pet foods Archives - Brand Imaging Solutions

A Guide to Sustainable Packaging In Pet Food

Pippa Walsh — Mon, 13 Sep 2021 11:30:39 +0000

When looking at the future of pet food packaging, there are some trends that offer hints on what’s about to happen. Firstly, the number of pet acquisitions among Millennials, which was already on the rise in previous years, has reported a sharp increase during the Covid-19 pandemic. Also, the consumers’ generational shift means that eco-conscious Millennials and GenZ’s are leading the way to change. The pet food industry is torn between these two trends. On one hand, the pet food sector is the fastest growing one in the pet care industry, with a reported CAGR of 9.08% over the past four years. On the other is the need to reduce the huge impact owning a pet has on climate change and carbon footprint. The biggest contributor is what you put in your pet’s bowl. So, there is undoubtedly a bright future ahead for your pet food packaging company - but not without a drastic shift towards sustainability. And remember that consumers will make up a brand’s impression within seconds, and your packaging is the first thing they will see - there is no second chance to get it right!

The Need For Sustainability

The pet food packaging industry is not the only one affected by the soaring sustainability trend. In fact, 90% of consumers report checking out a company to ensure that the business’s goals and mission align with their own values, and most buyers have learned how to distinguish between genuine efforts and greenwashing. So, how has this sustainability trend shifted today’s consumer's buying behaviour when choosing food for their pets? Here are a few factors to keep in mind:

Buyers are looking for local, organic, clean, minimally processed foods
Packaging labels and certifications, including “recyclable”, “organic”, “Cruelty-Free” and “BPA-Free” play an important role in the buying process.
Pet owners are more aware of the principles of preventive medicine, and they look for healthier, beneficial foods and ingredients
Larger package sizes that are resealable and durable
Bulk buying to reduce packaging.

The need for sustainability, combined with the perceived humanisation of pets, has encouraged owners to shop for higher-quality products that are also better for the environment - and most of them are ready to pay 20% more for these products!

The Issue With Food-Grade Packaging

Of course, the problem of plastic pollution and waste concerns all industries, and manufacturers across all sectors have learned how to appeal to consumers by cutting down on packaging or simply swapping to eco-friendly alternatives. However, the fast-moving consumer goods market - or the consumer packaged goods (CPG) sector - has an added challenge to overcome. In fact, since they are quickly consumed and bought again, these products account for much of a household’s waste. Additionally, the packaging used for these goods needs to be food-grade, which means that it needs to reflect specific health and safety guidelines. Because of all this, the pet food industry is struggling to swap to more sustainable packaging and labelling. However, thanks to developing technologies, positive news tells us that the industry is changing. For example, leading members of the soft-drink industry have generated the first food-grade, fully recycled plastic bottle, and giants of the beverage sector such as Absolute are selling their drinks in Pulpex, a new, eco-friendly packaging technology.

Sustainability Throughout the Packaging’s Lifecycle

Pet owners and pet food buyers might be looking for recyclable products, but this is no longer the only indicator that a certain packaging type is eco-friendly. In fact, in the UK, around 68% of packaging waste and 46% of household waste is recycled - the rest of it does end up in landfills. So, the solution to the waste problem is not to create products that may or may not be recycled. Instead, it is important to weave sustainability in every step of the pet food packaging manufacturing process. From the start, each piece of pet food packaging needs to be manufactured from materials that are ethical and sustainably sourced. Additionally, it is important to separate the different materials, so that they can be easily disposed of in the right way. And of course, each material used should be recycled, recovered, or biodegradable where possible.

Less is More: When Luxury Becomes Minimalist

As we have seen, sustainability is the main trend reshaping the pet food packaging industry. However, the increasing pet humanisation is also impacting the pet food packaging sector. In fact, consumers are not only looking for products that are wrapped in recyclable materials. They are also looking for premium quality, minimally processed, and responsibly sourced ingredients that can help them take the best care of their pets. And, such a premium product needs to be wrapped in a luxurious label. This is where luxury meets minimalism: today’s designers need to increase a product’s perceived value for money while also sticking to the principles of sustainability.

