Chapter News

Dear WIP Friends,

I have thoroughly enjoyed volunteering during my last three years as the President of of the Chicago Chapter of Women in Packaging. What a fabulous time it has been! I wanted to let you know that last week was the last event with the chapter.

I have loved meeting you, learning about your packaging jobs and creating great learning experiences, especially our Green Packaging Summits. Unfortunately, this also marks the end of the Chicago Chapter as we do not have the financial support that we have had from years past. Thank you for the opportunities for professional and personal development that you have provided me and hopefully you have gained contacts and expanded your knowledge of packaging.

If you would like to continue to network virtually, get job and/or business referrals from JoAnn Hines and the Women In Packaging organization, please contact her directly @PackagingDiva@aol.com

Please always feel free to contact me, take me out for cappuccino or lunch and I would be happy to continue to network and share my latest ideas on packaging!

Lisa Baer
President
Baer Design Group
Chicago*Detroit
http://www.baerdesign.com/
lisa@baerdesign.com
(D) 847-866-8467

Stimulus Bash from the Chicago Chapters of the Iopp and WIP

Please join us for a networking powerhouse
event to stimulate your network of Chicago
packaging contacts. This is a joint event
hosted by the Chicago Chapter of the Institute
of Packaging Professionals and the Chicago
Chapter of Women in Packaging.

As always, the focus will be on networking and
sharpening our understanding of what drives
the packaging industry. Network with packaging
engineers, packaging designers, packaging
consultants, structural designers, marketing
managers, packaging suppliers and more.

Please join us for this stimulating and rewarding
event on Tuesday, March 10, 2009 for an hors
d’oeuvres spread, cash bar and door prizes from
5:30 – 7:30 pm at Dave and Busters 1155 N Swift
Road, Addison, IL.

Tuesday, March 10, 2009
5:30 – 7:30 pm
Dave and Busters
1155 N Swift Road
Addison, IL (630-543-5151) The cost is $25.00
(Cash or Check)
R.S.V.P. by March 5 to president@ioppchi.org

Bring a colleague or friend and a lot of
business cards... and increase your
chances to stimulate your network and
leave with a door prize!

For more information on the
Chicago Chapter of IOPP visit
www.ioppchi.org
For more information on the
Chicago Chapter of WIP visit
www.womeninpackaging.blogspot.com/

Fresh Sprouts for 2009: Where Is the Growth for Packaging?

“Fresh” may very well be the word for 2009. This year has brought a lot of changes to consumer shopping. With consumer confidence at an all-time low, cooking at home, trying private labels and making more trips to big discounters are just a few of the shifts consumers are making. Scan data from retailers reveal how value is trumping luxury with market growth only happening in superstores like Costco, Wal-Mart and Target. Coupon use is up by 10%.

Even personally, I have been cooking more fresh meals at home—and enjoying it. I have explored new recipes and even baked things like savory, blue cheese crackers. (The recipe came from Heirloom Cooking with the Brass Sisters. This is a fun find, if you are a foodie!)

Along with a dramatic drop in restaurant visits, all these things point to opportunity for ready-to-eat and semi-prepared foods. CPG brands that seize this time to sharpen their packaging to reflect their point of differentiation or even get into a new channel, they will find fresh, new consumers.

To further explore this low-hanging fruit, I have collected a few articles with important insights for the packaging industry in 2009. Enjoy!

The Current Consumer Mindset:

Promotions Get Personal: The Coupon Constituency of Today and Tomorrow (NIELSEN)


Consumer Research: Reason for Relevance (PROGRESSIVE GROCER)


Boomers Caught in Squeeze Play (ADWEEK)


The Nutrition Trend:

Albertsons to Tag Products With Nutrition Information (LA TIMES)

Jewel-Osco to Start Labeling Healthy Foods (CHICAGO TRIBUNE)

Smart Choices Program

Join us for the 2nd Annual Green Packaging Summit!

The Chicago Chapter of Women in Packaging is pleased to present the following industry insiders speaking during a moderated panel discussion on the timely subject of “Green Packaging Reality Check: Real Companies, Real Issues, Sharing Solutions.”

Carla Fantoni
Marketing Manager - Tetra Pak, Inc. U.S.A.

