Drone Beer Delivery - The Future of Beer Sales?

A recent video posted by Granville Island Brewery had tongues wagging in the beer industry. The local brewery introduced its “newest” mode for delivering beer to help ensure the freshest experience ever: beer drone delivery.  Is this the wave of the future for beer sales?

Check out the video:

Quite appropriately, the video followed on the heels of a Globe and Mail article discussing the upcoming introduction of drone delivery to Amazon’s delivery repertoire. And although the video was obviously an April Fool’s prank done very well, it does actually have relevance when it comes to the packaging industry. After all, how would within-a-few-hours delivery impact packaging and the role it plays in a company’s overall marketing strategy.

When you sell your product on the shelf, you can take full advantage of the power of custom designed product packaging which considers the latest trends and innovations in the industry. A strong brand image works wonders when customers are making purchasing decisions, and making use of things like colour psychology and neuromarketing can yield major results. This is all good when that package is on the shelf - but what about when it is in the air?

Online shopping is a great example of the best way to attack this challenge, and those companies that take advantage of every opportunity are the ones who will see a better bottom line. Those companies that see the potential in packaging are the ones that know that the number of people seeing a box in transit through the postal service is huge, and thus represents a lot of exposure. A plain box won’t get the same attention.

Drone delivery, when it finally becomes a reality on a large scale, will mean the same thing. Taking your advertising to the skies will no longer mean a banner pulled behind a plane - your own custom packaging will achieve it all on its own.

For more about custom packaging that gets the attention it deserves, whether on the shelf, in transit, or, in the future, above our heads, call Packaging Technologies Inc. today: 1-800-303-5883.

Side Launch Featured in Canadian Packaging Magazine

Craft brewing has been on the rise in recent years, and for good reason. These small, local breweries are committed to providing high quality beer in small batches that appeal to a wide variety of clientele. But with this rise comes some stiff competition - and creative thinking goes a long way.

For many craft brewers, providing great beer often means great packaging, and Collingwood’s very own Side Launch Brewing Company is no different. Their craft beer has taken the world by storm, winning two major industry awards in 2014, including the highly coveted Golden Tap Award for best newcomer on the scene.

Not only is their beer taking the world by storm, so too is their packaging. It features a zipper pack carton which turns the case into a tray with ease, transporting the three beers made by the brewer to the customer in top fashion.

Packaging Technologies Inc. is proud to be the creator and manufacturer of this innovative packaging design, and we could not be happier for the success of this local brewer. Congrats to Side Launch Brewing Company on such a strong start in the craft brewery world, and all the best in the future - we’re proud to be a part of it!

You can check out the entire article in the November issue of Canadian Packaging, pages 16 and 17: http://issuu.com/glaciermedia/docs/cpac2014nov01_18de8fc0300256.

For more about how Packaging Technologies Inc. can help you design a creative and unique package to set you apart on the beer sales stage, please call us today at 1-800-303-5883.

*Image courtesy of Canadian Packaging Magazine, November 2014

Creative Packaging Genius: The Multi-Purpose Package

Innovation has come to mean a great many things in the retail packaging industry. Some of the newest, most popular packaging campaigns have featured some pretty out-there ideas - but these ideas seem to be what customers have come to appreciate. Clearly there is something to be said for thinking outside the box!

Check out this great video about the newest packaging idea from Papua New Guinea’s South Pacific Brewery - the Anti-Mozzi SP Lager Box!

By coating the beer case with a special blend of eucalyptus, this case becomes multi-functional as pieces of the box can be torn off and thrown in the fire to keep away those uninvited guests! The beer case just became far more than a case for holding bottles.

And it is about far more than just creative packaging for functionality. According to a recent article on Landa Nano, “figures from the US Energy Administration claim that 32% of all waste in the US comes from packaging.” That is a pretty startling statistic and really helps to explain why sustainability in packaging has become so important, at least from a customer’s point of view.

 Check out the full article here: http://www.landanano.com/blog/printing-multiple-purpose-packaging%E2%80%93geniu - it also features a number of other really innovative and intriguing examples of multi-purpose packaging!

