| Recently mainstream media coverage of the | | | | environmental niche. |
| packaging industry is more in-depth than usual. I see | | | | Cereplast CEO Delivers Speech at Commodity |
| several articles about packaging every week. | | | | Classic 2006, the National Corn Growers Association |
| Unfortunately, the vast majority of the news articles | | | | Annual Conference -- Cereplast, Inc., reports today |
| deal with negative perceptions of packaging and its | | | | that the company's CEO, Frederic Scheer, delivered a |
| influence on society. In fact, dozens of articles were | | | | speech at this year's Commodity Classic entitled |
| recently written in response to the Consumer Reports | | | | "Displacing Petroleum-Based Plastics with |
| "Oyster Awards" with such titles as: "Today's | | | | Bioproducts."Investigate a pitch less commonplace |
| Packaging Can Drive The Mild-Mannered To Rage" | | | | media too. As I mentioned when I spoke at the |
| and "Open UP." Most of what was written in these | | | | Marketing To Women Conference recently, condom |
| articles did not bode well for packaging.So how can | | | | marketing has gone main stream in places like |
| you get your product packaging seen by the media in | | | | Wal-Mart. Consider a headline like this:Condoms Mix |
| a more favorable light? Make sure that your packaging | | | | Sex and the City; City Will Debut NYC-Themed |
| is connected to one of the more popular news trends. | | | | Packaging for Prophylactics |
| Consider what the media will be covering outside of | | | | Really! The New York City Department of Health and |
| the obvious "breaking" news. Think about your product | | | | Mental Hygiene will be debuting unique New |
| and how it can connect with the media coverage. A | | | | York-specific condom packaging designs within four to |
| few examples of topics they will be covering in the | | | | six months. The program, which is still in development, |
| future include:- Anything to do with diets, weight loss or | | | | aims to promote sexual health awareness and aid in |
| healthy eating. This topic perennially becomes | | | | distribution tracking. "In an effort to track our continuing |
| newsworthy as spring break and swim suit season | | | | effort to distribute millions of condoms throughout the |
| approaches. It also offers opportunities in other niche | | | | city, we wanted to develop condom packaging that |
| targeted publications too, such as woman oriented and | | | | was noticeable and memorable so that we can later |
| fitness publications.- Products that are marketed to or | | | | track the effectiveness of our distribution," said Sandra |
| are designed for the 50 + generation. The "Boomers" | | | | Mullin, communications director for the department. |
| topic is getting much media play in virtually every type | | | | "We also aim to use the packaging to promote |
| publication. If you are marketing in this space, find out | | | | condom use and awareness." Now that's using the |
| what they will be covering in the next issue.I will also be | | | | media to gain exposure (tee hee).With packaging |
| speaking about this topic at The Supply Side exposition | | | | becoming a "hot topic" it can help counteract negative |
| in New York this spring. The Supply Side brings | | | | publicity about the industry such as the "Oyster Award |
| together manufacturers, suppliers and decision-makers | | | | article" which condemns the vast over packaging of |
| from the social stationery, giftware and graphic arts | | | | many products. So, keep your eyes and nose ("Does |
| industries. Presented in conjunction with the 60th annual | | | | Your Packaging Umm, Smell?") on the look out for |
| National Stationery Show (NSS), The Supply Side | | | | ways and opportunities the make your product |
| provides a forum for the more than 1,400 National | | | | packaging newsworthy in the coming weeks.Don't |
| Stationery Show exhibitors to source key vendors at | | | | forget to keep me in the loop too. The more I know |
| a time and place that's both practical and | | | | about your product the more I can help you get the |
| convenient.Packaging for Profit: Attracting the Baby | | | | word out about your packaging.JoAnn Hines the |
| Boomers if you have a packaged product that is | | | | Packaging Diva has been on TV, traveled to China, |
| relevant to this category please contact me with more | | | | worked with the SBA and spoken at the White House |
| information.- Look for media spin on anything to do | | | | (twice). Why do they seek her out? Because she |
| with the environment, recycled materials and bio-based | | | | knows how to package products so that people will |
| packaging products. The environment is hot right now | | | | buy them. When Faith Popcorn made her business |
| and with the upcoming "International Earth Day" on | | | | trend predictions for 2006, she called JoAnn to find out |
| March 20.I was contacted last week by a marketing | | | | what was going on in the world of packaging. |
| class that was using my article "13 Packaging Trends" | | | | Businesses large and small call upon her to solve their |
| as a case study. Each student was required to write | | | | packaging problems.She loves to share her proficiency |
| an expanded paper and presentation. One student, | | | | in packaging. JoAnn speaks on the subject around the |
| Jana, contacted me about trend # 8 "Green and | | | | globe and made the packaging world more |
| Greener." I did a quick search for her and found | | | | understandable when she created several web |
| numerous positive in mainstream media articles about | | | | portals, packagingcoach.com, womeninpackaging.org |
| the positive aspects of packaging and the | | | | and packagingdiva.com, to answer packaging |
| environment. So this topic is definitely worth getting | | | | questions and resolve packaging problems.Her |
| excited about.As a case in point, the Timberland | | | | expertise is important because packaging is the third |
| Company just had a big spread in "Industry Week." It | | | | largest industry. In fact, 10% of every dollar spent at |
| focused on branding the environmental aspects of its | | | | retail goes directly to packaging materials. Most |
| new packaging. Read more @ | | | | importantly, you cannot have a product without a |
| is another example of a good use of the | | | | package. |