How indulgent eating is influencing yogurt packaging design

With 'eating in' increasingly seen as the new 'eating out’ – fuelled in part by 'eat in' ranges from the biggest retailers around – the premiumisation trend continues to gather pace.

In food and drink, this has manifested in the development of packaging that promises a luxurious experience within. But what is it that brands like Gü are doing differently? And how is the consumer’s desire for indulgence being reflected in packaging design today?

THE INTRODUCTION OF NEW AND DISRUPTIVE FORMATS

An ability to break the metaphorical mould is something that Gü demonstrates brilliantly with its distinctive branding and design. When the pudding giant approached consultancy Big Fish to help create its brand, inspiration was taken (perhaps surprisingly) from the luxury drinks packaging category.

“Bottle glass was used to create ramekins for adult desserts,” explains Big Fish Creative Director Will Awdry. “This allowed the product to be cooked within a container and went on to become a differentiating way to serve an indulgent dessert – presented simply with a foiled top in a cardboard sleeve.”

Of course, glass and ceramics aren’t the only options when it comes to achieving this luxury look and feel: a number of leading supermarkets now use plastic pots in their premium dessert ranges. These offer a similar aesthetic to glass as well as a number of distinct advantages.

Plastic is more robust, making it ideal for retail and e-commerce; at the same time, it’s lighter than other materials. This increases the volumes that can be transported and results in a carbon footprint. A cradle-to-grave study by the PET Resin Association (PETRA), for instance, found that the greenhouse gas emissions for 20oz PET bottles were 77% lower than those for 8oz glass bottles.

AN EMPHASIS ON QUALITY OVER QUANTITY

Freaks of Nature and Pudology are examples of brands using packaging that best reflects luxury and indulgence – they also recognise that portion size is crucial. Take Freaks of Nature, for example, a dairy and allergen-free dessert brand. “Freaks uses small pack sizes to underline how precious and indulgent the brand is,” says Big Fish’s Will.

And the age-old adage that ‘less is more’ rings true when you think about what’s displayed on the product too. “For me, it’s all about communicating the right message to the target audience,” says Chris Tymon, Creative Director and Co-founder of Toast Design.

Both Chris and Will emphasise the need for a clear depiction of the product on the packaging. Information about how the product is made – whether slow-baked, handmade, free-from or including the finest ingredients – helps to convey the products premium nature, as does attention to detail and careful colour selection.

However size and design restrictions mean it isn’t always possible to tell the complete story of a product on the packaging. This is where Amcor’s MaXQ smart packaging can help. More than ever before, consumers are using their smartphones to engage with brands, with 84% of the world’s 2.6 billion smartphone owners use their phone in store. With a single scan of a product’s unique MaxQ digital code, they can access all the details that you want to share with them.

GENERATION Z APPEALS

The increasingly important Generation Z market is key for the luxury desserts and yogurts category. “Gen Z is led by its conscience and votes with its beliefs,” says Will. “It aspires to what you might call civic brands – exemplars of behaviour that resonate with that particular audience.”

Chris stresses that with Gen Z, honesty is crucial. “If a product is better for you, has less impact on the environment and the manufacturer has thought about where the ingredients originate from, then packaging that encompass all these factors will be important.”

Nutritional information should be presented clearly, he adds. “Having less to hide makes something more appealing.”

THE GROWING POPULARITY OF TRANSPARENT PACKAGING

“Transparent packaging is as important as windows are to buildings,” says Will. “In some cases, consumers won’t pick a product off the shelf unless they can see it. In this respect, luxury desserts are like the fish category: consumers decide with their eyes.”

Indeed, Will argues that transparency is as much a philosophical imperative as a literal one. “Thanks to a series of health scares and recalls, the landscape has changed in terms of consumer perception. Where before you were innocent until proven guilty – you now have to prove your innocence. Being able to see the product in luxury dessert packaging becomes mandatory.”

Chris agrees: “Not being able to see the products tells the consumer that the product within is not luxury.” This is one of the reasons why Amcor’s Crystal clear lidding includes a window through which the product is visible while offering opportunities for brand differentiation.

A FOCUS ON THE FINISH

The expression ‘bells and whistles’ is fitting when you think about the luxury attributes of desserts and yogurt packaging. “It’s the added finishes, such as gold finish and lamination, that make it even more special,” says Chris. “Handwriting on the packaging or a little label that’s tied to it and presented differently work well too. The more it looks like it’s been touched by a human rather than by a machine, the better.”

Many premium dessert brands are using Amcor’s AmPaper to reinforce the indulgent message: its coating is added to the surface of the packaging to create a natural paper feel, which helps tell that all-important premium story.

If you want to stay abreast of dairy related market trends for packaging, watch our on-demand webinar on how consumer preference is driving cheese packaging design and innovation in 2018. You can also find out more about dairy packaging on Amcor’s dedicated Dairy page.