In Closing: Looking Forward to the Future
Celebrating CPC Packaging’s 10th anniversary made us wonder what new packaging developments the next 10 years will bring. A few industry experts shared their thoughts on how our industry has changed and the direction we are headed in.
Before giving his opinions, Roger Caracappa, executive vice president of global packaging at The Estée Lauder Companies, took time to read CPC Packaging’s very first issue. “Many of the topics dominating the market in 1996 are very similar to the priorities of today,” he says. Caracappa points out that skin care is the category in which he has seen the most packaging developments. “There is new demand for innovative packaging that supports new, advanced formulations, especially for cosmeceuticals and dermatologist brands. These categories have grown far beyond anyone’s expectations,” he says.
In terms of design, Duncan Paul, associate director of design for the personal beauty care division at P&G Beauty, feels that the focus of packaging has shifted from the product to the experience of using the product. “Ten years ago, a package was just a container. Now, it is a fundamental part of the experience of a brand.”
Jack Gonzalez, show director for Health & Beauty America (HBA), says we will continue to see packaging change and evolve during the next decade in order to accommodate a widening variety of new products. “The changes we have seen in dispensing mechanisms are incredible,” he says. Gonzalez gives an example: “We used to have to squeeze hair gel out of a tube. Now, you can spray it on.” This development happened thanks to advancements in pump mechanisms that can now accommodate higher-viscosity products. “Tremendous inroads have also been made by plastic suppliers and fragrance manufacturers,” he adds. “New materials are being developed, and many more types of plastics are being used for fragrance bottles.”
Perfumer and designer Christopher Brosius always finds it interesting to look back at how bottle designs for fragrances have changed. “Fragrance bottles reflect so much more about the style of the moment, yet they are still tailored to fit a brand’s image,” he says. “It will be interesting to see how current and future trends will translate in fragrance packaging over the next decade.”
Hana Zalzal, founder and president of Cargo Cosmetics, feels that packaging was a lot more homogenous in the past. “Now, it has become a lot more creatively designed,” she says. “Everyone is also becoming a lot more concerned about the environment.”
Paul agrees. “During the next 10 years, the idea of sustainable packaging will change dramatically. It will flip from being a niche trend to a mass one,” he says. This is one prediction we can all feel good about.