The new pouch, like its larger retail predecessors, is filled and retorted in the Far East by the company’s vertically integrated owner Thai Union Manufacturing, based in Bangkok, Thailand. No new equipment was necessary, according to Don George, Chicken of the Sea’s senior vice president of marketing. Retail products are sold worldwide, primarily in Japan, the United States, the European Union, Australia, and New Zealand.
The adhesive-laminated 3-oz pouch is printed gravure in four colors. It includes 12 microns of polyester/15 microns of nylon/9 microns of aluminum foil/80 microns of cast polypropylene plus tie layers.
To modernize its 50-year-old Mermaid icon, Chicken of the Sea commissioned artists to develop alternative illustrations for consumers to evaluate. Internet research was also conducted to see how changes in the Mermaid’s face, hair, posture, and background could enhance the brand’s image. "The new look was [selected] by our consumers for our consumers," says George. "The updated Mermaid provides a modern image to a quality brand consumers trust."
The Mermaid is positioned more front and center in the redesign. An ocean background and more vibrant colors lend a look that conveys the product’s brand meanings such as "magic, youth, health, and excitement," says Richard Owens, president of branding and package design firm TDC/The Design Co.
The new image appears on pouches, as well as labels of 3-, 6-, 9-, 12-, and 66.5-oz cans, and on the pouches and outer cartons of the Tuna Salad Kit Singles. The suggested retail price for the new 3-oz pouch is $1.19 for Light Tuna, $1.39 for Pink Salmon, and $1.69 for Albacore Tuna.
