Beverage Industry logo
search
cart
facebook twitter linkedin youtube
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
Beverage Industry logo
  • NEWS
    • R&D News
    • Supplier News
  • PRODUCTS
    • New Products
    • Reader's Choice Poll
  • CATEGORIES
    • Alternative Drinks
    • Beer
    • Bottled Water
    • Cannabis Beverages
    • Carbonated Soft Drinks
    • Energy Drinks & Shots
    • Juice & Juice Drinks
    • Plant-Based Beverages
    • Sports Drinks
    • Tea and Coffee
    • Wine & Spirits
  • R&D
    • Beverage R&D Features
    • Ingredient Spotlight
  • PACKAGING
    • New Packages
    • Packaging Equipment
    • Packaging Material
  • OPERATIONS
    • Distribution
    • Plant Focus
  • TOP LISTS
    • Beer Market Report
    • Executive of the Year
    • State of the Beverage Industry
    • Top 100 Beverage Companies
    • Truck Report
    • Wholesaler of the Year
  • MEDIA
    • eBook
    • Podcast
    • Polls
    • Videos
    • Webinars
  • DIRECTORIES
    • Annual Manual
    • Contract Packaging Guide
    • Take a Tour
  • MORE
    • Classifieds
    • Channel Strategies
    • eNewsletters
    • Events
      • Membrane Technology Forum
    • Interactive Product Spotlights
    • Market Insights
    • Sponsor Insights
    • Store
    • White Papers
  • EMAG
    • eMagazine
    • Archived Issues
    • Advertise
  • SIGN UP!
Packaging Material

Paper-based secondary packaging supports brand growth

Secondary packaging helps enhance shelf presence

By Stephanie Cernivec
Heineken six pack

Heineken and Heineken Light brands introduced new secondary packaging for the brands’ six-, 12-, 18- and 24-packs. The carriers feature modern graphics that reinforce the upscale attributes of the brands and help them to stand out on the shelf, in cold box and on display, the company says. (Image courtesy of Heineken USA)

CHV-RS Pack Pic

Premium gift sets are becoming more popular in the spirits category, according to ASG’s Leon Hill. (Image courtesy of The Rolling Stones Crystal Head Vodka)

Heineken six pack
CHV-RS Pack Pic
July 15, 2013

When the recession hit, consumers started purchasing fewer items on shopping trips, in effect adding importance to a product’s packaging to get shoppers to pick up the product and examine it, says Charles Pavia, director of marketing for Proactive Packaging & Display, Ontario, Calif.

“Most people don’t realize that 66 percent of all packages that get touched on the shelf will wind up getting put in the shopping cart,” he says.

In fact, a study found that packaging in-store is the No. 3 media vehicle to drive purchase consideration, behind in-store offers and Internet searches, says Zack Smith, president of the beverage business unit of MeadWestvaco Corp. (MWV), Richmond, Va. 

Therefore, a product’s packaging can play a major advertising role — especially in the case of smaller companies, such as craft brewers, Proactive’s Pavia notes.

“You’ve got to attract the person when they’re moving their cart down the aisle, and you only have seconds,” he says. “Your packaging’s got to connect with the heart and convince the mind in a matter of seconds.” To do so, brands should use graphics to catch the shopper’s attention and copy to resonate with the shopper’s values, he explains.

Shelf-ready case designs and printing can reinforce the brand at the point-of-sale, adds Don Reggio, marketing manager for RockTenn, Norcross, Ga.

The strength of the material also is vital to the product’s performance, experts say. Not only must the secondary packaging material make it through the entire distribution cycle safely and aesthetically, it also needs to live up to shopper expectations, says Tom Zumbiel, marketing director for Zumbiel Packaging, Hebron, Ky. For instance, shoppers typically won’t notice the handle on a multi-pack of soda unless it fails, dropping cans of soda to the floor, he explains.

RockTenn offers a line of high-strength coated recycled board that is specially engineered to provide high stiffness, dimensional squareness and high tear strength while maintaining a smooth print surface for eye-catching graphics, it says.

