PACKAGING: THE ART OF THE RIGHT PROPOSITION Suppliers are all too aware of how vital it is to send out the right signals to a highly brand literate and image conscious public, says Nicola Gordon-Seymour Soft drinks manufacturers are looking to the world of fashion for inspiration in their quest to grab larger chunks of the huge drinks to go market ­ and none more so than Britvic Soft Drinks. Diana Taylor, head of new product development at Britvic, says the clothing industry is a reliable indicator of key consumer trends which can be translated into drinks packaging. "Clothing trends, lifestyle and occasion' are playing a larger role in dictating where drinks packaging is going." The company is also taking a more hands on role with packaging and has played a major part in developing the look for its yet to be launched Robinsons Fruit Shoot drink for kids. The new Tango 250ml packaging launched in April was also designed in house. Manufacturers admit brand differentiation is still the main driving force behind the soft drinks impulse market but they also agree this is intrinsically linked to image. Jimmy Hartley, a consultant for Tetra Pak, says design requests are becoming more innovative in terms of graphics on cartons and in the shape and style of PET bottles, and these are often linked to consumer trends. The most recent example is a prism shaped carton designed by Tetra Pak for Gerber Foods' Power Fusion soft drink ­ designed to appeal to the computer games market. Sports caps are another example ­ particularly in mineral water. Hartley said: "The average consumer takes less than a minute to decide which drink to buy when browsing in the supermarket ­ this means the product needs to capture the consumers' attention in seconds." Emma Hunt, brand manager for Vimto, says the brands success stems from the unique proposition it offers. "The integrity of Vimto comes down to its fruit content and its unique combination of ingredients ­ it also appeals to consumers obsession with fitness and healthy products." However the company recently rebranded the packaging of its impulse Tetra Pak and carbonated products ­ in line with its cordial brands ­ after realising its image was becoming confused and that a more consistent design approach was needed. Vimto's cartoony Tetra Pak design ­ also featured on other "on the hoof" carbonated drinks ­ are now more "funky and trendy" in order to appeal to the target audience of teenagers. Hunt says there is a lot more Vimto will be doing to grow its presence in the impulse drinks sector ­ with both cordial style drinks and carbonates. Silver Spring Mineral Water Co has also made pack design a key feature in growing its presence in specific market niches. Its Pulsar energy drink employs the innovative resealable Jet Cap, a device which the company has just introduced to its new Jetz still soft drink, launched in April and targetting the on the move sector. Marketing manager Eddie Bullen says fresh ideas are in the pipeline for its flagship Perfectly Clear brand. True to form last year was the success of flavoured water which has taken the market by storm. Karen Salter, marketing manager at Caledonian Clear, says keeping ahead of the field by regularly reinventing a product image is paramount to sustain consumer loyalty. But she says there are also design pitfalls and that consumer loyalty is based on product continuity. "Consumers are now more brand literate and aspirational than ever. We believe glass is class' and so do our customers. Consequently this emphasise on quality is key to our branding and needs to be consistently reflected in our bottle design." Gleneagles Spring Water is launching its next generation sports cap in June this year. The new cap is said to be the first of its kind in Europe and will be launched on the g water' 500ml product ­ which surfaced on the market last year. Md Helen Lamont says: "The new cap will help to further differentiate g water and give consumers an innovative alternative to the plethora of sports cap products currently on the market." The launch will be backed by an on pack software promotion. {{FOCUS SPECIALS }}