A recent study conducted by Perception Research Services
(www.prsresearch.com) reaffirms that as consumers make purchase
decisions at the shelf, they equate product quality with package
quality.
Tillamook Cheese, a premium cheese manufacturer and
farmer-owned cooperative in Tillamook, OR, came to the same conclusion
for its Tillamook brand of shredded and blended cheese.
Tillamook examined the findings of recent consumer research studies and
then applied them to its own brand, which is available in most major
retailers west of the Rocky Mountains. The company identified a gap
between the premium nature of its products and its flexible-bag
packaging.
“Consumers were confirming that our product was high-quality, but the
packaging didn’t reflect that attribute,” says Kathy Holstad, Tillamook
Cheese senior brand manager.
The company responded with several actions. The most significant was
the addition of an ergonomic double zipper from ZIP-PAK
(www.zippak.com) on the bags. The DoubleZip™ zipper features two sets
of interlocking profiles that guide fingers along a path when closing
the package. The zipper’s construction is designed to assure that the
bag closes completely and maintains product freshness. The dual zipper
also enhances seal strength to prevent accidental package opening and
product spillage.
