Here’s what NOT to do if you work in marketing:
Send gifts that collect dust.
You know the kind. A water bottle, a pen, maybe a branded notebook that ends up in a junk drawer somewhere.
Miu Miu did the opposite.
For their new fragrance launch, they added one simple thing to their PR kit: a branded microphone.
That’s it. Nothing flashy. Just something creators would actually use.
And it worked.
When influencers unboxed the package, they used the mic right there in the video. Then they kept using it in GRWMs, ASMR clips, voiceovers, everything.
So now, every time someone records content, that little Miu Miu mic keeps popping up in the frame.
No ad spend. No forced posting. Just smart design.
Because when you give people something genuinely useful, it doesn't end up in their junk drawer.
Miu Miu didn’t just send a PR box. They sent a content generator.
I post about marketing, connect with me (Brendan Cox) to stay in the loop.
#marketing#branding#socialmedia#influencermarketing#creative#prbox
The shape of things to come—from shrinking packaging to expanding possibilities.
Packaging, like a chameleon, continually evolves to meet the demands of brand owners and consumers.
Every year, countless innovations quietly refine materials and processes, often escaping notice—these subtle improvements, hidden within materials and processes, represent genuine progress within the industry.
Sustainability has undeniably taken the spotlight, spurring innovation as consumers, regulators, and brands increasingly acknowledge the environmental impact of packaging waste.
Innovation across the board aims to do more with less—less material, less energy, less water. It's about making packaging easier to recycle, reuse, and biodegrade.
We're all on a perpetual hunt for that elusive silver bullet solution, striving for the perfect balance between functionality and environmental responsibility.
This spurred Swedish research leader Innventia to team up with Anna Glansén and Hanna Billqvist from "Tomorrow Machine" to develop an intriguing solution for freeze-dried food.
At the core of their creation lies a patented cellulose-based composite material, combining plastic's versatility with eco-friendliness. Its compressibility is fascinating and promises cost-efficient shipping and reduced environmental footprint.
Pour warm liquid into the packaging, and things really start to get interesting...
Watch as the pack springs to life, shaping into a handy serving bowl, ready for your meal—this is more than science and design; it's a perfect blend of innovation and sustainability, elevating your dining experience while reducing waste.
Beyond science and design, it's a vivid reminder that innovation knows no boundaries. It's all about breaking free from the ordinary and forging unexpected connections.
Living proof that magic happens when science and design come together.
As for what lies ahead in the exciting world of sustainable design and packaging innovation, the answers are yet to be discovered. But one thing is clear—the journey ahead is full of untapped creativity and endless possibilities.
What's your take on this format—gimmick, or potential gamechanger?
#packagingdesign#productdesign#sustainablepackaging#sustainability#sustainabledesign
📷Anna Glansén/Hanna Billqvist
My car’s dikky was full of goodies.
Literally overflowing—with bags, bottles, T-shirts, organizers, pens, and more.
This was after attending a YourStory event last year.
And it made me wonder…
Why do businesses invest so much in giving away stuff for free?
After all, none of these were paid promotions. No strings attached.
Just pure brand generosity—or so it seems.
But here’s the real reason: Brand recall.
Think about it:
📌 That coffee mug on your desk?
You see the logo every morning.
📌 The tote bag you carry for groceries?
It’s a moving billboard.
📌 The notepad you scribble ideas in?
You remember the brand with every page.
It’s called physical touchpoint marketing—and it’s powerful.
Because even in a digital world, tangible experiences stick.
Here’s why it works:
1. Repetition builds memory – The more you see a brand, the more familiar it feels.
2. Association builds trust – Useful goodies create positive emotional connections.
3. Visibility multiplies reach – You’re not just using it. Others are seeing you use it.
These “freebies” aren’t just about generosity.
They’re a strategic investment in attention, trust, and top-of-mind recall.
So the next time you attend an event and walk out with goodies-
Know this: you didn’t just attend an event.
You became part of a brand’s long-term marketing play.
And trust me, if the goodies are useful—you won’t even mind.
