Beverage companies are at an interesting point in the product life cycle. At this time, sodas are losing market share from a variety of health and tax factors, while bottled water continues to gain market share. Packaging is more important than ever for beverage manufacturers to grab the attention of consumers and meet their changing demands. In this blog post, we explore three beverage packaging trends taking over the industry.
Clear, Visible Packaging
See through packaging is a trend running alongside beverage companies’ desires to be transparent with consumers. Our lead researcher, Dr. Andrew Hurley, has also explained this phenomenon with clear packaging in multiple research studies. He believes “Unseen is Unsold” and that clear packaging enables consumers to fully evaluate the product at the shelf.
One drawback to clear packaging is some products have negative effects from light exposure. Beverage manufacturers must pay attention closely to the products and their quality when engaging in this packaging innovation trend.
Package Size Variation
As we mentioned above, soda manufacturers are facing a variety of factors affecting their bottom line. Health organizations like the CDA have condemned sugar and the increased intake of sodas. This has forced cities and countries to engage in harsh soda taxes that are driving down profits for beverages companies. In response, soda companies have developed new, smaller packages. Coca-Cola and Pepsi have developed 7.5-ounce cans and 8-ounce bottles. The interesting note here is profitability is much higher at these size packages. You may have noticed that Coca-Cola pushed the mini-can onto America at the recent SuperBowl when it teamed up with Marvel.
Sustainability and Eco-Innovation
Sustainable packaging is a hot topic across all of the consumer goods industry. The materials are there, but not at the scale that many of these manufacturers need to move forward. However, some beverage manufacturers have made large strides in recent years. In 2015, Coca-Cola showcased it’s first 100% Plant Based PET bottle to continue on with its Plant Bottle Initiative. As we move forward into the future it will be interesting to see how companies innovate their packaging to balance profits, sustainability, and consumer demand.
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