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Observations from the Contract Packaging Association's annual meeting

Experts tell contract packager and CPG company attendees to get to the point quickly, that creating tension is healthy, and that good listening skills carry high value.

PANEL DISCUSSION. Thomas Bacon (far right), founder and president, Aaron Thomas Co., discusses challenges facing the contract pa
PANEL DISCUSSION. Thomas Bacon (far right), founder and president, Aaron Thomas Co., discusses challenges facing the contract pa

The pressure on consumer packaged goods companies to get the right product out the door in the right volume at the right time has never been more crucial than today in responding to ever-shortening windows in which to sell products to consumers. Unnecessary downtime or other delays equal missed opportunity.

Contract packaging is playing a huge role in helping CPG companies meet these demands, and it’s clear after listening to discussions at the Contract Packaging Association’s annual meeting in February in Tucson, AZ, that there is a sizeable amount of opportunity just waiting to be explored out there.

How to harness it? Well, Jeff Hayzlett of The Hayzlett Group mentioned in an engaging opening keynote (delivered very effectively via videoconferencing) that a good start is understanding that the average adult’s attention spans a mere 8 seconds. How you use those fleeting moments can make all the difference in forging an effective CPG company-contract packager relationship.

Second, and often overlooked, is a tip for both the packaging services buyer and the services provider. Hayzlett, former chief marketing officer at Kodak, says to ask yourself this question: What are your conditions of satisfaction? In other words, know very clearly what it is you want to achieve in a relationship. Don’t waste time in unfulfilling relationships, Hayzlett says, adding, “If there is no value to you, move on. It’s okay to walk away from a customer.”

A third best practice, Hayzlett says, is to “cause tension” within your company and your relationships in the supply chain. “Healthy tension is a very good thing because we’re getting something better than we had before.” Such tension includes discarding individuals or even companies that Hayzlett describes as “the slowest common denominators,” those who don’t add value to the operation.

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