Packaging Design as Brand Differentiator

A negative aspect associated with product packaging is environmental impact. Landfills receive tons of paper, cardboard, plastic, styrofoam, and other materials discarded after products are opened or used. Consumers are called on to be more environmentally conscious; product makers bear the same responsibility.

Pepsico’s Frito-Lay brand hopefully is an example of a future trend in packaging. Frito-Lay’s SunChips brand will soon roll out a compostable package. The package will be 100% bio-degradeable. Frito-Lay’s choice of SunChips as the brand to debut an environmentally friendly package is appropriate. SunChips is positioned as a healthier alternative to potato chips. Using “healthier” packaging for SunChips is a great fit.

I bought a piece of furniture recently and cringed as I filled my garbage can with sryrofoam and bubble wrap. Kudos to Frito-Lay for taking the initiative to develop packaging that has less of a negative impact on our environment. It is the right thing to do, and environmentally responsible packaging can be leveraged as a point of difference to set you apart from competitors.

Link: Marketing Daily – “Sun Chips Rolling Out Compostable Packaging”

Author: Don Roy

Don Roy is a marketing educator, blogger, and author. His thirty-year career began with roles in retail management, B2B sales, and franchise management. For the past 22 years, Don has shared his passion for marketing as a marketing professor. Don's teaching and research interests include brands, sports marketing, and social media marketing. Don has authored over 20 articles in scholarly journals, co-authored two textbooks, and self-published three books on personal branding. Don is an avid hockey fan and enjoys running. He and his wife, Sara, have three sons. View all posts by Don Roy