Paper-based secondary packaging with wet strength also is important for categories like beer, where an entire case might be placed into a bucket of ice to chill, Zumbiel Packaging’s Zumbiel adds.

What’s trending

As the number of beverage brands and brand extensions continue to proliferate, consumers are faced with more and more choices, Zumbiel Packaging’s Zumbiel says. As these new SKUs become popular, their packaging formats often change, he notes.

When brands come out with something new, they often start out in single-serve containers, Zumbiel explains. Then, in order to stay in business and grow the brand, they expand into multi-packs, he adds.

For instance, energy drinks used to be available in single-serve containers at convenience stores primarily, but now they have evolved into other channels in four-, eight- and 12-packs in order to grow, he notes. With a premium appearance, paperboard is a good option for brands that are going from a single-serve product to a multi-pack, he says.

In the spirits category, premium gift sets are becoming more popular, says Leon Hill, global account team executive for ASG, Los Angeles. For instance, earlier this year Universal Music Canada and Crystal Head Vodka joined forces with The Rolling Stones to create an exclusive, limited-edition Rolling Stones 50th Anniversary Gift Set. The case features a real zipper, recalling the band’s “Sticky Fingers” album cover.

“The value in paperboard is the freedom to create and design using a nearly limitless portfolio of colors, textures and finishes to drive customer interest,” Hill says.

MWV’s Smith adds that paper-based packaging allows brands to enhance their graphic designs by incorporating elements such as high-gloss varnish, ultraviolet coatings, embossing, foil laminates, 3-D graphics, and digital and backside printing features.

ASG, for example, offers its proprietary Holoklear rainbow hologram effect in a press-applied coating. The company also notes a trend away from corrugate material to solid fiber, which allows the customer to embrace complex emboss and matte gloss patterns, says Keith Kiedinger, senior vice president of sales for ASG’s consumer packaging business.

However, within the corrugated containerboard segment, Proactive’s Pavia says the No. 1 trend is “kraft” packaging with higher-quality graphics.

“Kraft or brown [packaging] is starting to make its way back into the marketplace, but the print quality on the kraft is not what you would consider to be print quality on a brown shipper that is used to deliver to the back of a grocery store,” he explains. “These graphics are much sharper and cleaner and have impact, but yet the objective is to convey to the customer that the packaging is sustainable.”

Convenience also remains important to shoppers, according to experts. Zumbiel Packaging’s Zumbiel notes that the fridge pack is the most popular paper-based secondary packaging format, while MWV’s Smith says that basket carriers also are among the market’s most popular offerings.  

 “These secondary packaging options help solve two common consumer pain points [and offer] important benefits for the brand owner,” Smith says. “For example, opening features and easy refrigerator storage are important to consumers, while features like billboard space and the ability to increase supply chain efficiencies are important to brand owners.”  

KEYWORDS: corrugated packaging multi-packs secondary packaging

Share This Story

Looking for a reprint of this article?
From high-res PDFs to custom plaques, order your copy today!

Stephanie headshot new cropped

Stephanie Cernivec freelances for Beverage Industry, writing for the magazine’s print and online components. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in English with an emphasis in publishing and technical communications from Illinois State University.

Recommended Content

JOIN TODAY
to unlock your recommendations.

Already have an account? Sign In

  • Chocolate, Strawberry, Vanilla shakes

    Classic flavors provide reliable, consistent results for beverage-makers

    Classic flavors of chocolate, vanilla and strawberry...
    Ingredient Spotlight
    By: Chloe Alverson
  • Free Spirits Instant Bar Bundle

    Lifestyle trends drive growth for non-alcohol category

    As lifestyle trends continue to drive growth for the...
    Wine & Spirits
    By: Lauren Sabetta
  • Younger generation displays unique habits when it comes to beverage consumption