𝐈𝐭'𝐬 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞, 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥, 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞, 𝐞𝐱𝐜𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭, 𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬, 𝐬𝐚𝐟𝐞𝐭𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐚�� 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐜𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐬 !
Glass, Wood, Paper, Plastic bags, Clothes, Ceramic and Clay, Cardboard were used earlier for packaging. But, the trend, design, need have been changed. Modern packaging have included materials like Biodegradable Paper Boxes, Glass Jars, Reusable Tin Boxes, Plant-based Packaging, Compostable Cutlery, Seaweed-based Packaging, Mason Jars etc.
Packaging In the Food delivery market, smart packaging is emerging as a game changer for food businesses, driving significant growth and enhancing customer loyalty. With platforms like Swiggy and Zomato serving millions of orders daily, consumers now expect more than just a hot meal—they’re looking for an immersive experience that starts the moment the food arrives. Innovative packaging not only helps businesses differentiate themselves but also allows them to justify premium pricing. Studies suggest that eco-conscious packaging leads to increased consumer trust, with sustainable brands seeing up to 20% higher retention rates.
As environmental concerns grow, particularly in countries like India, where plastic waste reaches over 9 million metric tons annually, companies are transitioning to eco-friendly alternatives. Brands like Pot Pot and Aflatoon have turned packaging into a strategic business asset by offering reusable containers and reducing plastic waste. The result? Enhanced customer experience and increased sales. Pot Pot, for example, delivers meals in reusable glass jars and cloth potlis, while Behrouz Biryani's metal handi dum biryani has become a talking point among customers.
With innovations like leak-proof paper boxes, interlocking designs, and even AR-enabled packaging, businesses are connecting with consumers in exciting new ways. Smart packaging isn’t just about the look—it’s about how brands communicate their values and build a lasting relationship with their customers. As more brands tap into these trends, it’s clear that the future of food delivery will be driven by sustainability, creativity, and customer engagement, making packaging as vital as the food itself.
#delivery#packaging#smartpacking#foodparcels#paperboxes#creativity#innovation#newtrends#design#fmcgindustry#customerexperience#foodpacking#businesscommunication#ecofriendly#sustainable
What if the packaging cooked away with the meal?
An algae-based edible film is being developed to dissolve completely during cooking, turning packaging from waste into part of the process.
A New York startup, NakedPak, is working on a food-grade film designed for dry and frozen foods such as pasta, rice, oats, ramen and vegetables.
Once placed in boiling water, the packaging disappears within minutes, leaving no residue and no impact on taste.
Before cooking, the film can even be rinsed under cold or warm water, much like washing fresh produce.
Rather than improving recyclability or compostability, this approach removes the disposal step altogether.
It's also more convenient.
The pack behaves more like a natural food skin than a traditional barrier.
It's edible, food-grade and compliant with international safety standards.
Biodegradable, compostable and microplastic-free.
There's a launch planned for mid-2026.
NakedPak is one of 10,959 packaging innovations on ThePackHub's Innovation Zone platform.
Edible and dissolvable packaging isn’t new. So what will decide whether this finally moves from concept to commercial success?
Would love to hear your thoughts.
#packaginginnovation#sustainablepackaging#InnovationZone#foodpackaging#packaging
A bag that disappears in water in minutes? 🛍️💧
That is the idea behind Solubag, a Chilean materials startup rethinking one of the most ordinary objects in our daily lives: the shopping bag.
Most packaging has been designed for convenience.
Use it. Carry it. Throw it away.
But the problem is that “away” does not really exist.
Plastic waste can remain in nature for decades or centuries, fragmenting into smaller and smaller particles. So the real innovation is not only making a “greener bag”.
It is changing the logic of the material itself.
↳ Solubag uses a water-soluble material based on polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and a limestone-derived formulation instead of conventional oil-based plastic.
