brand to benefit from the repackaging, in September 2012, and recorded a subsequent 20% growth in volume.

Integration and transformation hand in hand
"This in-depth transformation obviously mobilised many resources within the company," explains Ferry. "It required that the company invest in new machinery. In particular, we changed the moulds, cutting devices and sealing pieces, and we adapted conveyors and the wrapping system.
"In the end, this work greatly exceeded the purely technical perimeter. Kiss is more than a product: it is a unifying concept. We had to organise the support of our personnel through, in particular, training, and redesigned our plants (moving walls, changing ceilings, gutters and tiles, and reorganising our stock), without stopping production. Today, we have upgraded half of the machinery, with overall performance exceeding the set objectives."

Packaging gets a rethink
The objective of Danone Produits Frais France is to reduce or remove packaging when possible, in order to improve its carbon footprint, while retaining satisfactory protection, display and consumer information levels.
In the wake of Activia and Taillefine, Velouté is starting its metamorphosis. Until now, Danone could not remove secondary packaging, because the former pot had no individual decoration. Thanks to Kiss, that is now possible.
"We must bear in mind that packaging plays a major role in the life and identity of products," Ferry continues. "They contribute to their protection, make them easy to find on the shelves and display consumer information. The difficulty lies mainly in graphic design. Basically, the same brand visibility and amount of information must be conveyed over a smaller printing surface. But what is at stake makes it worth the effort: from an environmental point of view, cardboard represents approximately 20% of the packaging carbon footprint."

The right materials
The choice of materials is another key research area. In Danone's endeavours to minimise environmental impact, eight levers have been identified: reducing packaging quantity, increasing transportation density, recycling industrial waste, using recycled and plant-based materials, integrating the existing collecting, sorting and recycling channels, favouring 100% consumption without waste, and giving materials a second life.
"In 2006-07, we used expanded polystyrene on our yogurt pots, which resulted in reducing the quantity of packaging and decreasing the weight of the pot by 20%. Regarding the Kiss pot, we wish in the future to reintroduce expanded polystyrene."

Constantly reinventing itself
"And we are not going to stop there in terms of innovation," Ferry says. "I recommend relying on common sense, and respecting the rule, 'let's keep on simplifying'.
"Successful packaging connects consumers to their products. Let's not forget that packaging is the first media that is in contact with them: they have it in their hand when purchasing and consuming. It must therefore enhance outlet shelves and convey a strong message. Successful packaging also connects the manufacturer to its partners and suppliers.
What Kiss does within the company can also be seen outside it, concludes Ferry: Kiss is the showcase for Danone's expertise, and therefore its ambassador. "Successful innovation is like hitting a strike at bowling: when the ball is launched in the right direction with the right energy, striking is systematic. To achieve this, technique, experience and a lot of common sense are vital."

 



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