When to Spend, When to Save on Packaging

Packaging costs often depend on where a brand is in its lifecycle. For example, two vodka packages that hit store shelves this summer illustrate two different goals: One shows the effort needed to establish a new brand; the other demonstrates the savings that can be accomplished for an established brand.p.i.n.k., the New VodkaFor p.i.n.k. vodka, the investment in packaging is an investment in creating emotional branding. The brand is a high-end vodka where marketers have gone beyond super-premium. The term "ultra-premium" (think $40 a bottle) is creeping into the jargon, and glass bottles are usually the package of choice. High Energy Holdings LLC, Washington, DC, pushed the envelope of glass decorating to underscore its positioning for p.i.n.k.The product is geared for drinkers who combine vodka with an energy drink. Dave Mandell, CEO of High Energy Holdings, says his goal was to combine the ingredients and intensity of Red Bull, minus the sugar and carbs, into p.i.n.k. The story of creating the vodka by adding caffeine and guarana is on the brand's website, www.perfectpartyspirit.com.High Energy Holdings chose The Bailey Group, Plymouth Meeting, PA, to develop the brand and packaging. "The brand is targeted toward the club scene," says Steve Perry, group design director for The Bailey Group. "We had to represent this brand as one that is on top of new trends. It is for people who want to party longer. p.i.n.k. has sexual connotations. It is a totally hedonistic product."The glass-decorating process uses a ceramic coating to add a frosted look to the bottle. The bottle supplier, Saxco-Demptos, Louisville, KY, uses a mask over the bottle to form the brand name p.i.n.k. in clear letters reversed out of the frosted surface. Light shining through from the back creates the visual contrast to project the brand name.Getting the pink hue that defines the brand was the biggest challenge. Ceramic pigments could not deliver the color required, so the supplier adds a pink ink over the ceramic frosting. It looks as if someone spray-painted a pink oval on the bottle's back panel.Just a wee bit of technology that is worth knowing: While the bottles appear to be straight up and down, they have a slight taper toward the top. That prevents the upper surfaces of bottles from rubbing against one another and scuffing the high-impact decoration.High Energy Holdings repeats the brand-defining look on its website and on collateral material for the brand. The company even had a design developed for the corrugated paperboard cases that hold six bottles as they move from the filling location to clubs and retail outlets.The rollout began in New York, and plans call for expansion to Southern California, Las Vegas, Miami and other U.S. markets.Pinnacle, the Established VodkaWhile p.i.n.k. vodka illustrates the "new brand scenario," a package development effort by the White Rock Distillery, Lewiston, ME, shows how to reduce costs while retaining equity in an existing brand.The distillery markets Pinnacle vodka and has just switched to a 1.5-liter PET container from Amcor PET Packaging, Ann Arbor, MI, to save cash. Originally, the company used a 1.5-liter glass bottle imported from Europe."The length of the supply chain was mandating the amount of inventory we had to hold," says Joe Werda, director of operations, White Rock Distillery."The European-sourced glass bottle, coupled with the decoration, made it an expensive package. We felt that we could get a high-quality PET container to effectively represent the brand and give us significant cost savings."The original bottle had several unusual design features. It was slightly taller than most 1.5-liter bottles, and it had a footed base. A visible taper from shoulder to base added to the complexity of reproducing the shape in PET, as did reproducing the blue tint that had characterized the glass bottle.The PET bottle had a slightly different blue hue than the earlier glass bottle. White Rock Distilleries decided it looked better and modified the blue tint on its glass bottles for the smaller sizes to match the new PET bottle.By echoing the brand's distinctive shape and color in the new bottle, White Rock retained the equity it earned in its original while reducing costs. "Many consumers don't actually know that it is PET until they touch it," notes Bill Dabbelt, vice president, sales, White Rock Distilleries.Gloss Diverts Attention to Hair Care BrandI believe that gloss is an underrated packaging characteristic when it comes to delivering shelf impact. In my experience, the reflection of light off a glossy package can turn a shopper's head instantly.The John Frieda brand of hair care products from the Kao Group Companies, Tokyo, grabbed gloss for its new line of coloring products. A sleek plastic sleeve holds the tube of product and adds visibility on the shelf, and a molded plastic plug at each end seals the sleeve and gives it an oval shape. The sleeve is from AGI/Klearfold, New York, which calls it the InSight package.While the graphics are not as dramatic, the package is reminiscent of the oval sleeves used by P&G's successful Olay Regenerist line of beauty care products.Mazola Opts for Shaped CanA key step in assessing whether a packaging innovation can improve market share is to analyze the category in which a brand competes. Often, a store audit focusing on a category will show a sameness in packaging and, in turn, an opportunity to differentiate.ACH Food Companies, Memphis, revamped the cooking spray category with its rollout of Mazola Pure.The category is dominated by steel aerosol cans, so ACH opted for a shaped aluminum can. On the shelf, it contrasts with the straight-up-and-down cans its competitors use. The can is from CCL Container, Hermitage, PA. The container shape is easy to hold, and a pearlescent finish provides a visual cue to the "purity" image ACH wanted for the Mazola Pure brand.Kathryn Baker, new products brand manager at ACH Foods, relates consumer reaction to the package: "Many consumers said they would keep Mazola Pure on their countertops simply because it is attractive."Jim Peters has more than 25 years in the packaging field and is the Director of Education for the Institute of Packaging Professionals.

When to Spend, When to Save on Packaging

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