At PTI, we are committed to innovation and design that brings your marketing strategy up a notch. If you are ready to think outside, under and around the box, and are looking for a creative packaging design that hits the high notes, please contact us today by calling 1-800-303-5883. 

Cracking the Code to Consumer Behaviour

It is a constant struggle - a balancing act - trying to determine the reasons behind consumer behaviour and why an individual buys what they buy and building a marketing strategy to match. The truth is, many consumers are not always aware of their reasons for certain purchases. Sure, some purchases are made for logical reasons, price as an example, but other times these actions are unconscious and the result of more base instincts and subconscious cues. Sometimes, what a customer says they want and what they really want can differ dramatically - and therein lies the challenge. Figuring out the behaviour and influencing factors is the key to cracking the code to consumer behaviour.

Ok, so where do you start, and how can you then work on those subconscious cues as well as the conscious ones? The answer lies in our frontal lobe - the part of the brain that deals with making logical decisions and higher mental processes. Emotional response, problem solving, and planning are all managed here. But wait - the subconscious comes from the limbic system - so how do we target both? And when did packaging become about biology?

Emotion is key in the marketing game. When you can create an emotional connection for the customer, their behaviour will be impacted. Take this great WestJet advertisement - think about how it impacted the company’s brand image: 

By pulling on the heart strings, a deeper level of connection is made and customers remember that connection.

Another increasingly popular method for explaining consumer behaviour is through neuromarketing, a new field of marketing research that is making waves as far as exploring and understanding why people purchase what they do. Things like eye tracking (to measure eye activity) and facial coding (measuring facial expressions) are just two of the neuromarketing methods being utilized.

Want to know more about the psychology of the supermarket? Check out this great article from Nunwood: http://www.nunwood.com/the-psychology-of-the-supermarket/.  In it, the author goes into great detail about what impacts and influences consumer behaviour, looking at everything discussed here and more. It is really worth a look if you are looking for further clarification on any of the above mentioned points.

Mastering consumer behaviour is becoming increasingly difficult, but our knowledge of the psychology of the supermarket has also grown. Harnessing the power of colour psychology or neuromarketing is a great way to keep that competitive edge.

For more about consumer behaviour and how to target with your packaging, please call Packaging Technologies Inc. today at 1-800-303-5883. 

Market Share Gains by Private Label Brands

In the past, private label brands were often situated at an unfair disadvantage as far as brand perception, often mistaken to be of lesser quality thanks in part to a lower price. However, private label brands have since come to outpace national brands and are now giving these big brands a run for their money.

Today, these are most often referred to as store brands, and they have become vital to the grocery retailer’s growth. They are also a key component in the growth of customer loyalty since they are exclusive to that retailer and the customer will return to buy the store brand product again and again.

So what led to this change? Price is no longer the deciding factor - although of course it does have an impact. Instead, brand trust has come to represent a great deal of the switchover sales. Trust and brand perception have grown steadily, and this is especially true when it comes to millennial shoppers, those born, typically, between 1980 and 2000. Why is this the case? Often it has a lot to do with innovation. According to a recent report from market research done by Mintel, 42% of millennial shoppers see private label brands (store brands) as more innovative than big brand products. When searching for value for their money, coupled with great quality, millennials tends to see store brands as having more to offer.

On the other hand, according to the study, shoppers in the baby boom generation tend to remain more loyal to bigger brands, mainly due to earlier private label experiences (when many stores were still ironing out the kinks) and an historic sense of brand loyalty developed over several years.

So, armed with this knowledge, what then do we know about what customers are looking for when it comes to private label brands? What catches the eye and incites an individual to purchase?

• Promotion of store brands needs to be comparable to the national brands, especially when it comes to point of purchase displays (these displays still carry a lot of weight no matter the shopper’s age). 
• Clean labels with easy to read type for ingredients and product claims - this has a lot to do with brand transparency and helps to build that trust we mentioned earlier.
• Simple focussed messaging, clean images and colourful graphics have replaced cluttered, scattered messaging.
• Functionality is key when it comes to innovation. A package that can do more than just house a product on the shelf will always stand out.
• Sustainability is also crucial. Packaging with a focus on the environment has become far more attractive and can mean big gains as far as sales.

