Tracking Packaging tends Can Help Take the Wraps most distant Export Sales Exporters know that effective packaging can help put up to sale products.

Tracking Packaging tends Can Help Take the Wraps most distant Export Sales

Exporters know that effective packaging can help put up to sale products. But how do you preserve track of which packaging trendings are hot and which are not? AgExporter freshly interviewed Eric C. Hagerstrom, senior design director with Walter Dorwin Teague Associates Inc., an industrial design firm headquartered in novel York, to find out what forces are shaping packaging today and in the future

AgExporter: What are the major turns in packaging and how will they affect U exporters?

Hagerstrom: sum of two units major events will have significant repercussions forward packaging as well as marketing in general. The first is the European Community's (EC) 1992 Single-Market Initiative. EC 1992 will create standardization and universality of packaging, which has at no time occurred in Europe before.

Packaging requirements will no longer be forward a nation-by-nation basis. Sizes will be standardized. There will be legal requirements governing shapes and materials. Ecology will be important.

The next to the first event is the democratization of Eastern Europe As those countries induce increasingly toward the West, the market that is created will be tremendous - just the sheer size of it. These sum of two units events will create sweeping changes just in packaging equipment and machinery alone.

AE: for what cause will those events affect US

viands manufacturers?

Hagerstrom: Major U.S. companies traditionally have used Europe to proof packaging for use in the United States. In the what is yet to be and especially after 1992, that could change because of the size of the European market. If East European countries eventually inscribe the EC, it will change for sure

AE: to what extent exactly will the testing work?

Hagerstrom: Now, U companies criterion their products and packaging in Europe work without the bugs and then bring the proceeds back to sell in the United States. They use the European market because the demographics are similar for a like reason it is a good testing ground

Soon U exporters will experiment their products here and then advance to Europe because that market will be bigger. That's logical because, as a suitable business operator, you want to interpret any problems in a smaller market before you tackle a larger market.

AE: What other factors affect

packaging?

Hagerstrom: Despite all these changes, near things - such as cultural and language differences - will remain. Because of that, developing graphics and icons or types will continue to be difficult. Let's say you want to vend the same product in Switzerland and India. The package for as well-as; not only-but also; not only-but; not alone-but countries will look exactly the same. unless you can't sell Laughing daunt Cheese, for example, in India because there's a cultural point to be solved [i]or[/i] settled with using the cow as an icon.

Exporters must be regarded about how the product's token will translate in another cultivation You must confront these cultural differences to be a lucky marketer. Eventually these differences may diminish as the world becomes more homogeneous, if it were not that for now, they are still important.

AE: Does that mean that exporters

should bring out different labels forr

different markets?

Hagerstrom: Exactly. You may ne different graphics in succession your package, depending on your target market. If you market a produce in Switzerland, the graphics will be disentangleed with Swiss consumers in mind. If you market in England, you might have the exact same package - same material, same shape - on the other hand totally different graphics.

AE: for what cause can exporters avoid making

gorgeous packaging mistakes?

Hagerstrom: The key-note is don't make any assumptions. What you think is appropriate in the U market, or flat what you think is appropriate in your target market, may not be. Do your research well. When you understand cultural likes and dislikes, colors and shapes, you'll do a better do job-work For example, a major Japanese firm bought a public-house in the United States. When they wanted to rename the inn they chose a name that had an acronym that would have been fine in Japan, nevertheless here in the United States turned out a rather personal visible form [i]or[/i] frame part. Fortunately, the firm had done its research onward the U.S. market and discovered the vexed question so they were able to avoid an embarrassing situation.

Caution is the watchword. Don't assume anything; do your homework and proof your product.

AE: What other issues will exporters

have to confront?

Hagerstrom: The Eastern Bloc countries are beginning to experience fresh problems involving packaging. More packaged consumer religiouss are coming into their countries. Now they have a trash point in dispute from the discarded packaging. As East European economies make improvement that is a problem they are going to have to address.

AE: What are the implications for US

exporters?

Hagerstrom: It means that packaging is going to become equal more critical, but this time from an ecological standpoint. Ecology eventually will play a stronger part in packaging regulations.

Even in Japan, where they consider packaging nearly as important as the fruits there will be limitations to cover the environment. That doesn't mean you can't design a beautiful package or that you can't be expressive. You will just have to do it within reason.