While the consumer demand for protein has been growing exponentially, the number of protein powder products is keeping up, with scores of new brands entering the market every year. Protein powder sales grew 54% between 2011 and 2016, according to Nutrition Business Journal data, but the number of new protein products has grown at nearly the same rate. In an industry with so many options, how can one brand stand out against any other?
Some brands are turning to packaging revamps as a way to stand out in the crowd. Many brands have begun providing alternative serving methods to the standard bulk container of protein powder. Single serve packets are a popular new design: they provide convenient, mess free protein powder for those on the go. These are easy to stick in a gym bag or purse and keep to mix at the gym, work, or while traveling.
Premixed drinks provide another convenient, portable protein serving. These often don’t require refrigeration, making them easy to travel with, through bulkier than powder packets.
One brand has been leading the way in innovating lid technology to provide more accessible, easy to open protein containers. Large, bulk protein containers often have lids that are difficult for small-handed people or those with arthritis. They outfitted their new line of protein with a flip-top lid with a scoop holder.
Another brand has taken this a step forward and provided an easy-to-open solution to the well known issue of having to dig through powder to find the scoop that shifts during shipping. Their new packaging now includes a flip-top lid in their new protein package designs that are joined by a collapsible spoon adjoined to the lid that snaps off and on for easy usage.
While these may seem like minor changes in the world of protein, smart packaging can sometimes be what makes a difference in the life of a company. Packaging that is not user-friendly can leave customers feeling frustrated and dissatisfied, even if the product itself is a good product.
Along with user-friendly attributes, packaging should remain eye-catching, yet sophisticated and professional in its design. Packaging is the first introduction a customer has to the brand and can be the difference in earning a customer for life, or being passed over for a brand with better packaging.
These new developments in packaging may be the beginning of a new trend in the protein industry. We may soon see even more packaging innovations that are yet to be discovered that will change the way protein powder is preferred. Protein brands should keep watch of the current trends and new developments to stay ahead in the game.
