The excerpt below is from an article called Pack a Punch featured in the November 2019 edition of QSR Magazine.
Performance, sustainability, and differentiation drive advancements in foodservice packaging.
With flashy front-of-house innovation, mobile apps, and an increasing technology-focused and automated back-of-house, food packaging often gets overlooked as a critical part of restaurant operations. But in today’s highly competitive foodservice space, packaging is more important than ever…
Both functionality and marketing should play major roles in an operator’s food packaging strategy. To find packaging that performs well, operators need a solid understanding of how the package will be used, where it will be used, and by whom it will be used. First, packaging must do the basic job for which it was designed–contain food and preserve its integrity. This starts well before the packaging even arrives at the store.
“Packaging must be designed to arrive effectively at the individual quick-service location,” says Mark Schlossman, executive vice president of sales and marketing for Accurate Box Company. “After all, even the best packaging solution is no good if it arrives late, damaged, or in subpar condition…”
“These days, consumers are almost as interested in their experience as they are in the overall taste of the food. We have seen great success with consumers promoting their favorite food or brand simply by sharing photos and or videos online–in these situations, the printing and graphics on the packaging can go a long way in putting a brand on the map…”
As packaging innovation–fueled by performance demands and third-party delivery services–continues to evolve, operators may want to consider investing in custom solutions that lend themselves to social media. Even a modest investment in upgraded packaging can have exponential rewards. After all, there’s nothing like free, organic and authentic promotion from real consumers who are connecting with your brand.
“Consumers have the ability to affect change in the packaging industry like never before,” says Schlossman. “Their feedback to restaurant chains through social media is extremely powerful and cannot be ignored.”
Read the full QSR Magazine: The Power of Packaging here!
