In Western-Europe, ready-to-drink tea is expected to have a 6.3% absolute volume growth through 2023 owing to the variety of flavors and the addition of nutraceutical ingredients, according to “Global Packaging Trendss,” a new report compiled by Euromonitor International for PMMI Business Intelligence.
Other areas of growth include salty snacks. Though potato chips continue to hold a large share of this category, there is also a greater interest in rice and vegetable-based snacks due to their gluten-free features and perceived health benefits. Flexible packaging dominates the salty snack market, but a small base of folding cartons is expected to show the highest growth due to its appeal among the young population.
PET bottles dominated the bottled water category in Western Europe, with a growth of 3.8% from 2013 to 2018. The category has seen rising investments in recycled plastic bottles, which can be attributed to large manufacturers such as Coca-Cola and PepsiCo committing to educate consumers to recycle and encouraging deposit return systems to reduce the environmental impact of their products.
Technology integration help brands differentiate and promote their products, and Danone partnered with Israeli smart packaging start-up Water.io to add a special smart cap to its Font Vella natural mineral water brand. This smart cap tracks users’ water intake and encourages them to keep hydrated. Aimed at personalization of everyday consumer goods, the company plans to launch the product in Europe and Israel.
Other areas of technological integration include World Cup smart collectible cups. Anheuser-Busch InBev launched collectible Budweiser cups that lit up in response to crowd noise during the FIFA World Cup. The “Light Up The 2018 FIFA World Cup” integrated marketing campaign was executed in more than 50 countries. Half of the cups were sold in World Cup stadiums, and the other half around the world.
