Dairy packaging

As more and more consumers are 'on the move' and lead busier lives, the dairy industry has developed new products that tap into this change of lifestyle. A key part of that change, writes GILLIAN WIGHT, has come from packaging companies THE 21st century consumer is more demanding than ever before. As society has evolved so too have preferences, and products must now tick a larger number of boxes to meet expectations. In the dairy industry the challenge for manufacturers is to create on the go products that satisfy the need for health, convenience and the environment in one fell swoop. Health and well-being have been at the top of the consumer agenda for a number of years. Phrases such as 'you are what you eat' are being taken seriously and the public is turning its back on foods that are considered to be unhealthy. This is great news for the dairy sector and has resulted in an upsurge of products promising to improve health and well-being. Convenience is another key factor in the consumer purchase decision. Nowadays, purchases must support lifestyles and these new active trends have given rise to on the go consumption and an emergence of packaging shapes and styles that are easier for consumers to handle. Dairy products that meet the need for on the go convenience have been around for some time. One-a-day shot formats took the dairy industry by storm a number of years ago and have been popular ever since. However, subsequent product and packaging innovations have been few and far between and this is an area that offers a wealth of opportunity for dairy manufacturers. In the children's market, however, there has been interesting progress. Brands have jumped on this convenience bandwagon providing ideal convenience products for children. The unique, fun packaging format grabs children's attention and keeps them entertained. On the more practical side, they are easy to handle, are mess free and by the nature of their consumption, remove the need to use a spoon as they can be 'sucked'. But it isn't just consumer convenience that counts. Ease and profitability for the retailer are also important. Shelf space is just one area where dairy manufacturers can increase their product's appeal. Historically, products used to be circular but more recently, the trend is for square shaped containers that make the best use of space, enable increased product availability and ultimately facilitate an upturn in sales. In recent years, consumers are placing more importance on goods that help rather than harm the world. By using responsible packaging, companies can really enhance their products' environmental claims and a wealth of untapped opportunity exists in this area for dairy manufacturers to explore. Expert opinions Experts from leading packaging companies share their views about this particular sector, beginning with recent trends and developments. A Category Management Director says we are seeing the emergence of a new 'golden triangle' in consumer demands, built around health, pleasure and convenience and these global trends in consumer preferences are shaping product development. "According to research in 30 countries, health and fitness is a top consumer value in almost all countries. Product development will increasingly leverage this opportunity. New health positioned concepts will accelerate demands on packaging attributes such as appearance, protection of fragile ingredients and the need for new features such as portion control." Mobile eating and drinking puts demands on availability, visibility and appeal, since buying on impulse is more and more frequent. "Extreme convenience will be the name of the game." "Key consumer trends such as the demand for healthy added value products, the rise in concern over childhood obesity, the move towards smaller and single households and the erosion otraditional mealtimes due to busy lifestNIKE