According to Smithers Pira, the global packaging market will reach nearly $1 trillion by 2022. However, the “commercial” evolution of this market depends on the environment and the digital revolution. According to marketing expert Victoire Guyot, “for most citizens, packaging has become synonymous with waste and potential waste”. For the company, we propose a “strategic bias”: this involves developing a responsible packaging strategy, that is, focusing on its environmental impact (“3R”), the development of interconnected packaging and adaptive art creation.

Responsible packaging – 3R: reduce, reuse, recycle

Reduction: brands are reducing the weight of primary packaging and even significantly reducing the “vacuum” in cardboard gift box packaging. This approach enables companies to reduce production and transportation costs.

Reuse: the company is developing packaging that can be reused by consumers (e.g. washable metal straw) or refillable. The goal is to give it a second life. Loop and other e-commerce platforms were launched in 2019 to provide daily necessities with recyclable packaging. This concept is very popular with consumers.

Recycling: brands are developing products that are easier to recycle and ecologically responsible packaging. Some companies are developing biodegradable packaging made of corn starch or using natural materials such as seaweed as alternatives to plastics. The wine industry is also considering making its bottles lighter and recyclable (PET, linen, etc.). These innovations are in line with new European regulations.

Development of interconnected packaging

Packaging digitization

The development of digital commerce in 2020 led the company to take actions aimed at increasing the resistance of package “materials”. However, the main innovation of the brand is to create connection packaging: integrate QR codes related to information or video, or freshness chips. These digital technologies have dual advantages for brands: creating “new customer experience” around packaging; Retrieving unique data about its consumers is crucial in the era of big data. Although connected packaging is still in its infancy, the success of Yuka’s application and its 9 million French users are used to scanning product bar codes, which shows us that this practice will undoubtedly grow.

A phydigital package

Packaging in the 2020’s improved its physical (retail) and digital (e-commerce) performance. In addition, packaging is becoming a new communication channel between manufacturers and consumers. Create artistic packaging

Responsible packaging design: the packaging strategy of “environmental protection” and “interconnection” in brand development should not cover up the artistic dimension of packaging. A fundamental trend in 2021 is to transform commercial packaging into “art”. It stems from a simple goal: to reuse, the packaging must be functional and “beautiful and influential”.

Inclusive creation: Innovation in 2021 is based on strong creative choices: combination of bright colors or asymmetric color texture selection. They can also consist of abstract and alternative geometries. Packaging may have simplified or abstract patterns. According to design packaging, they aim to “catch an artistic glimpse of what is inside the package, not the actual perspective of the product”.

Finally, for the new challenge of packaging in 2021, are the three “packaging” strategies for brands essential? If the artistic bias of packaging design can be different in a year according to the positioning of trend cabinet, the packaging strategy of “environmental protection” and “connection” seems to be a long-term part for two reasons:

The brands of major consumer goods groups such as L’Oreal and Unilever have promised to achieve the goal of responsible and environmentally friendly packaging from 2025 to 2030 and play a leading role in their professional fields. Small brands cannot benefit from the same economies of scale, but can take advantage of educational exchanges with customers.

These new trends reflect the environmental, digital and intergenerational revolution in our society: in short, an irreversible social revolution!