    Generation Z shakes things up in beverage

    Experts share that Gen Z is changing the standard on what...
    Beverage News
    By: Chloe Alverson
Subscribe For Free!
  • eNewsletters
  • Online Registration
  • Subscription Customer Service
  • eMagazine Subscription
  • Manage My Preferences

More Videos

Sponsored Content

Sponsored Content is a special paid section where industry companies provide high quality, objective, non-commercial content around topics of interest to the Beverage Industry audience. All Sponsored Content is supplied by the advertising company and any opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and not necessarily reflect the views of Beverage Industry or its parent company, BNP Media. Interested in participating in our Sponsored Content section? Contact your local rep!

close
  • Fourpeople toasting with cocktails made with low-sugar ingredients, celebrating healthier drink options.
    Sponsored byCargill

    What’s Hot in Sugar Reduction: Beverages

  • chocolate milk
    Sponsored byCargill

    Sweetening the Future for Dairy and Dairy-Alternative Beverages

  • woman pouring a drink
    Sponsored byFFP

    Building a Beverage System: Meeting Consumer Demand for Precision Wellness

Popular Stories

halfday sodas

Beverage-makers turn to fiber, prebiotics and more to support consumer needs

Anheuser-Busch Brewing Futures

Anheuser-Busch announces $300 million investment in US manufacturing

Alani Nu

Alani Nu surpasses $1 billion in retail sales

Vote for your favorite new product

Have your say in what makes it to the top this month!
Vote for your favorite new product and help us celebrate excellence.


VOTE NOW!

Events

April 16, 2025

2025 State of the Industry Series: Alcoholic Beverages

On Demand In Beverage Industry’s annual State of the Industry: The Alcohol Beverage Market, analysts at S&D Insights LLC delve into these trends and how they’re shaping the industry.

June 5, 2025

Heat-Resistant Molds 101: Fundamentals and Prevention Strategies for Better Beverage Quality

Learn about the spoilage challenges and operational bottlenecks that ascospores can pose to your quality program if detection is delayed, or worse – not detected at all. Subject matter experts will cover the basics of these bugs and real-world impacts of insufficient quality methods to help you beat the heat … resistant mold.

View All Submit An Event

Poll

Retail Coffee Segment

What retail coffee segments will fare well into the next year?
View Results Poll Archive

Products

Milk and Dairy Foods Nutrition, Processing and Healthy Aging

Milk and Dairy Foods Nutrition, Processing and Healthy Aging

See More Products

Related Articles

  • Sunlight cream soda

    Secondary packaging offers brand visibility, convenience

    See More
  • box

    Thinking outside the bottle with secondary packaging

    See More
  • caffeinated sports drinks

    Functional, plant-based ingredients boost sports, protein drinks’ growth

    See More

Related Products

See More Products
  • nonmilk.jpg

    Milk-Based Beverages 1st Edition

  • GlobalData_Consumer.jpg

    Cider Consumption (Volume and Growth) Forecast to 2021 - North America

  • GlobalData_Consumer.jpg

    Beer Consumption (Volume and Growth) Forecast to 2021 - North America

See More Products
×

Elevate your expertise in the beverage marketplace with unparalleled insights and connections.

Join thousands of beverage professionals today. Shouldn’t you know what they know?

JOIN NOW!
  • RESOURCES
    • Advertise
    • Contact Us
    • Directories
    • Store
    • Want More
  • SIGN UP TODAY
    • Create Account
    • eMagazine
    • eNewsletter
    • Customer Service
    • Manage Preferences
  • SERVICES
    • Marketing Services
    • Reprints
    • Market Research
    • List Rental
    • Survey/Respondent Access
  • STAY CONNECTED
    • LinkedIn
    • Facebook
    • YouTube
    • X (Twitter)
  • PRIVACY
    • PRIVACY POLICY
    • TERMS & CONDITIONS
    • DO NOT SELL MY PERSONAL INFORMATION
    • PRIVACY REQUEST
    • ACCESSIBILITY

Copyright ©2025. All Rights Reserved BNP Media.

Design, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing