Develop packaging and claims that strengthen your brand positioning while driving purchase decisions. We help you develop packaging and claims that strengthen your brand positioning while driving purchase decisions. Through in-depth research, we understand what visual cues, messaging, and product claims resonate and differentiate you from competitors. We test design elements, claim credibility, and brand alignment to ensure your packaging communicates the right brand story and supports your strategic positioning.
The Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) sector was navigating a complex, high-stakes transition toward recyclable packaging, a movement complicated by inadequate infrastructure, conflicting regulations and insufficient consumer uptake. Our client was focused on shifting its plastic wrappers to a sustainable material designed for store drop-off recycling, contrasting with competitors who prioritized the reduction of virgin plastic and the incorporation of post-consumer recycled (PCR) content.
Our client sought to understand consumer sentiment to determine if accelerating investment in additional sustainable workstreams would be beneficial. A significant challenge was an identified pervasive consumer point of confusion – many buyers misinterpreted the “do not recycle” label on the current packaging, incorrectly assuming it was recyclable due to a misread symbol. This presented a clear opportunity to test four distinct packaging concepts and measure their true impact regarding metrics like purchase intent, value, sustainability benefit and overall brand perception.
An online quantitative survey administered to category buyers, including an over quota of consumers who self-reportedly recycle, gauged responses to the four sustainable concepts. Across the board, sustainable packaging concepts were consistently rated higher than the current plastic wrapper on key dimensions such as sustainability, product uniqueness, packaging uniqueness, clear disposal method and overall brand perception.
While all new options demonstrated improvement, one of the four concepts showed superior performance in clarity and brand equity. The study identified that other sustainable options presented significant hurdles, resulting in low disposal compliance and general confusion surrounding what was and was not recyclable. This highlighted the need for ultra-clear on-pack communication. The strong performance of the main concept, particularly its alignment with common curbside recycling habits, suggested that accelerating investment in solutions that simplify consumer action yielded the greatest benefit to perceived sustainability and brand favorability. By testing consumer sentiment against real-world confusion, our client validated a clear path forward.
