Pauline Hammerbeck

As we went to press, we learned that Pepsi unveiled a new PET bottle made entirely of plant materials- besting Coke’s version which has a 30-percent plant makeup. It’s indicative of a shift we saw this past year among the major CPG companies: They’re waking up to sustainability and making environmental commitments like never before.

The “big” story coming out of this last holiday shopping season was, not surprisingly, smartphone apps. Everyone was talking about the mainstreaming of these technologies and the ways they were aiding shoppers in their purchasing decisions. 

A look at the brand marketing and design stores that caught our attention this week, with an eye on what's important, not just what's next.

If you follow the theory posed by New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman, technology was the catalyst for all things good. That’s true, of course, but closer examination of globalization requires that we study its social, political and economic effects. 

My father-in-law wears a pair of well-worn overalls to do chores on his Colorado hobby farm. The horses, sheep and his dog Cassie don’t seem to mind. But I mention it because the frayed garment represents a philosophy he’s always followed and imparted on his kids and, now, me.

Reframed as a business strategy, sustainable packaging is beginning to bear fruit.

Starbuck's and other beverage marketers are using packaging not only to make a sale but to help consumers discover what they like.