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Jun 20, 2019 - 08:37 AM
Sustainability is a trend across many sectors, but it’s especially relevant for shoppers buying food. Because packaged food is such a common purchase for most people, they tend to be extra sensitive to the ways they can reduce their impact on the environment by choosing certain brands.
Grocery chain Aldi recently announced that by 2025, all of their packaging will be compostable, recyclable, or reusable.
For any brand, packaging that’s one of those three things (and clearly labeled as such) will attract the eye of environmentally conscious consumers. Using smaller amounts of packaging can also work well for the environmentally-savvy crowd.
Transparency
Consumers today like brands that are forthcoming about their ingredients, sourcing, and more. But the “transparency” trend is also more literal: shoppers increasingly gravitate toward packaging that lets them see what they’re buying.
A clear glass jar, for example, shows that a brand has nothing to hide: in fact, the appearance of the product becomes a selling point.
Attractively designed jars also lend a handmade, farmers-market feel even to mass-produced goods. But you can get a similar effect from containers made of plastic, or ones with a clear window that shows what’s inside.
Photographability
Food packaging has always needed to look attractive. But now, beyond looking good on store shelves, packaging should also have the potential to look good in a photograph on social media.
Influencer and affiliate marketing doesn’t just apply to clothing and cosmetics. It can work well for food brands, too.
And even if a brand doesn’t pay influencers, they can still crowdsource social content, such as by encouraging users to post a photo of their product with a specific hashtag. But for these types of marketing to work, the packaging has to have visual appeal that will translate to social media.
One way this trend has manifested itself is with minimalism. A clean design with a limited amount of colors and words tends to register well online, though it also should feature distinctive branding so consumers can recognize it immediately.
But there are many other ways to make packaging more visually appealing, too, such as by referencing vintage designs.
PortabilityLightweight, spill-proof, and resealable packaging holds lots of appeal for consumers on the go. Making your products convenient for someone who’s traveling or packing a lunch means they may choose your product over others.
For example, flexible pouches are gaining ground as a modern, portable packaging option. Even better if they’re made of biodegradable materials.
Effect on Taste Consumers today worry that certain types of packaging, such as metal cans, will affect the taste of their food. They want materials that will preserve food effectively without changing how it tastes. For some brands, switching to materials like glass instead of steel or aluminum can be a wise move.
Technology
Finally, some of the latest trendy food packaging uses tech-friendly elements to create a modern, interactive feel. For example, a label might include a QR code that users can scan to learn more about the brand or product.
Some brands have also used cool features like LED lights in their products, which works especially well for things meant to be consumed in public.
Jun 20, 2019 - 03:55 PM
Some other trends are:
- Cannabis Infused
Everything from Cookies, to wine and beer. Do a Google search on "cannabis infused" and you will get thousands of results. CNBC also says that "Cannabis Infused" is the trend of the year (as reported by a consensus of chefs) for 2019:
- Non Meat, 'Meats'
Both Impossible Foods and Beyond Meat have seen their stocks rise astronomically this year.
They make plant based burgers and can't meet all the demand for their products. Other food companies have seen this and jumped in.
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