Today’s bottle packaging is about more than using a pretty container to hold your liquid. The process involves designing attractive packaging that makes consumers want to enjoy using the product while reinforcing your branding. Whether you put your product in glass or plastic bottles, knowing the current bottle packaging trends gives you ideas for creating a presentation that gets your target market enthusiastic enough to purchase your beverage.

Kid Friendly

More bottles than ever appeal to kids with their colorful graphics and ability to grab and hold a child’s imagination. The Packaging-Gateway website explains that Appy Drinks, Ltd., has created a bottle with popular characters from Nickelodeon on the label to help get a child’s attention. The bottle can be scanned with a smartphone so kids can download props from the Nickelodeon characters and use them in photos they take with their phones. Another kid-friendly trend includes creating kid-sized bottles that are easier for small children’s hands to grip.

Dual Purpose

Bottles that serve more than one purpose are a new trend, such as the wine bottle by Vino Solo that includes a flute you can attach so the bottle immediately converts into a wine glass. The plastic bottle is ideal for sports and concert venues that discourage glass bottles for safety reasons. Another trend is the shift of some bottled water companies to provide collapsible bottles you can fold and put in your pocket when you’re done drinking from them. The bottles can be refilled with any liquid, providing the manufacturer with another opportunity to build brand recognition, as more people see the bottle and its logo.

Sustainable

Using less plastic resin during manufacturing of bottles is becoming more common. Water bottles are starting to show up that use paper along with the plastic to keep the amount of plastic minimal. This trend has been especially important when it comes to selling bottled water, as consumers may feel less guilty about buying bottled water if it features environmentally friendlier packaging. Other companies are looking at using packaging that is certified as both organic and fair trade, according to the BeverageDaily website. For instance, Pepsico has created a bottle made entirely from plant-based products.

--------The article was excerpted from the Small Business 《Bottle Packaging Trends》by Nancy Wagner