First ask the consumer

31 January 2012



So much new technology, so little budget. How should packaging managers spend their money and measure packaging success? Stergios Bititsios, associate director packaging and design at MMR Research Worldwide, says ask the consumer


Since the turn of the century, FMCG industries have been overly excited about the topic of packaging innovation. While economies were flourishing, billions of pounds were invested in large R&D technology transfer projects. Conferences, seminars and summits havebeen held globally to promote innovative solutions – from printed electronics, augmented reality and nanocoatings to sustainable technologies for lowering carbon footprint – all to tempt those involved in packaging design and development looking for the next big thing.

We lost the plot!

Innovation quickly became synonymous with invention and artistic expression in the minds of product and brand managers. The hunger for ‘getting there first’ became a common trait amongst the global giants, something that took managers on ravenous shopping sprees for innovation consultants, creative gurus and ‘powerful’ new technologies. Poor ROI figures are matched with startling packaging failure statistics. From discussions with clients, we understand that approximately 40% of new packaging introductions fail to pass the final test, while another 40% are found to bring no added value.

So where does this leave us now? Brand, insights, and packaging managers need a fundamental change of mindset when it comes to a packaging innovation opportunity – a move from “cost-cutting exercise” or “creativity-laden design” to “benefit-centric development.”

Let’s think about the questions we should be asking first: Although attention-grabbing on the shelf and a good way for a brand to revitalise a product, do we really know if this new advanced material or structure will enhance the consumption experience? Will it actually matter to consumers? Will it perform at each junction of the consumer journey – from the shelf to the bin?

The packaging innovation process can be linked to classic lean management: is the customer prepared to pay for this activity? Does it add value?

The answer, therefore, is to ask the consumer. It strikes me as bizarre that despite the urgency for ‘new and different’, consumers are so rarely the focus of the discourse and when they are it is often at a rather superficial level. The emphasis is heavily placed on the end-product but not in the process of getting there. Everyone wants ultimately to get to consumers, but in ignoring their voices, the chances of failure will increase.

Consumers must be involved early in the packaging development process, from concept all the way through to final validation. Consumers cannot predict the future, but they are the ones that will judge it and under the right conditions they have the capability to help shape it. There are great technologies available today that can potentially lift the status of packaging and enhance the consumption experience. But choosing the right technology for your brand and packaging is not trivial, especially as we do not have the same budgets to play with anymore.

Any technology, no matter how well tested it is, must respond to a set of consumer requirements; it must address the end user’s needs and above all it must evoke substantial tangible and intangible benefits – that is, functional and emotional. There’s only one way to find out what’s best for your brand and to help consumers make the right choice for themselves. That is gathering objective consumer feedback at every stage of the development process. Let consumers lead the discussion; make them feel that they are part of the process, that they make a contribution, that their voices are being heard.

By placing consumers at the heart of the packaging innovation process, brands can kill two birds with one stone: first, they will feel rewarded, hence becoming more loyal; and second, when combined with the use of smart and holistic research methods, we can identify key metrics to measure packaging performance against, and evaluate the trade-offs involved. That way the quality and accuracy of decisions is safeguarded. We can deduce where the money should be spent.

Scientific consumer research can remove the expensive and time-consuming nature of packaging innovation and replace the risks of guesswork. It’s a great means to justify decisions to other business stakeholders and effectively ‘sell’ your ideas both internally and externally. Synergy and empathy can make innovation work.

Stergios Bititsios is a leading figure in packaging research and a specialist in human-centred methods for consumer research. He was previously at Design Perspectives, a Faraday Service organisation (part of The University of Leeds in the UK).

Views expressed on this page are those of the author and may not be shared by this publication.


Stergios Bititsios Stergios Bititsios

Stergios Bititsios Stergios Bititsios


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