So, how does your packaging stack up? Whether you are a store brand or a national brand, packaging has a lot to do with your sales - are you competing at the highest level?

For more about gains being made by some private label brands, and how you can compete, please contact Packaging Technologies Inc. today at 1-800-303-5883. 

Sunny Product Marketing: Can the Weather Predict Sales?

Weather determines what people all over the globe wear, what they eat, where they go, what they do, even what and when they purchase. Weather plays a significant role in the marketplace and marketers today are using big weather data to manage these opportunities to increase sales.

Studying the weather is not new. Insurance companies and farmers have been using almanacs since Robert B. Thomas published the first one back in 1792, watching the weather forecast to predict weather catastrophes and favourable crops.

According to CBC radio host Terry O’Reily, “Predicting the weather plays an enormous role in the world of advertising and marketing, too. Weather determines what products sell and which don't, and it influences our moods when it comes to spending money. Even a one-degree shift in the temperature has dramatic effects on the sales of dozens of products.”

What are your consumers’ behaviors during certain weather conditions and/or times of the year? It's a valuable question for all businesses to ask. Seasonal business is one consideration but weather is extremely localized and marketers conduct extensive research and closely monitor weather predictions in order to optimize their product offerings to meet the fluctuating demands of their consumers. 

Want to know more about how the weather can be used to impact your product marketing? Check out the entire article here: http://www.cbc.ca/radio/undertheinfluence/how-weather-affects-marketing-1.2801774.

For more about what impacts your product marketing, and how to harness these things, please contact Packaging Technologies Inc. today by calling 1-800-303-5883. 

Big Changes to Beer Sales and Retailing in Ontario

Over the past few months, beer sales and retailing have experienced a number of significant changes in the province. These have impacted a number of different individuals and organizations, and have given some the chance for some great opportunities for future sales. Here are some of the biggest changes coming for beer sales in Ontario.

The biggest change comes in the form of better availability. Ontario has finally taken notice of the demand for greater access, and by the Christmas season this year over 450 supermarkets in the province will feature brews on the shelf. This means that customers will be able to add beer to their shopping list with ease. That being said, sales have been restricted to 6-packs only, and only to a maximum of $1 million in sales/year.  Additionally, the beer must be sold in a separate section and only during the same hours operated by the Beer Store. Also, as mentioned, 450 supermarkets will get the chance to add to their sales, but with over 1500 grocers in Ontario, many won’t make the cut. Many won’t be given the license to sell.

Want to know more? You can read all about this landmark Ontario decision here: http://news.ontario.ca/mof/en/2015/04/expanding-beer-retailing-in-ontario.html.

Another big change will come for Ontario craft brewers.  A recent announcement made by Kathleen Wynne found craft brewers with many more options for their own beer sales. According to the announcement, the Ontario government says “it will make beers from smaller brewers more available and visible in Beer Store locations with improved placement and an increase to 20 per cent from 7 per cent of all shelf space and marketing.”

Why is this move great, not only for Ontario craft brewers, but the economy as a whole? More jobs and thus a more stable economy, especially in smaller communities where craft breweries often get their start. These craft breweries often employ anywhere from 3 to 100 people - making them an important economic resource for many Ontario locales.

Find out more about why Ontario craft brewers are celebrating this change for their own beer sales in the province here: http://www.ontariocraftbrewers.com/press-releases/ocb_press_OCB-Embraces-Beer-Retailing-Changes.php.

For more on both of these exciting changes, check out this great article from the Toronto Star - it covers both: http://www.thestar.com/business/2015/04/16/grocers-restaurants-craft-brewers-toast-beer-store-changes.html.

For more about how to compete in this increasingly competitive beer sales market, Packaging Technologies Inc. has you covered. Our creative, innovative, custom beer packaging can help you compete no matter what shelves your product is stocked on. Call us today at 1-800-303-5883.