LUXURY & PACKAGING - New French law could make luxury packaging illegal

A French law, which could make luxurious packaging of high end fragrances and cosmetics illegal, has come under fire from a European packaging trade association.

• The European Organisation for Packaging and the Environment (EUROPEN) has attacked recent changes to French law that could affect the packaging of luxury goods.
• Under the new regulations, packaging must be as limited as possible while respecting the needs of product safety, hygiene and logistics. The consumer acceptance part of the law, which was accepted by EU member states in 1994, has been removed.
• Under EU law the elaborate packaging often associated with the luxury market is accepted because it forms part of the character of the product; getting rid of it would be unacceptable to the consumer.
• The new French law cuts out the consumer acceptance part, technically making anything that is not needed to protect the product on the shelf and during its transportation, illegal.
• Aside from having significant consequences for luxury manufacturers, according to Europen the French authorities do not have the right to make this change.
• “The consumer acceptance part is included in the harmonised European Directive. France is not technically allowed to just scrap it,” Europen’s EU affairs manager Fiona Durie told CosmeticsDesign.
• “As they signed up to the law in 1994, France has to go to the European Commission if they want to make any changes,” she added.
• For this reason, Europen is calling on the Commission to initiate infringement proceedings against France.
• Commenting on the move, Europen managing director Julian Carroll said: “We have asked the Commission to act promptly in this case to prevent any possible disruption to the internal market for packaging and packaged goods.”

Part of wider environment law

• The changes to the French regulation are part of the wider law of the Grenelle which was adopted last month by the French National Assembly and the Senate.
• The Grenelle law covers a very large range of environmental issues, not simply relating to packaging, explained Durie. Dropping the consumer acceptance clause reflects an attempt to reduce the environmental impact of packaged goods on the environment.
• According to Durie, a number of international governments have voiced concerns that the consumer acceptance element acts as a ‘get out clause’ to allow packaging manufacturers to avoid minimising packaging.
• “It is true that it is a broad concept and difficult to pin down,” she said, adding that there are already requirements in place for recovery and recycling targets to tackle the environmental problem.

PACKAGING INFORMATION - Consumers don't trust food industry portion sizes

Consumers do not trust portion sizes given on food packages and buy extra to ensure they have enough to eat, finds IGD research has found; industry needs to communicate better the basis of portion sizes.

• Portion sizes for packaged foods are a focus area for the food industry as healthier eating and anti obesity strategies are looking to help people rebalance energy intake and expenditure. Some nutritional labelling schemes, such as guidance daily amounts (GDAs) are based on portion size.

The new report is based on consumer research undertaken in focus groups, and through a quantitative survey of 1,067 adults aged 15 and over in April 2009.

• It found that while consumers liked portion size information on packs, they use it as guidance in the loose sense and tend to purchase extra as they are unwilling to rely on the quantities suggested by manufacturers.
• 36% of respondents said they ignored the portion size information on the pack; 38% said they will eat what they want regardless of what it says on the label.
• Moreover, people tend to define portions on the sheer quantity of food. With the exception of people on diets to lose weight or for medical reasons, consumers did not see nutritional content as a factor in determining portion.

Rachel Hackett, author of the report and nutrition manager at IGD, told FoodNavigator.com that the findings highlight the need for food manufacturers and retailers to communicate how they have come up with their portion sizes. Earlier work by IGD’s industry nutrition strategy group, which is made up of 30 nutritionists who work for retailers, manufacturers and food organisations, found that portion advice drawn up by industry, governments and NGOs is generally based on science and expert bodies. “We have to find a way for manufacturers to communicate: ‘We haven’t decided based on some nonsense. It is a real, well judged recommendation’,” Hackett said.

• Some 48% of respondents indicated that experience indicates how much they eat, but the research did not identify what the precise influences are.

Identifying these would help industry target efforts to promote balanced diets and appropriate portion sizes, but Hackett said in depth research in this area would need to be academically-led.

