Gerber Uses 'See Me' Package to Extend Brand

See Before You BuyGerber Products Co. has extended its equity in baby feeding into the breast milk pump category. For its new Premium Feeding System, the Parsippany, NJ-based company is using a striking plastic carton with windows that provide a detailed view of the product components inside.It stands in sharp contrast to the norm in the category: paperboard cartons with detailed photos -- usually on the back panel -- that illustrate the product. The Gerber package, on the other hand, is made from tough, very clear polyvinyl chloride (PVC). It employs a series of clear internal platforms and dividers that precisely position each of the kit's components so that customers can see them from the front and the top.Rather than merely depicting the product and its components, the carton's multi-color graphics complement it. Above the circular window on the front, for instance, are the words "Massaging Manual Breast Pump." Furthermore, an additional graphic swipe calls out the "Dual Massaging Funnel" component. And if customers still don't get it, there is a photograph of the components located in the lower-right corner on the package front. There are no product photos on the back panel. Instead, the graphics there extol the brand's benefits.Gerber will probably move the breast pump system into a paperboard carton in 2005. A common strategy for companies that introduce a product in a high-impact -- but relatively costly -- package is to use the novel packaging to build brand recognition. Then, when the brand is established, marketers take steps to increase margins by reducing packaging costs.The package's angular, glossy construction -- with all the dividers and structural components in full view -- projects a "high-tech" look. It remains to be seen whether such a high-tech carton is the best fit for a high-touch product. In any case, this is a consideration most marketers have to make.New Shape for Bottled WaterUpscale retailers search for unusual or exclusive products that fit their strategy for bringing shoppers into their stores. One such item is the WaterBall.Bulk bottled water, often sold through home centers and mass merchants, is destined for home and small business water coolers. It usually comes in cylindrical 3- to 5-gallon plastic containers with stiffening ribs. However, WaterBall, from WaterBall International, Brant Rock, MA, is a spherical bottle. It holds 3.3 gallons of water and can be purchased with either a smooth or ribbed surface. WaterBall's Tom Schneider says that informal research shows women prefer the smooth surface.In addition to its shape, the package offers an additional advantage in the retail environment -- its size. When filled, it weighs about 28 pounds, whereas a traditional 5-gallon jug can weigh 40 pounds or more.The fact that the size and shape are appealing to female shoppers may be significant because even in home center stores -- a logical distribution channel for this package -- women comprise more than half the shoppers.The way the sphere reflects light offers an opportunity for the brand marketer and retailers to increase visibility in-store. On a pallet, for example, inserts of holographic paperboard or holographic neck hangers could heighten WaterBall's visual impact. A major issue for this package is how to secure it on the pallet on which it is displayed. A sphere may require a wrapping method that challenges the retailer's desire for quick, simple unwrapping.Imported Cookies in Eye-Catching CansAmong the tactics that keep Trader Joe's hot is its selection of "signature" products in "signature" packages. The past holiday season saw the retailer selling The Queen's Cookies, which are imported from Denmark, in shaped metal cans. Each held 8.8 ounces of product. Such shaped cans are not uncommon in Europe, and Trader Joe's is no stranger in mining the Continent for unusual product/package combinations. It also uses the strategy for its high-end soups (see my column in the April 2004 issue of P-O-P Times).A tear-top foil end makes these cans easy to open, and a snap-fit plastic lid lets consumers reclose them.Paper Cartons Gain Niche for WinesHere's another foray into paperboard cartons for the Canandaigua Wine Co., Canandaigua, N.Y. The winery now offers its Vendange brand (Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio and Shiraz) in a 500-milliliter Prisma carton from Tetra Pak, Vernon Hills, IL. Previously, the winery introduced Sangria in the same container.The package is aimed at on-the-go consumers for events such as picnics, and the unusual packaging format helps the brand stand out in the wine category. The eight-sided carton has a tamper-evident screw cap that can be reclosed. Paperboard is among the best materials on which to print high-end graphics, and this is a very good print job. Gary Glass, Canandaigua's vice president of marketing, says the package has an upscale look.Jim Peters is a writer and consultant with 25 years in the packaging field. He is president of J. Peters Associates Inc. Click here for his contact information.