As the fanfare closed in on the Beijing Olympics in a spectacular display of pyrotechnics, it signaled the dawn of a new era.
China had successfully established itself as a global superpower.
Relatively unaffected by the global subprime crisis, China has continued to post double-digit growth in retail spending.
And spearheading this growth is the country’s newly empowered youth market.
For the nearly 360 million Chinese aged below 20 and born into a post-depression, capitalist society, the poverty woes of their forefathers are as far-removed as their pockets are deep.
What marketers should note is that these youths, mostly from single-child families, wield tremendous purchasing power and influence over their family’s spending habits.
In fact, according to KPMG, more than 50% of the money spent in Chinese one-child families is directly influenced by the youngest member of the family.
More than a third of the modern Chinese family’s disposable income is spent on daily food items, making it paramount for food manufacturers to differentiate themselves to capture the youth demographic.
For these brand owners, one of the best and often simplest ways to stand out on China’s crowded retail shelves is to invest in innovative packaging.
Creating Status Brands through Resealable Technology
Studies have shown that the youth in China desire status brands and the prestige associated with owning their products.
They place a high premium on merchandise that look good, and often make point-of-purchase decisions based on the item’s outward appearance, especially with food.
So, more than ever before, marketers need to grab consumers’ attention within seconds as they browse through congested supermarket shelves.
Simply adding the convenience of a resealable closure to flexible packaging achieves that result as it instantly enhances the functionality and brand value of the product.
Just think, a sliced ham package with added value has a much higher extrinsic brand appeal compared to a packet without the resealable option, and customers will naturally feel more inclined to the package they can reuse.
In addition, the beauty of resealable flexible packaging lies in the long-term brand exposure it provides to products as consumers are able to store contents in the original printed packaging without transferring to another container.
By ensuring that brand messages on the package are constantly viewed by consumers who reuse the zippered packaging, food brand owners will stretch their marketing dollars much further.
Convenience for the Young and On-The-Go
For youths, innovative, convenient packaging captures their attention more than conventional boxes or containers do.
Functionality is a byword for young consumers who are accustomed to the ease-of-use and technical aspects of modern gadgets, and expect the same out of food product packaging they come across every day.
Young Chinese consumers with fast-paced lifestyles appreciate packages that feature convenient resealable options.
This enables them to open and close the package, and store the unconsumed contents in the original bag or pouch easily to save time. Just imagine, a 15-year-old who’s late for school has no time to down his bowl of cereal with milk.
Instead, he grabs a resealable pack of muesli snacks which allows him the flexibility of consuming his breakfast while commuting.
This on-the-go flexibility also supports peer-to-peer influence, one of the most effective ways to build a brand’s status.
Brand-conscious youths in China who rely heavily on word-of-mouth recommendations are more likely to purchase a product they see their friends carrying or eating.
A multitude of resealable closure solutions that fit virtually any consumer product package are available, and the slider zipper is one such innovation that is popular with brand owners.
A slider package features an ergonomically designed clip that enables consumers to easily open and close a package.
Other resealable solutions that provide consumer convenience are press-to-close options, designed to make it easy for fingers to slide across to close or open the package.
On top of convenience, food packages with features such as perforated tabs and hermetic seals above a zipper profile on a package offer safety assurance and give consumers the impression that product freshness and integrity are not compromised.
The food industry is all about providing good service and added value for customers. When youths perceive that a product meets the demands of their lifestyles and provides unexpected benefits like increased convenience, functionality, and safety, they are more likely to pledge loyalty to the brand.
Building Long-Term Brand Loyalty
We have seen how innovative packaging can influence the purchasing decision of youth consumers who are drawn to the latest and trendiest in stores.
Because this youth demographic is known to be fickle, encouraging them to become repeat customers entails a three-pronged approach: Instilling brand preference, providing convenience and ensuring package integrity. Building brand loyalty is fundamental in ensuring a company’s long-term profitability.
That is why winning over an impressionable youth crowd before their buying habits are set in stone is crucial.
Resealable packaging allows brand owners to effectively position their brand in front of the consumer throughout the product lifespan.
The resealable closure also provides added convenience for multi-tasking, jet-setting youths.
In addition, the safety features of resealable packaging can win over even the most skeptical of youth consumers who are concerned with product hygiene and freshness.
Simply adding an innovative feature to a product’s packaging can render numerous benefits that translate into high returns for brand owners.
China is a huge market to grapple with. That is why identifying the most influential demographic is an important business strategy.
Products that meet the needs of young consumers would also strike a chord with all demographics, such as the elderly, stay-at-home mothers or working executives.
In other words, capture the youth consumers and you’re on your way to dominating the entire market.
Robert E. Hogan is Director of International Sales & Marketing, Zip-Pak
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