Carla Fantoni serves as Marketing Manager for Tetra Pak U.S.A. She overseas marketing and PR initiatives designed to position Tetra Pak's cartons as the environmental and convenient package alternative for healthy liquid food in the U.S. Carla is well-versed in the area of sustainable food and beverage packaging.

and

Tim Sheehan, the Executive Director of Environment for Pactiv.
Pactiv Corporation is a leader in the consumer and foodservice/food packaging markets it serves. With 2007 sales of $3.3 billion, Pactiv derives more than 80% of its sales from market sectors in which it holds the No. 1 or No. 2 market-share position.

And our moderator,

Christine Smallwood, Director of Business Development for The Greener Package and Packaging World Magazine.

Our dynamic speakers will discuss important trends and share insights on sustainability, green materials and the future of green applications in packaging. This will include addressing the industry as well as their own green approach and wraps up with an audience Q & A.

As always, the focus will be on networking and sharpening our understanding of what drives the packaging industry. Please join us for this stimulating and rewarding experience on Tuesday, December 9, 2008 for socializing and networking over an extensive hors d’oeuvres spread and desserts from 6:30-7:00, followed by a presentation at 7:00.

Location:
The Clubhouse
298 Oakbrook Center
Oak Brook, IL 60523

Cost:
$65 for members
$75 for non-members
Space is limited, please respond early.

RSVP by December 3 with a check payable to:
Baer Design Group
1234 Sherman Ave., #107
Evanston, IL 60202

Questions?
Please email Lisa Baer (lisa@baerdesign.com), Chicago Chapter President, Women in Packaging or call 847-866-8467.

Mars Candy brings Health Facts to the Front Panel

Mars Inc., the family-owned company that produces some of the world's leading candy products, is the first US confectionery company to voluntarily implement Guideline Daily Amount (GDA) nutritional labeling on the front panel of its chocolate, non-chocolate confectionery and other food products.

These new labels, referred to as “What’s Inside,” contain total calorie counts, total fat, saturated fat, sodium and other key nutrition facts aimed at helping consumers make quick choices on the nutritional benefits of their purchase. According to Bob Gamgort, president of Mars North America, these labels are intended to “provide clear, concise and understandable information to consumers about what’s inside all of our products.”

Although many European food companies are already following this trend and disclosing nutritional contents on the front panel of their products, Mars will be the first in the US to adopt this practice.

This bold move by Mars brings up some interesting questions. Such as, who’s buying a chocolate bar for the nutrition? Since most confectionery companies sell the whole candy experience – the nostalgia, the quality of ingredients, or the old-fashioned recipe from which it was made – and not the nutritional value, it remains to be seen whether or not Mars’ action will change eating habits or move more candy sales. Will others in the industry follow? For instance, it’s unlikely that the fashionable, luxury brands like Godiva, Joseph Schmidt or Vosges would start displaying fat content on the front of their box, since it doesn’t fit with their brand message and may kill the culinary experience. Lastly, will U.S consumers care or will this make them buy raisins instead?

Watch for the new Mars packaging in US retail stores in December and more updates to this story on the blog.

Want to read more? Check out some articles at The Progressive Grocer
and NutraIngredients

Die Cuts are the Most Important Part of Breakfast

A recent trip to Whole Foods had me closely examining the cereal aisle to see what stood out. The answer? Die cut boxes for cereal and breakfast bars. These front-panel die cuts, which make the product really pop off the shelf, are part of a packaging trend that appears to be gaining speed. In fact, Dorset Cereals, Back to Nature Cereal, Carman’s Muesli Bars and Honest Foods Granola Planks are all using this packaging style. Product show through works when the product is appetizing and doesn't discolor.

The real trendsetter for packaging is Dorset Cereals, with a beautiful product, great images and simple copy. Their mix of muesli, raisins and other items look beautiful, and their overall visual images and copy are simple, straightforward and leave you feeling happy. Their tagline, "honest, tasty and real" aptly sums up the product, and the keyword "real" connects with consumers.

The Granola Planks from Honest Foods also had great shelf presence, with illustrations that delivered a nice feeling and die cuts that served their purpose well. (By the way, while investigating the packaging, we consumed all of the Granola Planks... and they taste great!)

Refreshing, Retro Packaging Flashback

For some fun on this Friday, here is a look at some cool, refreshing beverages from the sixties and seventies.

Let’s closely examine the yesterday and today design of the Mountain Dew cans and bottles. What a long way the brand has come from the gun-toting mountain man to the now current look. Green glass bottles really limit the colors that work for design purposes but provided a long-lasting brand image.

