Forty years ago, Kenner Products released Stretch Armstrong, an action figure that could stretch from its original 15-inch frame to four or five feet. Although not in the toy-making business, packaging materials manufacturers have had to literally stretch their capabilities to keep pace with beverage-makers seeking clean, sustainable labels that feature vivid colors, images, specialty inks and soft-touch finishes to connect with consumers.

As beverage manufacturers and contract packaging companies see more SKUs entering the warehouse, operations professionals are tasked with ensuring that all processes are operating efficiently and effectively.

Beverage marketers know that packaging plays an important role in sales. Just as important as the bottle or can that a beverage is packaged in, is how that package is labeled. Without it, consumers couldn’t tell which brand is which.

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.”

As technology continuously shows us, reducing the size and weight of products is a major market trend.

 When the fairy godmother in Walt Disney’s version of “Cinderella” dressed the maiden for the ball, she made sure that everything fit perfectly — including that ever-important glass slipper.