Best practice

• The IGD group is currently drawing up a set of best practice guidelines on how to communicate portion size. These are due to be published in September.
• Research of consumer understanding of portions was seen as vital to developing these guidelines. The report Portion Size: Understanding the Consumer Perspective is already available online .
• Hackett said it is not seen as necessary to create an industry standard for portion size communication, in the same vein as a European wide nutritional labelling scheme that being worked out at the moment. “There was not a clear preference for the language used, however a key point is that language should be consistent on the pack,” she said. For instance, manufacturers should choose between the word ‘serving’ and the word ‘portion’.
• Another tip she share was to avoid words like ‘suggested serving’ and ‘typical serving’, as these make people think: 'Who for?'

The report’s basis is research conducted in the UK, but Hackett said that the group is working with multinational food manufacturers so it will be interesting to see whether they implement best practices elsewhere.

GREEN INNOVATION - that saves money for both retailers and consumers?

Cutting both costs and carbon emissions, British supermarket Waitrose shipped its new range of ‘Virtue’ wines from Chile in 24,000 liter flexitanks and bottled them in the UK. One tank equals 32,000 bottles—or 16 tons of glass—that no longer need to be shipped. In addition, the bottles used are lightweight and made of 60% recycled material.

• Besides reducing carbon emissions, this shipping and distribution method lowers end-to-end production costs by up to 40%. Waitrose claims to be sharing these cost reductions with customers, charging GBP 3.99 per bottle. Currently on offer are a Merlot/Cabernet Sauvignon and a Sauvignon/Chardonnay, both from Chile. They’ll be joined by two Californian wines later this season, and Waitrose is looking to further expand the method to other countries it imports wine from.
• A green innovation that saves money for both retailers and consumers? Producers and retailers: it’s time to get virtuous ;-)

PACKAGING INNOVATION - Coca-Cola turns to packaging to boost beverage sales

Coca-Cola hopes that packaging innovation will help to differentiate its products and drive sales in the highly competitive US carbonated drinks market.

The company is experimenting with a range of new packaging formats, including aluminum, to combat falling sales in the US market for carbonated soft drinks.

“It’s a journey we’re on, and, frankly, I think we’re early into the journey,” said Ralph Kytan, vice president of Coke’s North American bottling operations, told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “Package diversity is about matching up the benefits of the package with the needs of the purchaser for the occasion they’re buying for.”

CADBURY - relaunches Trebor Mints. “Getting seen is half the battle, but ..."

By Mike Stones, 02-Jul-2009 Confectionery giant Cadbury is to relaunch its Trebor Extra Strong Mints and Softmints brands with new packaging designed by London-based design agency Jones Knowles Ritchie (JKR).

• The new Trebor Extra Strong Mints and Softmints products will become available in convenience stores and supermarkets this month.
• The confectionery manufacturer commissioned the designers to rejuvenate the two heritage brands. Cadbury’s senior brand manager Clare Tasker told the publication Design Week that briefed the designers to produce “eye-catching packaging that retains the no-nonsense brand characters,” for the two mint brands.

• The new packaging is designed to attract 35 to 55-year-old former consumers of the mints in addition to appealing to existing customers.

----- Stand out on a shelf ----- Andy Knowles, chief executive of JKR, said: “Since rollpack mints are the epitome of impulse purchasing, they have to have really strong stand-out on shelf.” He describes the redesigned packaging for both mint products as ‘a strong evolution’. JKR’s website (www.jkr.co.uk) explains that he company believes brands should project the things that make them different, rather than reflect the comfortable conventions of their categories. “Getting seen is half the battle, but we believe great branding must also convey your unique character at a glance,” according to the company. That means it's not enough to express yourself engagingly, originally and in a way that can only come from you. To be truly charismatic, the art is in making it all look effortless.” ----- Key dates -----

• Trebor Extra Strong Mints were launched in 1935 by the Trebor Confectionery Company.
• In 1989 Cadbury Schweppes paid ₤110.3m for the Trebor Group.
• Cadbury appointed JKR in February 2008 to work on the redesign. - Today, they are available in three flavours
• Peppermint/Original, Spearmint and Menthol.