Feb212014

How to Create an Irresistible Sustainable Brand

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http://www.greenpackaginggroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Aloha-DailyGood-Foundation-recycled-paper-Folding-Boxes-from-Elevate-Packaging.pngThe Whole “Brand” Picture

Suppose your product is sustainable.  That is, your product may be 100% organic, natural, holistic, fair trade, recycled, compostable, or embodies some über-sustainable attribute.  And, your sustainable product is perfectly designed for the needs of a booming sustainably-minded consumer market.

It seems you’re ready to grow sales in the sustainable marketplace.  Wait!  A rather important checkpoint remains.  Is the packaging aligned with the sustainable brand promise? If not, there may be good reason for pause and avoid a potential marketing misstep which could cost much more than your brand reputation.

The sustainable market is growing rapidly.  For example, the organic food segment grew 238% while the overall food market grew 33% over a ten year period.  Consumers are wiser and more discriminating.  Their expectations of sustainable and responsible products are greater, and increased competition provides them with alternatives.  The bar for product success in the sustainable market has risen sharply.  Consumers evaluate sustainable products not only on the sustainable merits of the product, but also upon the sustainability of the packaging and company as a whole.  It is essential the whole sustainable story from beginning to end must align with the sustainable value proposition of the product if it expects to establish any “street cred” within the LOHAS community.

Sustainable Brand Promise

The green and sustainable consumer segment is developing in many ways.  First the $300+ billion LOHAS segment is growing nearly 20% annually.  Secondly, the wisdom, experience, and general knowledge of our society, not just the LOHAS community, is growing rapidly.  With certified organic products in Walmart to Fair Trade coffee in Starbucks, sustainable products are proliferating across the world. Rapidly.  With wiser, better educated consumers, now more than ever companies must get their brand promise aligned with their sustainability practices throughout their company, and packaging is no different.  If a company claims they genuinely care about environmental issues by selling organic products, yet also have Styrofoam products, are they believable?  If a company sells authentic fair trade products, but has a poor reputation with their own labor practices at home, do they really seem authentic?  And, if a company produces the world’s most responsible nutritional supplements yet uses packaging made with toxic-ink covered plastic coated box, would you feel they are truly responsible?

Sustainable Power Play

When it comes to sustainable product marketing, getting all your ducks in a row is imperative to success with this well-informed LOHAS consumer.  So when Aloha’s Stacey Sude and Hudson Gaines-Ross were seeking a sustainable packaging solution for their high-quality nutritional supplements, they understood they needed to get the whole product message aligned.  The company story, the product, and packaging must all be consistent.  In fact, that exact sustainability triumvirate created a market-leading sustainable message synergy in the nutritional supplements market.  The packaging produced by Elevate Packaging used attractive 100% recycled papers and positioned their product as premium product with shelf appeal which draws people in wanting to reach for it.  The packaging also carries world-class sustainability attributes including:

  • 100% Recycled Paper
  • 100% Wind Energy
  • 100% Carbon Neutral
  • 100% Agri-based non-toxic vegan inks
  • FSC Certification

Hudson Gaines-Ross, Head of Operations at ALOHA believes it is important to demonstrate the value of packaging aligned with the sustainability value proposition of the product, “Our products are meant to simplify the path to a healthy lifestyle – our packaging helps make that happen. Our pouch box is 100% recyclable, 100% recycled (80% post-consumer waste), FSC-certified, and manufactured using wind power. The ink is water-, carbon-, and vegetable-based.”

“We are committed to quality, dedicated to honesty, inspired by design, and strive for simplicity. We want our product packaging to reflect those values because they are important to our clients.  It affects how they share products and encourages them to leave ALOHA products out for others to see. It’s aspirational and responsible – something people are proud to own and share.”

When you’re considering packaging for sustainable consumers take a moment to consider the whole brand promise and choose packaging aligned with that same promise.

Visiting Expo West Natural Product Show in Anaheim March 6-9?  Come by and say “Hi!” at Distant Village Packaging booth #1976 and receive a free gift!

Elevate Packaging is a leading source for 100% Recycled FSC-Certified Folding Cartons Elevate Packaging, a division of Distant Village, Inc, is a leader in American-made sustainable packaging.  Our revolutionary approach to designing world-class sustainable packaging and using the most innovative sustainable materials has earned us international recognition and awards in both the paper packaging and adhesive labels industries.  Our packaging companies follow an unwavering commitment to triple bottom line sustainable business practices.  From start to finish, every packaging produced embodies a full-circle view of sustainability, including packaging brand design, natural plant-based materials, certified papers, green energy, fair trade, and social responsibility.

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