Is it possible to combine traditional with modern? Absolutely! A great example is uniting a traditional children’s pasta, “Funny Letters” with packaging that features a resealable closure
13 August 2018
One of the largest pasta manufacturers in middle-eastern Poland, Pol-Mak S.A., specialises in making traditional pastas based on a proven home-made recipe. The company’s strategy is a skillful combination of modern technology with a traditional recipe, complemented by continuous analysis of consumer needs from a product and packaging standpoint.
During tests to determine consumers’ mindset on packaging, it was discovered that demand for comfortable and functional packaging is becoming more and more popular. Pol-Mak S.A. welcomed the challenge and proposed an update to the current package for its well-known children’s product, Funny Letters. Funny Letters is manufactured to quality with extra care (using the traditional recipe and taste measures) and interesting form (the pasta letters and numbers are precisely made - and the smiling bear on the packaging entices the customers).
The only thing that had been missing was a resealable closure. The pillow bag pouch solution, one of the most popular packages in the industry, has now been supplemented with the EL-ZIP Press to Close Zipper. “During consumer research, we found how important it is to have a reclosure system on even the most basic products like pasta, buckwheat, tea, coffee or salt,” explains Izabela Celejewska, marketing manager for Elplast Europe, manufacturer of the EL-ZIP Press to Close Zipper. “Although the main goal of our tests were to compare consumer perception on different types of zipper, respondents also indicated products that should definitely have the possibility of reclosing. Pasta took first place on that list. And what is extremely important - no one chose the adhesive label or the tape. Respondents complained about the poor quality of such a closure which does not fulfill its function, and the packaging remains open anyway. “
It should be emphasised that adding the reclosure system did not require changing the foil or packaging method. TD application is being utilised and the winding direction is tailored to the clients needs. “Our company philosophy is very simple: faster, better, cleaner, greener, driven by innovation and competitive offering,” says Marcin Pawelak, President of Elplast Europe. “That is why we treat each client individually, trying to ensure that the closures we proposed are the best solutions: easy to implement while simplifying the production process.”
The example of the Pol-Mak S.A. and Elplast collaboration proves that even traditional products, manufactured according to home-made recipes, can and should evolve in the scope of packaging functionality. Thanks to this Funny Letters can become a trend-setting product in its category.
