2019 seemed to be the year of refining. Be it ecommerce campaigns, seasonal packaging or moving into a new sector, consumer packaged goods companies, manufacturers and designers worked with what they had and made it better.

Having partnered with specialty food brands for nearly two decades, I've learned more than a few things along the way. Specializing in only food CPG brands has allowed me to finely hone in on best practices that can transform packaging into a workhorse to sell itself, be it on the shelf or online.

As automation technologies progress, there are more opportunities for machinery to respond directly to input from human operators. This is why a good human-machine interface (HMI) is extremely important.

For years, fiber lasers have been a mainstay in the electronics, automotive and aerospace markets with their ability to produce alphanumeric text on the surfaces of hard plastic and metal parts. Now, fiber lasers are gaining a foothold in consumer packaged goods (CPG) manufacturing.

Optimizing a packaging line is a journey. And there are many variables to consider in the quest. If one machine or component isn’t working, it can wreak havoc on your entire line — with labor costs, downtime and of course finding the root of the issue.

The word “sustainability” is all the rage these days. On the one hand, 56% of U.S. consumers want more sustainable packaging, according to Asia Pulp & Paper. On the other hand, consumers are hesitant to simply trust a brand claiming to be “green.”

Supply chains and the solutions used for managing them have become increasingly important as businesses become more global and interconnected. Globalization and digital technologies are changing business, especially as companies look to accelerate growth and expand into new markets.

The decision to upgrade your packaging line can benefit your operation in many ways: increased production, reduced labor and insurance costs, less liability, improved product handling and protection during transport.

I recently spoke with Todd Maute, partner at brand strategy and design agency CBX, to get a glimpse into how store brands continue to grow and differentiate themselves from larger national brands.