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Connecting to consumers with OTC packaging

Bayer and Aleve serve as examples that satisfy consumers. Packaging needs to appeal to the 4 Es.

This is a photo of Bayer aspirin packaging.
This is a photo of Bayer aspirin packaging.

Packaging for over-the-counter (OTC) medications is no longer merely a carrier of the product. It is an integral part of the product and a way of connecting with the consumer, says Guido Schmitz, Head of Packaging and Technology Innovation at Bayer Healthcare.

Schmitz discussed his comprehensive approach to OTC product packaging in a presentation at Pharma Packaging and Labeling USA 2013 in Philadelphia.

The packaging development team also needs to have the end result in mind at the start of the development process in order to take the right steps early on in the project, he explains in an interview.

Innovative packaging designs spearheaded by Schmitz include bottle concepts for Bayer Aspirin and Aleve launched in 2009.

“In developing product packaging, the first step is to consider who is the customer,” says Schmitz. The packaging team needs to understand materials (blisters, pouches, and cartons), product positioning, marketing, product indications, where and how the product will be sold, and customer demographics, he explains.

“If new technology is used, new equipment or new production processes may be needed. What is the country and distribution channel? Will the product be placed on shelf in a mass-market retailer in the United States and need to attract consumers’ attention? Or will it be sold in individual blister packs by small pharmacies in Latin American countries? We also have to take into account whether the product is to be mainly used by an older population,” Schmitz adds.

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