Manufacturers need their packaging to deliver on a variety of levels. Even when their products are situated on shelves at retail locations, many companies want their packaging to achieve more once it catches the eyes of consumers.

As innovations generate unexplored avenues for what’s possible with the package itself, brands are implementing new strategies to capitalize. In one development that appears too impactful to become a passing fad, companies are finding ways to make their packaging double as a marketing tool – and a means to further connect with consumers.

Storytelling

Pedro Gonçalves, vice president of marketing for Tetra Pak US and Canada, likes to say that every brand has a story and, what’s more, telling that story through packaging can check off any number of objectives.

“Those stories, they’re usually buried in a website that no one visits unless you’re a marketer or you’re doing research,” Gonçalves gave as an example of a problem some companies run into. “Being able to take that story to the package can help to create loyalty.”

In a world where technology allows for easy product creation, he explained, Tetra Pak identified the ability to tell a compelling story through packaging as crucial to a brand’s success. The packaging solutions supplier wanted to help brands quickly activate marketing efforts and capitalize on consumer trends. Its solution became known as Tetra Pak Custom Printing.

A premium ink jet-based carton package printing solution, the technology was developed to provide customers with a quicker and easier way to create unique campaigns and diversify advertising strategies.

Key to Tetra Pak’s innovation, Gonçalves pointed out, was making the technology cost effective. Despite the evolution of digital printing capabilities, costs associated with the process remained high, making it unaffordable for many companies. Gonçalves said Tetra Pak viewed speed – and the increased productivity that comes with it – as a big factor for its printing innovation.

The technology is still new and Gonçalves said it required significant work to engineer the final product.

“I’ve got to admit, it was a real hassle to develop it,” a grinning Gonçalves shared. “It required the knowledge that we have in packaging, plus the knowledge in printing, plus variables and telling stories, and merging it all together to get to that point that we needed.”

Photo: ©Tetra Pak

In late 2023, Tetra Pak announced its first custom printing collaboration, with Flow Beverage Corp., Toronto. As the international packaging supplier rolled out its new technology during the past year, Gonçalves said Tetra Pak tested the waters, often experimenting to see what the printing innovation was capable of, and worked on a few campaigns for customers in the meantime. For 2025, he noted, the company has more customers and campaigns lined up that promise to be interesting.

Tetra Pak touts its custom printing technology as a cost-effective solution that also features the environmental benefits of paper-based beverage cartons, as well as marketing flexibility for promotional activations such as varied designs within a single case or limited-edition packaging collaborations.

Paper-based cartons proved crucial to Tetra Pak’s journey in creating its custom printing technology, as well, as it landed on an innovation with the right combination of costs, speed and productivity before installing it last year. Gonçalves said the goal was to create affordable, high quality packaging that could deliver both variation and “stunning quality” compared to other printing approaches.

“But it’s paper, which makes our life way easier,” he said.

When collaborating with companies on designs and campaigns, Tetra Pak aims to make that painless, too. Gonçalves said the team at Tetra Pak maps out customer challenges and objectives, using co-creation tools to develop initial concepts for campaigns. While some companies begin the process with specific designs and partnerships, others need guidance on leveraging their packaging.

Whether a company is operating in a phase of acquiring new consumers, increasing purchase frequency, increasing brand loyalty or any other stage, Gonçalves said “every piece of space” where a story can be told is becoming more and more valuable.

“You have to tell your story,” he said. “That’s why we think this will be a winning proposition for brands.”

Photo: ©Amcor

Reaching consumers

As much as the taste of a dairy manufacturer’s milk, cheese, butter or yogurt may keep consumers coming back, companies know it might be the packaging that snagged those shoppers in the first place.

Amcor’s dairy marketing manager, Travis Klug, said the company’s data shows that 81% of shoppers have tried something new because the package caught their eye. Citing research by WestRock Company, Klug also noted appearance or aesthetics of the packaging has led to 63% of shoppers re-purchasing a product, while 52% completely switched brands based on new packaging.

“Packaging aesthetics are a primary driver impacting consumers’ decisions to try something new, buy something again or switch brands,” Klug said. “This driving influence can have big implications for loyalty and sales.”

Amcor’s packaging solutions include a variety of dairy packaging products, including a number devoted to cheese products. Packaging routinely offers valuable information about cheese ingredients for consumers with dietary needs or preferences, complementing the nutritional details on calories, protein, fat content and more.

Even so, many companies want the packaging that keeps their cheeses fresh to deliver beyond the basics and an expiration date.