New Brands Are Born Sustainable

Pet food packaging companies that have recently joined the booming market are based on sustainability - which is also integrated into their mission statement and consumer offer. A great example is Scrumbles. For these new brands, sustainable packaging is often the only possible option, especially if they are involved with environmental causes, such as protecting the oceans, turtle conservation, or animal equality. After all, choosing another alternative to sustainable packaging, for them, would mean actively going against their values, which is something that can inhibit customer loyalty and affect the brand reputation.

What Do You Want To Communicate Through Your Pet Food Packaging?

For many pet food packaging companies, the sustainability trend and the consumer’s request to switch to sustainable packaging represents a significant challenge. At the same time, the labels and packaging you use offer your brand unparalleled opportunities to tell your consumers all about your story - at a glance. Minimalist packaging, earthy colours, recycled and upcycled materials, minimally-dyed labels, and premium ingredients can be enough for eco-conscious consumers to learn more about your brand and decide to switch to your products. While you might be looking for a long-term solution for your products, it is important to understand that technology keeps developing, thus allowing for new possibilities to reduce your brand’s footprint and gain your consumers’ loyalty in an always more competitive landscape. Make sure to collaborate with an expert pet food packaging design that can tell you about the latest advancements in sustainable materials and allow you to create labels that convey the right message. If you would like to work with experts in packaging production on your pet food brand then get in touch today and email pippa.walsh@brandims.com.

The post A Guide to Sustainable Packaging In Pet Food appeared first on Brand Imaging Solutions.

3 Trends in Pet Food Packaging

Pippa Walsh — Tue, 27 Apr 2021 14:12:51 +0000

The pet care industry has been growing for a few years, but the sharp rise in pet adoption during the Covid-19 pandemic has made this a market to watch closely. Aside from this impressive growth, new trends have allowed businesses in this industry to diversify and win over the minds and hearts of pet owners.

At a glance, the pet food industry has been the fastest-growing segment in the pet care sector, with a whopping CAGR of 9.08% between 2017 and 2021 - and it is expected to grow by 8 billion by 2023. At the same time, a sharp shift towards sustainability, organic products, and high-quality pet food has given brands plenty of opportunities to reconsider their offer and packaging to appeal to today’s pet parents. Here are the three emerging trends in the pet food packaging market to watch.

The Rise of eCommerce, Larger Sizes, and Resealable Packaging

No industry is completely immune to the rise of eCommerce - including the pet food packaging sector! The advent of online stores and shops stocking pet supplies has been disrupting the market - a trend that the consequences of the pandemic have heightened.

And, while retailers scramble to adjust to new business models in the pet food market, the search for more suitable packaging solutions continues. Indeed, there has been an increased need for high-quality bags and pouches that are not only able to maintain the freshness and flavor of luxury kibbles but also withstand shipping and delivery.

The advent of eCommerce has opened up several opportunities, including:

Packaging personalization - humans always feel closer to their pets, and they are more likely to invest in higher-quality, more expensive products. For example, online retailers offer owners the chance to put their pet’s name on the package.
More flexible and durable packaging - packaging now has to be more durable than ever as it has to be shipped to the customer’s door.
Larger sizes - Customers can choose larger, and therefore more affordable, packages without having to worry about carrying them home.
Resealable packages - these allow owners to buy larger pet food bags without having to worry about possible wastage.

Ultimately, pet owners have started to shop online for larger bags of pet food. When doing so, they want the pet food purchased to land on their doorstep intact and in a resealable bag, so they can make it last for longer.

Buying pet food online is a trend that is only likely to increase, especially as this comes with the added convenience and affordability for pet owners. Indeed, consumers no longer need to carry heavy bags or buy smaller packages because of their fear of wasting premium kibbles.

As the economy will start to open up again over the next few months, it is important for brands to understand the local economy better. However, in the meanwhile, business owners working in the pet food industry should be operating online, offering higher-quality food in larger, resealable bags.

A Shift Towards Higher-Quality Pet Food

It is impossible to understand the pet food packaging market without looking into the pet food market itself. And, when doing so, you will notice the rising humanization of pets by their owners. More than companion animals, pets are today seen as family members who celebrate birthdays, have their own social media handles, and deserve the highest-quality products on the market.

To heighten this trend is the shift in the pet-owner relationship that happened during the pandemic when pets have helped many people overcome stress, anxiety, and depression.

