The overwhelming interest in "organic" foods has repercussions for the way companies should think about packaging goods. Packaging World recently wrote about the "clean movement" in product labels, and while the labels it refers to often reflect more natural products, what this movement is really about is good organization and practices.
As laid out in the article, the basic principles of a "clean" company are simplicity, commitment and a clear vision of the brand's main values. The author of the PW article, Lisa Landers, uses Honest Tea of an example of "authentic, iconic-looking" label images that communicate a clear value system to all customers. Another example is the snack brand Garden of Eatin.'
However, Landers also notes that what constitutes a "clean" product changes and that companies need to keep up with all of the different protocol that apply.
"For brand owners and package designers, packaging is a primary driver for brand recognition," she said. "With the emergence of the clean movement, many of them have scurried to address clean on their packaging as a first step." She adds that successful clean companies will "fulfill consumer wish lists and need states even more so than they do today."
Incidentally, Honest Tea recently announced that it would be creating three new flavors of herbal tea: Pomegranate Blue, Orange Mango and Cranberry Lemon. A photo included with this release shows the familiar logos and bottle shapes. A press release said that these bottles and their labels were specifically designed to stand out to the consumer.
By investing seriously in print solutions, your business can create labels that match the philosophy of your products. Whether this involves making the most out of different color inks available or emphasizing the packaging materials involved, in-house printers represent a greater degree of freedom for the companies that use them.