JKR

In the week that the makers of Jolt cola petition for bankruptcy protection, citing the principle cause as the threefold price it pays for re-sealable cans over the industry standard ones used by its more famous rivals, we wonder if bespoke structural packaging is in the dock, too?

With the twisted glass bottle a relatively minor format in the UK nowadays, it seems that even when your name is Coca Cola, the dis-economy of scale associated with customised packaging just isn’t sustainable in the today’s competitive environment.

With the benefit of hindsight, it is clear that others have learned this lesson the hard way – even when the consumer gained superior convenience as in the case of Nescafe’s hot can, Stella’s take-home mini-kegs, or Quaker’s short-lived resealable cartons, their sales were minor compared with core formats.

Yet brands shouldn’t give up the pursuit of enhanced tactile or functional packaging. When we worked on the embossed Stella Artois can back in the 1990’s, it provided positive confirmation of its premium status and helped it accelerate away from the pack, one of a number of initiatives that ultimately made it the biggest alcoholic drink by value in the UK. As Stella invests its packaging pounds in new initiatives like the chalice glass, it has withdrawn its embossed can, while Heineken has taken the mantle with its outstanding barrel can, one of several pieces of quality packaging that have helped the company re-position it at the premium end of the beer market.

So, although high cost custom packaging may ultimately become a luxury one can’t afford, it certainly has a valuable role to play in catalysing brand renovation, something we can all raise a glass to!

This article has been written by Andy Knowles, jkr.