↳ Some versions are designed to dissolve in cold water, while thicker reusable versions stay stable in rain and dissolve in hot water. 🌊
Why I find this interesting as a materials scientist:
✅ It challenges the assumption that packaging must be permanent
✅ It shows how material chemistry can redesign end-of-life
✅ It moves sustainability from “manage the waste” to “avoid persistent waste”
✅ It opens questions for retail, logistics, healthcare, food packaging, and circular systems
Of course, no material is a magic solution. Scalability, cost, regulation, real degradation conditions, and consumer behaviour all matter.
But this is exactly the kind of innovation we need more of:
↳ not just replacing one material with another, but questioning the whole design brief.
What if packaging was not designed to survive after its job was done?
#innovation#startups#textile#packaging#circulareconomy
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↳Follow me Dr Isil Top-Martinez for more content on startups, materials, and innovation.
↳Connect with me if you want to discuss emerging technologies and startup-corporate partnerships.
🚀 The Future of Packaging: From Disposable to Desirable
Every time you throw away packaging, you’re not just discarding cardboard or plastic…
👉 You might be throwing away potential.
The first time I saw this design, I smiled.
- Not because of its complexity, but because of its simplicity.
At first glance, it looked like an ordinary pack of colored pencils. A plain cardboard sleeve, nothing extraordinary.
But then — with a gentle pull and a few folds — the story changed.
- The pack transformed… into a desk-ready pencil holder.
Suddenly, packaging wasn’t packaging anymore.
- It was a product.
- It had a second life.
- And it earned its place on the consumer’s desk instead of in the trash.
That moment reminded me of the real power of packaging:
🌍 It can shape sustainable choices.
✨ It can spark delight through simple transformation.
💡 It can extend value far beyond the shelf.
🔄 And most importantly, it can shift our mindset — from disposable to desirable.
This brilliant concept, created by students at the Luxun Academy of Fine Arts and celebrated at The One Club’s Young Ones Student Awards, is more than a student project. It’s a glimpse into the future.
👉 Imagine if every pack told a story like this — not of waste, but of worth.
As packaging leaders, the challenge is clear:
🤔 Can we design packaging people want to keep, not throw away?
I’d love to hear your thoughts — what’s the most creative “second life” packaging you’ve seen or created?
#PackagingInnovation#DesignThinking#SustainableDesign#Unboxing#PackagingLeadership
What happens to the millions of tons of lignocellulosic biomass generated by the global agricultural industry every year? 🥥
As an Environmental Engineer, I spend a lot of time analyzing Life Cycle Assessments (LCAs), and I rarely look at discarded biomass as "trash." Instead, it is untapped structural potential waiting for the right mechanical process.
A perfect example of this waste-to-wealth engineering is the utilization of coconut husks (coir and pith) for biodegradable packaging in regions like Indonesia. 🔬
Here is the technical reality of why this matters for the future of materials:
⚙️ Mechanical Superiority: Coconut coir has an exceptionally high lignin content compared to other natural fibers. This makes it naturally water-resistant, rot-resistant, and highly resilient. When processed and thermoformed, it offers impact shock absorption that directly rivals expanded polystyrene (EPS/Styrofoam).
♻️ True Circularity: Unlike synthetic bioplastics that require virgin crops (like industrial corn) and intensive chemical processing, coconut packaging intercepts an existing agricultural byproduct. It prevents this waste from being openly burned or clogging waterways, solving two ecological crises simultaneously.
🌱 End-of-Life Reality: When bonded with natural starches rather than petroleum-based resins, these thermoformed containers don't require high-heat industrial facilities to break down. They are genuinely backyard-compostable, returning carbon and organic matter back to the soil microbiome.
Innovation in sustainable manufacturing isn't always about inventing a brand-new, complex polymer. Sometimes, it is about engineering better, smarter, and less extractive supply chains using the abundant, natural composites our planet already produces.
What are your thoughts on integrating raw agricultural byproducts into commercial packaging logistics? Let's discuss below. 👇
#SustainableEngineering#CircularEconomy#Biomaterials#WasteToWealth#EnvironmentalEngineering#PackagingInnovation
Some people say swag is fluff. I could not disagree more.
