New consulting approach helps brand owners transition to consumer-preferred resealable packaging or enhance existing packages.
Zip-Pak, a global provider of resealable solutions and equipment, introduced the Package Realization Team™ during the Interpack tradeshow. The company’s new approach helps brand owners around the world transition from existing package styles to consumer-preferred resealable flexible formats, or enhance their existing packaging.
For each unique project, a team is assembled to consult with consumer product goods (CPG) companies and retailers on how to implement cost-effective and efficient resealable closure solutions. Team configurations vary according to project needs, but may include representatives from sales, marketing, product development, operations, machinery and technical service.
“While Zip-Pak’s innovative technologies have served to meet the needs of consumers for decades, it is ultimately the expertise of our people that makes the difference in solving packaging challenges for brand owners around the world,” says Robert Hogan, director, global marketing at Zip-Pak. “Further, our global partnerships with OEMs and film converters enable us to act as a single point of contact throughout development projects, ensuring the closure feature on the final package meets consumer demand for convenience and ease of use.”
Zip-Pak’s Package Realization Team can solve a variety of challenges, such as incorporating resealable technology into an existing packaging line. As the only zipper supplier with an in-house equipment division, Zip-Pak Systems, the company can develop custom retrofit attachments to minimize investments in new machinery. With operations throughout North America, Europe and Asia, Zip-Pak provides insight on global machinery considerations.
Additionally, Zip-Pak’s Package Realization Team can provide knowledgeable advice on package design based upon years of consumer research. The company also invests in research to support the sustainability benefits of resealable flexible formats over rigid alternatives and can guide brands in improving their eco-profiles.
To consult on each unique packaging challenge, the Package Realization Team first works with the customer to determine the ideal package format, in order to better decide whether to implement new machinery or apply retrofit technology. Next, the team consults with the brand owner and converter to determine the appropriate film structure, before making a recommendation on a press-to-close or slider closure. The team can then install the retrofit or work with the OEM to incorporate resealable capability into a new machine. Finally, Zip-Pak evaluates the expertise level of the operator and conducts customized training.
Zip-Pak responds to questions
Hogan also provides these responses toFood & Beverage Packaging’s questions:
F&BP: What kind of companies do you expect this new program to be most embraced by?
Hogan: Our Package Realization Team is intended to serve brand owners across the globe, including consumer package goods (CPG) companies and retailers with private label lines. As the only truly global resealable closure supplier in the industry, we have the expertise to help both local brands throughout North America, Europe and Asia as well as larger multinationals incorporate consumer-preferred resealable solutions onto their packaging.
F&BP: Can you point to any specific participants such as machinery vendors or CPG customers?
Hogan: In the packaging industry, the need to hasten innovation is becoming increasingly important, and that’s one outcome we’re aiming to achieve with the introduction of the Package Realization Team. One way we can help brand owners do that is through our existing partnerships with original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and film suppliers.
A great example of these partnerships in practice is our new Zip360™ package format, the first wide-mouth resealable pouch of its kind. Many brand owners have expressed an interest in this package style so we collaborated with our partners atTriangle Package Machinery Co. andPrintpack Inc.to develop the concept and machinery to manufacture it on a mass scale.
The result of our collaboration is a new pouch format with a wide-mouth opening that allows consumers of snack mixes, frozen chicken, cookies and crackers, and pet food and treats to easily access and scoop contents. Zip360™ also enables pour-spout functionality, an ideal benefit for cereal, frozen food and vegetable applications.
F&BP: What's the cost and estimated timeframe start-to-finish for this service?
Hogan: There is no charge to brand owners for our Package Realization Team service, and the timeframe is dependent on the unique challenge. For example, our in-house equipment division, Zip-Pak Systems, can help a company retrofit its existing packaging line with a zipper applicator in as little as three months. We expect more complicated projects, such as new product launches, to take up to a year.
To learn more about how Zip-Pak’s Package Realization Team, call 800-488-6973 or e-mail packagerealization@zippak.com or visitwww.zippak.com
-Rick Lingle, Editor in Chief
