Packaging is as important as the product inside

Realizing new opportunities in a variety of industries, as well as uncovering new challenges, members of the packaging world and beyond turned their heads towards advancements that would not only generate a greater potential in materials, design, manufacturing, sourcing and end-of-life opportunities but leverage that potential throughout the value chain and across practices.

Why is packaging so important?

Simply put, the packaging is one of the first experiences the customer has with your product. We are all pretty much like children around the Christmas tree when we open up a new box. Packaging speaks to a deeply personal level: the choice of colors, the shape of the box, the feel of the paper or the experience of opening the package and discovering what it holds.

All of these can have a direct and measurable impact on the relationship you create with your customers, their experience with your brand, the value you create and, of course, on your sales. Furthermore, if your packaging materials are eco-friendly options for environmentally-aware people, it goes a long way to show that your brand is sustainable and is looking to have a positive social impact.

Think for a second about iconic brands like Coca-Cola, Apple or Christian Louboutin and what their product packaging relays to the end-user: happiness, simplicity, and elegance. Your product’s packaging is meant to communicate not only who your brand is but also what you stand for, your business values and the market segment you serve.

Nevertheless, for consumer goods, packaging can also hold a vast array of valuable information about the product and this is exactly why businesses should focus on investing in the latest product information management technologies to offer rich product content to their customers that aids and delights them in their buyer’s journey.

New Packaging Trends

1). A “One size fits all” E-commerce Model

With Amazon proving to have the most authority on what needs to be shipped, when, how and in what quantity, brands are having a difficult time fitting into their e-commerce model. New packaging options and solutions will improve this important and growing drive to standardize packaging containers to handle shipping, as well processes to streamline distribution and enable cross-brand bundling.

2). Food safety and the reduction of food waste

New processing and packaging technology has been developed to extend the shelf life of food. Technology built into packaging via freshness sensors will alert consumers regarding the shelf life of their food and when it is safe to consume to avoid early disposal and excessive purchasing.

3). Packaging innovations

The most recent examples include high-pressure packaging technology, active/ digital packaging, and 3D printing. We’ll see strides in pharmaceutical packaging by way of traceability and tamper-alerts, as well as monitoring capabilities to ensure patient accountability.

As a leader in Product Information Management and a visionary in Master Data Management solutions, Riversand has optimized the management and communication of product information for leading enterprises around the world. Many industries rely on GS1 standards to define product and trading partner data and communicate this data via the GDSN. Riversand’s MDMCenter with 1WorldSync Connector provides an integrated end-to-end solution — combining PIM and MDM functionality with the ability to receive and synchronize product and trading partner data via 1WorldSync, EDI, Item Portals, Product Forms, 3rd party data and media asset vendors.

Benefits of using Riversand’s connector include

• Compliance with customer requirements for GS1 Item Alignment via the GDSN.
• Ability to meet the GUDID related requirements of the US FDA UDI and potentially similar regulations represented by IMDRF.
• Ease of supporting future 1WorldSync data standards and attributes.

Using Riversand’s medical device industry extension, the solution allows the medical device industry manufacturers to comply with FDA UDI GUDID product registration/submission requirements while also allowing for GDSN related requirements facing the Healthcare Transformation Group members and multiple GPO’s.

For the US and European Food related manufacturers and foodservice industry participants — including operators, Riversand’s data model is flexible to support Phase 2 foodservice attributes as well as EU 1169/2011 related data requirements.

CPG manufacturers can use Riversand’s MDMCenter and 1WorldSync connector that is architected to support standard GDSN attributes and extended attributes required by many CPG retailers. Flexible data model, Support for trading partner attributes and managing GPC and packaging hierarchy are few of the features which the CPG manufacturers can leverage with MDMCenter and 1 WorldSync connector.

Blending the right product information management software within your business systems can provide the core foundation towards an efficient packaging strategy which ensures that your packages are suitable not only to protect and transport your products but also to inform and convert customers into loyal fans of your brand.

Download data sheet on Riversand’s MDMCenter and 1WorldSync Connector

Read the full article about packaging trends at www.packagingstrategies.com