Packaging innovation is a shared goal

Progress in packaging innovation takes teamwork and plenty of options to pursue.

Those were some of the takeaways from a Feb. 1 workshop session on packaging innovation at The Packer’s 2022 Global Organic Produce Expo.

The session, moderated by Karen Nardozza, president and CEO of Moxxy Marketing, also featured Marco Bini, CEO of Exeter, Calif.-based Nexxt Packaging Solutions; Dan Davis, director of business development at Wenatchee, Wash.-based Oneonta Starr Ranch Growers; and Art Vega, vice president of sales and marketing for Sev-Rend, Collinsville, Ill.

As interest in sustainability soars, the market is looking at all kinds of packaging options, Bini said.

“We are undergoing a process of discovery at this moment,” he said. The packaging choices today are not the same options as five years ago, and Bini said his company looks at all the sustainable packaging solutions coming into the market and offers customers diverse options.
Davis said trying to pick “winners” in new packaging options is a daunting task. 

“It is nearly impossible for us alone to predict (the winners),” he said. To succeed, Davis said marketers such as Starr Ranch Growers work with retailers to trial new packages.

Vega said Sev-Rend seeks to “connect the dots” with packers to give solutions that make business easier with automation. Sourcing products from the U.S. rather than China may cost companies a few pennies more per package, but the advantage of U.S.-made supply is getting packaging quicker.

Bini said the decision to switch to a new package that requires substantial investment in equipment can be a challenge if the packer has recently sunk a lot of dollars into their existing lines. At the same time, Bini said that consumers will accept higher-cost packaging if it provides a value, such as sustainable outcomes.

Tools to reach consumers

The tools that marketers can use on packaging to reach consumers have expanded. Davis said QR codes on bags can link back to social media channels or mobile apps to help growers and marketers tell their story.

Davis said marketers can reap advantages with leadership in packaging innovation.

“There's a first-to-market advantage to bring (retailers) options,” he said, noting that awareness and involvement in the evolution of packaging can help marketers increase sales.

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