“Cheese packaging has the capability to respond in a powerful way – through innovative design tailored to address shoppers’ purchasing decisions,” Klug said.

Brands can capitalize on their cheese packaging, he added, by using it as a canvas for sharing important product and company information that help guide consumers’ buying decisions.

For the eco-conscious shoppers of the world, sustainability information may be vital, he noted, with those consumers appreciating transparency regarding the package and whether it was made with sustainable practices.

Other consumers, meanwhile, may be inspired to purchase a cheese product based on a brand’s history or special story.

“Place of origin labeling educates consumers about where their cheese is produced,” Klug offered as another example. “This is especially beneficial for consumers seeking unique flavors from around the world, or those that might be interested in supporting locally produced cheese.”

At its core, cheese packaging exists to protect and preserve the product, but he emphasized that it also is capable of creating a “meaningful connection” with consumers.

Amcor’s Amplify finishing technologies, Klug said, were created to enhance product performance both when consumers see it and hold it in their hands.

“Our finishing technologies help our cheese customers’ brands to perform better, stand out on shelf and create an elevated consumer experience, all while delivering consistent operational performance,” he said. “They are the enabler that creates a product’s first impression.”

The supplier’s variety of printing and finishing solutions, he added, were developed to bring brands to life and “achieve real differentiation at the point of sale.”

The company’s collaborative innovation process, Catalyst, is offered in a variety of formats, including in person at its Innovation Center, in Neenah, Wisconsin. That’s where Klug said Amcor helps cheese customers turn market trends and consumer needs into packaging solutions.

“The range of possibility is endless,” he said. “Our experience and technological expertise allow us to bring our customers’ aspirations to life to grow their business.”

Images: ©Horizon Organic

Milk makeovers

The days of grocery store dairy aisles stocked exclusively with plain gallon and half-gallon milk jugs are gone. Emerging technologies have allowed dairy processors to overhaul the packaging that carries their milk products.

Erica Bardeau, chief marketing officer for Horizon Organic, said as new brands and value-added products enter the market, those changes have included everything from more paperboard gable tops, to large size formats, to “fun, eye-catching shapes.”

At Horizon Organic, Bardeau noted, packaging designs reflect the brand’s “better-for-you” philosophy.

“We prioritize opportunities to leverage advancements that help us lean into more functional and more informative spaces,” she said.

In terms of practicality, Horizon takes advantage of a material coloring technology that Bardeau said interacts with external light in a way that makes longer shelf life possible.

“This is helpful for consumers, our retail partners and, ultimately, our business,” she said.

Of course, that doesn’t mean the packaging must be strictly utilitarian. Bardeau said Horizon considers packaging “an incredibly valuable vehicle,” because it also expresses the brand’s mission and values.

When Horizon crafted design elements for its line of Growing Years products that were developed for children, she said every element on the packaging thoughtfully told an aspect of a story – with differentiation tied to benefit-based claims, as well as artistic elements that point to the family-centric nature of the product.

“Packaging is our single most impactful touchpoint with our consumers, so we’re very thoughtful about our packaging design to ensure we are quickly capturing consumer attention while meeting their needs and evolving interests,” Bardeau said. “By taking into account our brand positioning over time, we know that trust, functional benefits and premium ingredients are important to convey to our consumers on pack.”

Brand identity and insights go hand in hand, she explained, because Horizon wants consumers to have no problem ascertaining what the brand is about.

Sharing the results of a recent consumer survey, Bardeau said more than 56% of the brand’s consumers think organic, non-GMO, no hormones and freshness are the most important sentiments to convey with packaging.

“Put simply, consumer preferences have everything to do with our packaging design,” she shared. “We view our consumers as trusted partners, which means we’re in constant communication with them about packaging and almost everything else core to the Horizon Organic brand. While we regularly evaluate and evolve our packaging to reflect their feedback, we also understand that consumers recognize our packaging, so we do our best to stay true to our roots and the brand identity consumers have come to trust.”

Along those lines, Bardeau pointed out that Horizon strives to choose packaging solutions that are both made with recycled materials and are recyclable.

Through the years, Horizon’s packaging has continued to help it differentiate. Bardeau noted it was one of the first organic dairy brands to offer aseptic single-serve milk boxes. She said those appeal to consumers because the shelf stable products free up refrigerator space, make for easy on-the-go drinking and help stabilize the milk supply, which ebbs and flows with the seasons.

“We’re always keeping a pulse on the latest packaging technologies and innovations, including evaluating new and different formats,” she said.