As pets take on an always more important role in family life, owners have realized how important nutrition is to keep their furry friends healthy and happy. In turn, families are prone to invest more money to ensure that their pet receives the best nutritional support.

Some of the trends that are disrupting the pet food market include:

Preventive medicine through certain foods
Healthier foods
Higher-quality ingredients
Less processed foods

And, as these trends evolve, the pet food packaging industry can reap its own opportunities. Indeed, there is a substantial need for high-quality packaging that can envelop and preserve premium kibbles and wet food. All this while also being able to deliver a feeling of exclusivity and luxury.

The humanization of pets is in continuous development, and it is stemming into new trends. In terms of nutrition, it is easy to see how this leads to natural, organic, gluten-free, or even plant-based diets. While the ethical and sustainability expectations of pet owners are always increasing, it is also worth considering that they are more prone to pay higher prices for the right product.

Sustainable Packaging is the Packaging of The Future

While plastic might not be totally out of our lives, it might be out of the pet food packaging market. To understand this growing green trend, it is important to look at the changing buying process of today’s pet owners.

Almost 90% of consumers will check out a company before committing to a purchase and, since all the information is accessible online, they can gain an idea of the company’s values within seconds. At the same time, the marketing campaigns carried out by several companies have encouraged the greenwashing phenomenon.

Undoubtedly, pet owners, just like other consumers, are looking for sustainable, ethically sourced, recyclable, and plastic-free products and packaging. At the same time, they have learned how to distinguish between brands that use sustainability as a marketing tool and those that uphold it as a core value.

Aside from the materials used in pet food packaging, it is important to display ingredients, processes, and sustainability standards clearly.

As pet food brands are increasingly concerned with offering organic, clean, and ethical ingredients, packaging manufacturers should find solutions that are entirely recyclable, BPA-free, and clean labels.

When exploring this trend, it becomes evident that there will be an increased need for designs that associate luxury with a natural, organic, and minimalist feel.

Bottom Line

The pet food packaging market is always in evolution, following the trends set by the pet food and pet care markets. However, some consumer trends have been disrupting the market - from a sharp increase in online purchases to a higher need for sustainable, recyclable packaging. While brands in the pet food packaging market have to keep looking out for sharp changes of direction, these trends have opened up impressive opportunities in an always-growing market.

We are experts in Pet Food packaging and have worked with leading brands. Get in touch today to find out more.

The post 3 Trends in Pet Food Packaging appeared first on Brand Imaging Solutions.

Why brands should implement a unified packaging strategy

Pippa Walsh — Wed, 03 Mar 2021 21:46:02 +0000

In the expanding world of multi-channel marketing, a consistent brand message is more important than ever. Current and potential customers alike should be confident in the tone, message and values of your brand. Whilst many brands focus on the outward appearance of their marketing one of the most important tools that you have at your disposal is the packaging of the product itself. Fortunately, packaging unification strategies can help you leverage this opportunity to help keep consistency and high-standards in your brand’s messaging. Keep reading to discover more.

Why brands need a unified packaging strategy.

Brands need a unified strategy because packaging is the touchpoint where your customers interact most with your business, both when choosing a product from a store, or an online shelf. That's not all either, as packaging also matters and can continue to have an impact when customers store, use, and display your product in their home. Packaging is one of the key factors in the relationship between your brand and the customer. What this means is, stylistically, your packaging needs to slot into the same universe as all the other branding that you are using. Therefore creating a consistent and coherent look across all of your products. One that customers will be able to recognize over and over again.

Consistency is critical

Consistency, the watchword here. The reason being that it allows you to appeal to and connect with your customers across different products, locations, and even points in time. Your core message needs to run through all these elements to reinforce your brand and its values By demonstrating consistent branding in your packaging, your company can leverage a valuable symbol to your customers of what they can expect inside the pack. Something that can help confirm to the person buying the product that they can rely on and trust the product inside. A great example of this in play is Coca-Cola’s red unified packaging strategy across their brand. Indeed, their latest redesign to red across all lines including sugar-free, means that any of their products are recognisable as part of the same Coca-Cola family. Essentially, with this branding Coca -Cola is saying that no matter which variant the customer chooses, they can expect the same great taste and quality. A message that is comforting to the customer, while helping the brand to sell more units across its lows and no sugar variants. (The variants that because of the recent sugar tax, are the most profitable. )

How does packaging unification help in brand development and brand cohesion?

