Consumer Attitudes Towards Packaging: New Insights and Future Perspectives

Published by: Datamonitor

Published: Sep. 21, 2007 - 73 Pages

Table of Contents

Overview

Catalyst

Summary

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Sustainability is becoming a key lifestyle priority and impacts shopper attitudes towards packaging

Health benefits attributed to packaging are especially important in food and drinks

Convenience is still vital to consumers' packaging needs

Aging populations have stimulated the need for 'universal design' in packaging

Packaging design is important in captivating consumer interest and initiating buying behavior

ACTION POINTS

Table of Contents

Table of figures

Table of tables

The future decoded

INTRODUCTION: The role of packaging has evolved with consumer trends

TREND: Sustainability is becoming a key lifestyle priority and impacts shopper attitudes towards packaging

Consumers have moved into a more reflective and concerned phase of consumption

Environmental consumerism is becoming more sophisticated and is driven by five consumer segments

Environmental consumerism is driven by five consumer segments

Environmental/ ethical attitudes do not always translate into actual behavior

Consumers require more education about sustainability led initiatives

Packaging has a direct link to environmental consciousness as more consumers look to reduce waste

Governments across the globe have set new targets to battle help waste management

Consumers are becoming increasingly conscious of waste management and the role packaging plays

Consumers are recycling more of their waste

Consumers believe products are over packaged

Consumers desire less clutter in their lives

'Light-weighting' is helping to reduce the volume of packaging waste

Consumers are often unable to detect light-weighting

Consumers display contradictory attitudes towards the role of packaging

Key take-outs and implications: packaging has an important role to play as environmental consumerism gains momentum

INSIGHT: Health and sensory benefits attributed to packaging are especially important in food and drinks

Food and beverage safety is increasingly important for shoppers

Packaging is perceived as being integral to maintaining product safety

Consumers are showing extremely favorable attitudes towards, and increased consumption of, fresh food and drinks

Freshness is a highly valued packaging attribute

Increasing interest in fresh food has only recently being matched by more new product launches

Consumers value packaging that enhances the quality or pleasure experienced on consumption

'Smart packaging' innovation can help address consumers health and sensory demands

Health concerns are driving increasing interest in, and usage of, packaging labels

Consumers are spending more time checking labels for nutritional advice

Packaging labels can also help to regain consumer trust

Key take-outs and implications: packaging offering enhanced freshness, safety and the effective provision of on-pack information will be increasingly desired by consumers

INSIGHT: Convenience is still vital to consumers' packaging needs

A number of convenience trends impact consumer packaging desires

The ready meals market is growing in every global region

On-the-go occasions are increasing creating a need for packaging that facilitates such occasions

Consumers are increasingly making use of 'top-up' shopping

Consumers value packaging design that helps to overcome choice complexity

In a bid to reduce choice complexity consumers embrace 'speed shopping'

Key take outs and implications: convenient packaging is about both functionality and aesthetics

INSIGHT: Aging populations have stimulated the need for 'universal design' in packaging

Populations are aging across Europe and the US thereby increasing the need for 'universal packaging'

The physical abilities of many consumers are diminishing or simply hindered

Chronic rheumatic conditions are becoming more common in older adults and greatly impair consumer ability to use and open products and packaging

'Design for all' encompasses a wider range of consumers and will become imperative for future success

Key take-outs and implications: universal design should be the basic blueprint against which packaging design is scrutinized

INSIGHT: Packaging design is important in captivating consumer interest and initiating buying behavior

Packaging design heavily influences overall perceptions of a product and hence brand positioning

Upscale packaging designs can add perceived value to the product

Packaging designs heavily influence consumer perception of 'cool'

Packaging cues are important in creating the ""wow factor"" for Kids

The use of certain colors lead to differing emotive responses

Color and emotions are also synonymous with words and expressions

Color contrast in packaging is key to ensuring shelf stand-out and capturing consumer attention

Package pictures can shape consumer perceptions more rapidly than textual information

The structural elements of packaging reflect product personality thereby shaping consumer expectations

Key take-outs and implications: ensure that packaging design is at the forefront of brand positioning efforts

ACTION POINTS

ACTION: Integrate sustainability principles into all packaging design

Demonstrate a commitment to reduce packaging your packaging footprint by reducing material waste

Use 'light-weighting' alternatives where applicable

Avoid falling into the trap that premium must be heavily packaged to stand-out from value offerings

Give packaging a 'second use' to enhance reusability

Make packaging work harder by identifying dual-function components

Educate and inform consumers about your sustainable credentials

Develop branded initiatives that enable consumers to more easily identify eco-friendly packages

Use in-store signage to educate and communicate about environmental credentials

ACTION: Use packaging to help regain consumer trust

Develop recognizable and trustworthy labels that are transparent and honest

Embrace 'smart packaging' technology to help re-assure consumers about product safety

ACTION: Package products in a way that enhances the quality of the consumption experience

