MMR urges packaging sector to listen more to consumers, especially on sustainability, at Packaging Innovations 2013
MMR Research Worldwide (MMR), a specialist consumer research agency is welcoming brand owners and packaging manufacturers to its stand G49 at Packaging Innovations 2013 (February 27-28; NEC, Birmingham). Central to the company’s approach is the belief that consumer research should be carried out at the earliest stage of packaging innovation to eliminate guesswork and avoiding flawed concepts causing unwanted surprises at launch. This message will be communicated through a series of presentations at the show, led by MMR’s associate director; packaging and design, Stergios Bititsios and co-delivered with clients ASDA and Warburtons. Bititsios will also be speaking on the controversial topic of sustainable packaging. Guests to the show can learn about the agency’s latest research at a presentation and as part of the event’s “Big Packaging Debate.” MMR is speaking at the following events:
Learn Shops
28th February, 10:30- 11:00, International Brand Summit: Revitalising a premium brand: the contribution of consumer-centric design research to sales uplift
Bititsios will present MMR’s work with supermarket giant ASDA and the re-launch of the supermarket’s premium food brand, Extra Special. The session will discuss how time and money were saved by involving consumers early in the design process and how empathy and co-creation can generate accurate and high quality directional insights.
28th February, 11:45- 12:15, International Brand Summit: Placing consumers at the heart of packaging innovation: Learnings from the bakery category
Together with Emma Thomas, R&D manager of packaging at Warburtons, Bititsios will begin by discussing how, within the low involvement category of bakery, packaging has not been given much attention. But, as Warburtons has come to learn through its work with MMR, packaging is gradually coming to the fore as consumers become savvier about what goes into the brands and products they buy, and more skilled in articulating their needs and desires.
The session, will then discuss how engineering functional and emotional equities into packaging can encourage brand loyalty, and outline the many business benefits associated with developing consonance between brand, product and packaging.
Presentation: ‘Packaging Sustainability: Why consumers’ preference shouldn’t be overlooked’
27th February, 1:30pm, EcoPack Learn Shop area
Sustainability is a big priority for the packaging industry, but MMR’s research reveals that consumers aren’t interested in paying more for it. “Although environmental attributes are on consumers’ radars nowadays, our research indicates that they’re not yet prepared to trade other values off for ‘greener’ packaging,” says Bititsios. “Moreover, consumers do not expect to find their favourite brands sacrificing quality over eco-friendliness. Aligning corporate social responsibility with consumers’ real needs is the solution to maintaining a brand’s key equities whilst improving its green credentials.”
Panel debate: ‘Consumers don’t buy sustainable packaging’
27th February, 3:30pm, International Brand Summit area
With more to say on the topic of sustainable packaging, Bititsios joins ‘The Big Packaging Debate’ at this year’s conference, chaired by Kevin Vyse, managing director of IoPP UK. Bititsios will join fellow panelists from both the media and industry, lending his expertise to the debate as to whether consumers make conscious purchasing decisions based on the degree to which a pack is sustainable.
More information regarding MMR’s involvement at the conference can be found here:
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About MMR Research Worldwide
MMR Research Worldwide (MMR) is a leading research partner for food, drink, and household and personal care companies with offices in the UK, USA, Singapore and China. With profound expertise in sensory research, product testing, packaging innovation, NPD and emotion-based research, MMR provides innovative, creative and scientifically-robust research and is a trusted advisor on all product, brand and packaging strategy decisions. MMR’s clients have access to a variety of unique proprietary research assets including Brandphonics® – an approach to identify what influences consumer choice – and in-house sensory facilities. MMR is part of the MMR Group which is a privately-owned research company employing in excess of 130 people. Founded in 1989 by Professor David Thomson, the Group is headquartered in Oxfordshire, UK. www.mmr-research.com.
Shortlisted as Best Agency with a turnover under £20million in Research Magazine’s Research Awards 2012.
Press Enquiries
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