Packaging unification helps with brand consistency because it means customers will always be able to identify your product, and what they can anticipate from it. A smart example of this is the high-end, cut-price beauty subscription service Beauty Pie. They use an on-trend baby pink, pastel, and white colour scheme in their packing that is both minimal and classic. In particular, their product containers are white with a clear simple font. This minimalism and use of white echo their ethos, and one of their most important USPs. That is, they charge such a low price for luxe ‘white label’ beauty products because they keep the packaging to a minimum. In essence Beauty Pies’ packaging not only recognisably represents their brand, but also encapsulates their business model too. You really can't get any more ‘on brand’ than that, and while some customers may not be consciously aware of the parallels, the undeniable truth that product packing from the brand remains consistent and impressive is hard to deny. Of course, this consistently only serves to build customer loyalty, because it sends the message that they can expect consistent, high quality from what is inside the packaging, as well as the packaging itself.

Things to consider when switching to packaging unification strategy

The first issue that you will need to consider is how to ensure that your branding is represented and replicated on every piece of packaging. One way you can do this is to draw up brand guidelines on issues such as colour pallets to be used, fonts, font size, style, and alignments. Indeed, by doing this you can ensure your brand always remains consistent, while also ensuring your message is never diluted, even when you need to outsource various aspects of your packaging design and production. Another point to consider is that it is important to note that the process of unification can take a significant amount of time to complete across all your ranges. Indeed, some companies can find it can take years from start to finish. Although they often find it pays dividends over the long term. An excellent example of this is the make-up brand Avon that rolled out a unified rebrand of their flagship Avon Color brand in 2005. The long term results they saw were a more upmarket position for their brand, but it did take them some serious research and development, especially concerning creating the right shade of ‘jaguar blue’ to get to this point. It is also worth noting that Avon chose this particular shade of blue because it represented their line, and the needs and wants of their target demographic. This goes against a popular trend in the beauty industry where colours tend to be used to differentiate between different products in the same line. This highlights another consideration that brands looking to unify their packaging must address - establishing an effective balance between variant differentiation and unification. Something that will be different for each company and the goals they are trying to achieve.

Final thoughts

There is much value to be gained by brands in unifying their packaging. In particular, it helps to forge a crystal clear and coherent message across all products that customers find trustworthy and reliable. If you need help implementing a unified packaging strategy then we can help.

The post Why brands should implement a unified packaging strategy appeared first on Brand Imaging Solutions.

Design to Print – The Journey of a Launch

Pippa Walsh — Tue, 14 Apr 2020 13:36:00 +0000

The Brief: To create an exclusive pet food brand, from design to shelf, for Amazons UK market.

Client: C&D Foods Ltd Scope: Brand Creation: Packaging Design: Artwork Build: Pack Copy Translations: Reprographics: Colour Standards White Rabbit created the Paw & Fur brand design, drawing from the products wholesome, fresh ingredients as inspiration, to appeal to discerning pet owners who care about their pet’s nutrition. The final chosen creative had a premium look and feel with active, outdoor photography to capture healthy pets in their prime, and used earthy, autumnal tones to enhance the natural feel of the range. Master artworks were shared with a centralised adaptive design, artwork, reprographics and plate making team, simplifying the packaging supply chain. Resulting in a quicker and more cost-effective process. Brand IMS liaised with printers and packers to ensure artworks were built to approved cutter profiles and customer specifications. Barcodes were set, translations of copy for France, Italy, Spain and Germany applied. Artworks were shared with printers to gain approval from a print perspective and avoid any last-minute amends. This also allowed us to discuss design intention and colour targets. Artworks were shared on Visual Approval which gave the team control of assets, provide accessibility, transparency and consistency of comments and approvals. Following approval of artworks, print ready files were produced to the printer’s specification and ensuring colour management for both quality and consistency across all print processes and substrates. Result: The new range has been well received by Amazon customers, receiving high ratings and excellent comments. Sales are continuing to grow and building a loyal following. To download our complete guide to the Design to Print Process click here >>>> If you need help with design to print we would love to talk to you.

The post Design to Print – The Journey of a Launch appeared first on Brand Imaging Solutions.