Packaging Material

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The retail shelf can BE A crowded space. According to Chicago-based Mintel’s Global New Products Database, 4,215 new beverages were launched in 2014.

Choosing a packaging format can be one of the most important decisions a beverage-maker will make, notes Ron Skotleski, director of marketing at Crown Beverage Packaging North America, a division of Crown Holdings Inc., Philadelphia.

According to business blog Bizshifts-Trends, Al Ries and Jack Trout popularized the concept of “positioning” in the retail shelf space in their 2000 book “Positioning: The Battle for Your Mind.”

According to Beverage Industry’s Best Packages of 2014 survey, portion-controlled sizes, specialty inks and a “personal” touch can give brands a leg up in the competitive beverage marketplace.

In the beverage market, brand owners are changing the rules when it comes to packaging.

Some consumer packaged goods products take a cue from their competitors and play it safe at retail by blending in. But in the increasingly competitive beverage space, many brands are daring to be different.

The beverage packaging industry in North America is expected to reach $26.3 billion in 2015, with plastic bottles leading the way in popularity, according to Reston, Va.-based PMMI’s new report "Beverage Packaging – An Industry Assessment," which is scheduled for release next month.

Batman has Robin, Andy Taylor has Barney Fife, Han Solo has Chewbacca, and Pinocchio has Jiminy Cricket. While sidekicks might be the background character in all of these famous duos, secondary packaging has more of a spotlight position in its role as primary packaging’s sidekick.

For many people, getting “inked” is a way to express their individuality. Although not quite the same as tattoos, inks and coatings in the beverage industry can be an important element to help brand owners set their products apart on the store shelf.