When swag is done well, it becomes an event strategy that multiple other strategies can build from.
I started thinking about this recently after I saw a post from Casey S. about a personalized swag activation that had people talking about their company at an industry event.
And shout out to Jenny Blaschke who can personalize anything. And I do mean anything. Including hot dogs. But I digress.
The point is not the personalization itself.
The point is what happens when the item, the experience, the operational plan and the audience all line up.
I have seen swag move mountains at events where companies I worked for were exhibiting.
And by mountains, I mean outcomes.
Create demand for a high value item that causes a line. Have your team work the line. Incentivize the right behaviors including capture of the conversations.
Reward the people who stood in line but did not win the high value item with something lower value, but still useful, like a great t-shirt (I swear at some events people collect their entire wardrobe in a matter of days).
That is strategy. That is not fluff or wasted money.
And it applies just as much to a company’s own hosted events.
The reason for this post is because I was reminded of the power of swag when I sat down for dinner tonight and pulled out a pair of Venetian branded wooden chopsticks.
I was given them at an event more than 22 years ago. I know this because I was not yet a mom. My son is now in university.
So yes, those chopsticks have been with me through babies, toddlers, teenagers, many dinners, multiple moves and a whole lot of life.
The logo is barely visible now. But I still know exactly where they came from.
I remember the event. I remember who gave them to me even - and although he’s long gone from the Venetian I reminded him of the chopsticks when we saw each other again in person only a few years ago.
And every time I use them, there is a tiny little brand memory attached to something incredibly ordinary.
Dinner. That is kind of wild when you think about it.
I have another example sitting on my kitchen counter right now.
A salt holder I was also given pre kids.
It used to sit on a branded wooden base, which has long since disappeared, because of course it has.
But the salt holder itself has survived every kitchen clean out, every move and every phase where I convinced myself I was finally going to declutter properly.
It still made the cut.
And I still remember who gave it to me and what company they worked for. Here’s looking at you, Jennifer Glynn.
That is the power of good swag.
It’s useful. It’s relevant. It creates a memory. It supports a business objective.
And most importantly, it gives your team something to activate around.
The best swag is not about putting your logo on something random and hoping people care.
It is about understanding the audience, the moment, the memory you want to create and the behaviour you want to drive.
So please, let’s stop dismissing swag as fluff. But let’s call poorly thought out swag what it actually is. A missed opportunity.
*Brazil Business Facilitator | Local Support & ‘Boots-on-the-Ground’ for International Companies in São Paulo 🇺🇸 🇨🇳 🇯🇵 🇩🇪 🇮🇳 🇬🇧 🇫🇷 🇮🇹 🇨🇦 🇷🇺 🇦🇺 🇪🇸 🇮🇩 🇸🇦 🇳🇱
Real innovation does not need to be complex, it needs to solve a real problem. Smart packaging does exactly that, it protects products better, reduces waste, and cuts shipping costs. This kind of solution creates space for a scalable business in Brazil, with direct impact on operations and the customer experience.
What caught my attention was the simplicity, a perforated cardboard box that is lightweight and adapts to the shape of the product, eliminating bubble wrap and foam. Less waste, fewer steps, and a more efficient logistics flow.
Even with its lightweight structure, it is resistant enough to ensure the product arrives safely without extra layers. This reduces damage rates and lowers the total cost of packaging and transportation.
Why is this such a big opportunity? Because the world is moving toward less waste and lower operational costs, and Brazilian e commerce can benefit a lot from solutions like this. For D2C brands, it becomes a clear competitive advantage.
There is also the opportunity to be an early mover, secure a supplier, run quick tests, and validate in high volume niches with small products.
Practical next steps, run a pilot with one or two small SKUs, measure damage rate, cost per order, and delivery NPS. Then negotiate with the supplier and adjust standard dimensions according to the product mix.
#Innovation#Logistics#Ecommerce#Sustainability#Packaging#Operations#Cost#CustomerExperience#Brazil#Startup#Efficiency#TestingAndLearning