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“I think they’re also thinking about not having to throw away food. Before, they would say it doesn’t matter if I buy 5 pounds and throw 2 pounds away,” he says. “Now, they do think about that and just buy the smaller-sized package.”
Boot is a bit more skeptical about the level of traction in the market for sustainable packaging.
“It’s being talked about more than it’s being used,” he says, even though his company is making progress in the eld. “ e
thing is with biodegradable, sustainable and compostable, nobody understands what it is.” When asked about retailers’ receptivity to new concepts, he says it not only depends on
the chain but also the individual you talk to. “It’s often a personal thing; it’s not that
easy,” he says.
He remembers NNZ’s introduction of the
Carry-Fresh netting with a label more than a decade ago, which was a big marketing play and ended up changing markets in Germany and the United States.
NNZ’s Paper-Vento bag, which is made from breathable paper material.
In January, NNZ introduced its Paper- Vento bag to North America, made from paper-coated material with a window in it so the product can breathe. Up until now the focus has been potatoes, but Boot says the packaging could be extended to onions and any other produce item that needs to breathe.
PRIME REAL ESTATE MATTERS
Lozano of Sambrailo Packaging says messaging is branding, so having the real estate and platform to communicate that message is key. In clamshells, that means the top lid for the placement of a label, but space is limited, as it needs to contain regulated information.
“As we developed ReadyCycle, we wanted to explore being able to utilize every surface as marketing real estate,” she says. “We wanted retailers and growers to be able to communi- cate to the end consumer who they are, why they chose sustainable packaging and what makes their product special.”
Lisa Cork, owner of Fresh Produce Marketing in Auckland, NZ, made her name as a produce marketer when she created the ‘Eat Smart’ brand for Apio Produce Sales in California, which this year changed its name to Curation Foods.
But almost 20 years later, the Eat Smart brand remains. During that time, Cork’s company has created strategies for more than 50 new and innovative produce bands.
“When I created it, it was one of the rst brands that truly spoke to consumers in the produce department in a meaningful way,” says Cork. “So even though we had limited ways of bringing the brand to life way back then, the brand stood out because it was unique in the way it spoke to consumers.
“I use the same, consumer-centric philos- ophy today — your brand and your on-pack communications must speak to consumers,
32 / AUGUST 2019 / PRODUCE BUSINESS