The type treatment of Mountain Dew is very nice.
Here is the current Mountain Dew bottle. The design edge has moved from the mountains to the x-gamers.

From 1963 we have this SLIM-matesLow Calorie Beverage. This blue and white color scheme really drives home this clinical and dietetic message.

We wrap up with Squirt. Who didn’t love Squirt in the seventies?
The pull-tabs were very difficult to remove and sometimes they were stepped on with bare feet (ouch!) but, a small price for a refreshing beverage!

















Once again, the photos are provided by
Roadside Pictures
http://www.flickr.com/photos/roadsidepictures/
And the Creative Commons. http://creativecommons.org/

Get COOL with the USDA

The (COOL) Country of Origin labeling requirements are here for retail food manufacturers and grocery stores. The USDA has finalized the labeling requirements and an interim final rule becomes effective September 30, 2008. This law specifically covers raw muscle cuts of beef, pork, chicken, lamb, goat, perishable agricultural commodities, shellfish, ginseng and some nuts. The law excludes processed, ready-to-eat food items or items produced or packaged before Sept 30, 2008.

What “processed” means is an on-going controversy. Right now, the rule states that any combination of ingredients=a processed item. For example, roasted nuts and mixed vegetables are exempt.

How should food producers address these new labeling requirements on packaging? For design elements, there are no rules for the font, size or color but, it must be legible and in a conspicuous location. Symbols and flags alone are not acceptable. The "Country Of" designation can be made on placards, labels, signs, stickers, twist ties, etc. Simple statements like, “Product of U.S.A.” should cover most applications and there is a provision for labeling multiple countries of origin.

Want to help blend this new regulation with your branding message? For products other than meat, fish and shellfish, you can still use the allure of the hills of California by using the state or regional identification in place of the Product of USA claim.

The rules should be finalized by January, and according to the USDA, the next six months will be an education and outreach phase.

What does this mean for producers, retailers and package designers? In the short term, reading the 47 page regulation, squeezing in some more copy on the packaging and probably more packaging reviews with the USDA office.

Want clarification on this? For the USDA information use the following link
www.usda.gov

For commentary on this regulation, see these links
CU lauds mandatory country of origin labeling

USDA sets interim rules for country of origin labeling

Let us know what you think, give us your feedback with a comment!

Hot, Hot Trends for Summer’s End

This summer has been a hot one. Here are some ideas of the latest trends in packaging.

Long time member, Virginia Price, has a great podcast created by Package Design Magazine, where she talks about the latest trends in tin packaging. Take a listen and learn about some of the reasons behind the emergence of tin in premium packaging.

For the latest trends in food packaging, I was interviewed by Stef Pollack of foodinterviews.com. Read on for some foodie facts and fun.

Dustin Schadt, a past speaker at the Green Packaging Summit, shares a recent article about his company is going green. Spend some time and learn how General Converting Gets Green and Saavy.

If you want the full article in pdf form, please send an email to lisa@baerdesign.com

New Square Milk Jugs: The testers agree it’s a smart choice

As a follow up to last week’s story, we tested the new square milk jugs this morning at our office. When I purchased the jug at Costco, the first thing I noticed was the great price. At $2.59, it’s a good deal!

After reading all the traditional media news stories on this subject, I fully expected to encounter some problems. However, my first impression was a good one. The Rock N’ Pour jug (as it has been named by its developers, Creative Edge) fit in the door of my side-by-side refrigerator. Since it was the July 4th holiday weekend, my fridge was very full and this was a huge plus!

Next, I took it to the office and the square jug also fit nicely in the door of our office refrigerator, highlighting a winning feature of the new design. On to the testing…

Three people from the office and one small 10-year-old girl tested the jug (rather unscientifically) by using it for everyday purposes. We started with a drinking glass and a bowl filled with cereal. Pouring milk as if we were having our breakfast meal at home, we poured the milk and ate cereal. Out of the first four pours, we only had one slight spill (and it wasn’t the kid!). The tester admitted that he would probably spill milk from any jug.

Looking at the overall structural design of the jug, we could see various advantages to this design. These include using less plastic and being able to ship more by shipping them case less (thus reducing delivery trips and fuel costs). If you want to learn more about this packaging, click here for Packaging Digest’s story.

From a designer’s perspective, the design is smart and green. The few adjustments we’d make are to the spout (widening it or adjusting the shape slightly) in order to alleviate some of the minor spilling issues.

We think that this new square milk jug may need some time, but it will probably be around for a long time to come.