1. More beverage packages made from plastic, aluminum. Plastic PET and metal aluminum packaging options continued to vie for the top spot in package material for new beverages; plastic PET dominated 2012 before falling short of aluminum in 2013, but recently, they were used for virtually the same number of new products. Whether glass, plastic, or aluminum, beverage packaging is catering to the environmentally friendly trend: A third of all recent beverage introductions noted on-pack that they had an environmentally friendly package.
2. Environmentally friendly packaging consistently a leading beverage claim. Allergen-free beverage options may have registered the most impressive surge in recent years. However, as popular as the trend may be, such introductions fall short of the share of introductions with an environmentally friendly package, which has registered notable year-on-year growth since 2011, as manufacturers and consumers alike embrace eco-friendly designs, material, and reusability.
3. Sustainability’s role in beverage package choice. Recycling and sustainability is clearly an important factor weighing on consumers when choosing a beverage. Communicating such a message clearly and succinctly on-pack or via QR code accessed with a smartphone would resonate with consumers of all ages.
4. Preferences for recycling cross generations. The recycling message has permeated across generations, but the need remains to convince older consumers of the value of eco-friendly packaging. Baby Boomers and the Swing Generation appreciate recyclable, environmentally aware package solutions, but these consumers lack either an understanding or an awareness of other eco-friendly options.
5. Health claims resonate with younger consumers. The prospect of nutritional labeling may open the category to innovation and the development of products that feature beneficial elements, but the category may find its greatest success by communicating such messages with symbols on pack.
6. On-pack health claims factor strongly in parental beverage choices. Parents have a host of factors to consider in selecting beverages (and foods) for their children. With many beverages facing consumer concerns about sugar/sweetener content, impact on obesity, and overall health issues surrounding the drinks, manufacturers should be heartened to realize that those consumers rely upon and trust beverage package labels when making their beverage choices.
7. Clear potential for see-through packaging. Consumers overall are significantly interested in see-through beverage packaging which allows them to see what they are buying, suggesting a possible red flag for aluminum cans and bottles, aseptic options, and even the majority of flexible packaging choices.
8. Parents seeking single-serve, on-the-go options. The needs of children obviously factor strongly in parents’ beverage purchase choices, and for these consumers, the need for options suitable for consuming on-the-go is clear. Furthermore, single-serve options afford a measure of portion control when it comes to beverages, allowing parents to limit a child’s calorie consumption (aiding efforts to combat childhood obesity), while also offering the child a treat and, potentially, the option to make their own beverage choice.
9. Hispanic consumers demanding healthy beverages. Product labels resonate strongly with Hispanic consumers, particularly in communicating healthful benefits. With heart disease, stroke, and diabetes among the most common conditions impacting Hispanics’ health, a beverage label with both words and symbols to indicate it addresses notable health conditions would resonate most strongly with Hispanic consumers.
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