Enhance food freshness through packaging formats where possible

Use packaging to maximize the sensory appeal of the consumption occasion

ACTION: Ensure packaging innovations offer convenience and simplicity

Target new and growing occasions such as 'on-the-go'

ACTION: Embrace principles of 'universal design' to ensure user-friendly concepts

ACTION: Use packaging innovation as a way to engage and interact with consumers

ACTION: Burst through the clutter in the retail environment to achieve shelf standout

Use color and shape to create contrast with competitors

Use packaging to create positioning and justify a price premium

Visually own the packaging dimension which identifies the key benefit

Create a visual impact that enhances consumer awareness

APPENDIX

Supplementary data

Definitions

Methodology

Further reading and references

Ask the analyst

Datamonitor consulting

Disclaimer

List of Tables

Table 1: Municipal waste generated and recycled by country, Europe & US, 1996, 2001, 2006

Table 2: Consumer agreement with statements conveying different attitudes toward packaging, UK

Table 3: Consumer survey: the extent to which European and US consumers used nutritional information on product packaging to help make food and drink choices, by country, 2006

Table 4: Overall and per person number of on-the-go eating occasions (million), Europe & US, 2006-2011

Table 5: Overall and per person number of on-the-go drinking occasions (million), Europe & US, 2006-2011

Table 6: Population by age group (m), Europe and US, 2001-2011

Table 7: European and US consumer and industry opinion concerning the influence of various factors on (re)gaining consumer trust

Table 8: Consumer response to the question: ""In general, how influential are the following packaging functions when choosing FOOD products?"", Europe, US, 2007

Table 9: Consumer response to the question: ""In general, how influential are the following packaging functions when choosing BEVERAGE products?"", Europe, US, 2007

Table 10: Consumer response to the question: ""In general, how influential are the following packaging functions when choosing PERSONAL/HOUSEHOLD CARE products?"", Europe, US, 2007

List of Figures

Figure 1: Packaging innovation is now aligned with a number of consumer mega trends

Figure 2: Ethical consumerism is becoming more sophisticated over time

Figure 3: Over a third of Europeans and Americans can be considered 'Green Thinkers'

Figure 4: A lack of education and clarity creates a bottleneck slowing the migration of consumers toward groups which are willing to seek and pay extra for sustainable products and packaging

Figure 5: Positive attitudes towards ethical consumption are beginning to translate into actual behavior

Figure 6: Over a quarter of Europeans rank growing waste and the depletion of natural resources as being a main environmental issue

Figure 7: Waste management is the environmentally focused action that Europeans are most willing to do

Figure 8: Recycling is the third most desirable option for dealing with waste

Figure 9: European and American consumer rank eating fresh food as an important dietary approach

Figure 10: There are a number of new smart packaging/label innovations entering the market

Figure 11: High usage of microwaves reflects consumers' need for convenient solutions

Figure 12: Consumers seek products which are both convenient AND healthy

Figure 13: European and American consumers are increasingly exhibiting 'top-up shopping' behavior

Figure 14: A feeling of 'choice paralysis' often influences shoppers

Figure 15: Speed shopping is contributing to a more passive approach to shopping

Figure 16: Packaging that incorporates these attributes will appeal to convenience orientated shoppers

Figure 17: A number of illnesses and diseases can affect various parts of the body which inhibit consumers' ability to effectively use products and packaging

Figure 18: Packaging design plays a big part in shaping consumers' quality expectations, especially when making personal care purchases

Figure 19: Certain colors are associated to specific words/concepts

Figure 20: Sustainability-led packaging innovation can take many guises

Figure 21: Light-weighting lowers waste and raw materials costs

Figure 22: Educating consumers about sustainability policies increases awareness and adds impact to the changes being made

Figure 23: In-store signage increases the visibility of sustainable products

Figure 24: Labeling must be well executed, easy to understand and based on trust

Figure 25: Smart packaging can improve product safety

Figure 26: Packaging can be used to enhance the fresh appeal of products

Figure 27: On-the-go coffee innovation continues to offer more convenience

Figure 28: Packaging developed to facilitate on-the-go consumption will continue to be desired by shoppers

Figure 29: Design for all concepts can be easily integrated into existing packaging concepts

Figure 30: Contrast can be achieved at the shelf through numerous ways

Figure 31: Packaging designs can be extremely useful in positioning a product

Figure 32: A visual impact can be made by all manner of packaging types

Abstract

• Comprehensive analysis of how key consumer trends are shaping the role of packaging both in product positioning and in consumers' lives more generally
• Identifies the intrinsic and extrinsic packaging functions that consumers most value through qualitative and quantitative analysis.
• Detailed recommendations showcasing leading innovations and offering practical strategies based on the trends and insights uncovered in the report.
• Covering eight core countries across Europe and North America; France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, UK and US.

• Access a blend of quantitative and qualitative data aggregating the most compelling and recent research in this increasingly important topic.
• Gain a detailed insight into consumer views towards packaging and understand the implications for design.
• Improve your marketing by following best-practice guidelines enabling more effective targeting with on-trend products and relevant communications.

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