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New pack keeps Sherbet firm’s sales fizzing
2010-11-09

Packaging News

 

New pack keeps Sherbet firm’s sales fizzing

 

 

 

Redesigning a well-loved pack isn’t a decision to be taken lightly, so when Tangerine Confectionery decided to update its most iconic brand, it invested heavily. And it paid off, finds Simeon Goldstein

 


For someone who grew up on Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, an invitation to visit a sweets factory was a golden opportunity. And it was in Pontefract, no less: the home of liquorice.
 

The name Tangerine Confectionery might not be on the tip of most people’s tongues, but its products certainly will be, as it is the manufacturer of a large number of favourite sugar-based products such as Butterkist popcorn and Barratt’s Sherbet Fountain.

 

Indeed, it was a decision to change the packaging of the Sherbet Fountain last year that brought vast media attention to the company. Replacing the iconic paper packaging with a reseal-able plastic tube, made by RPC Market Rasen and CCL Decorative Sleeves, has, however, proved to be a winner. UK sales are up by 20% and the firm has recently secured a deal to ship Sherbet Fountains to Australia, which simply would not have been possible with the previous format.

 

But, despite the tabloid uproar, group packaging development manager Des Healey says the decision was not taken on a whim. “You wouldn’t change such iconic packaging without being guided. We did some research and while people admitted that paper or card could get soggy and affect the texture, the fact was that it still had to be instantly recognisable as a Sherbet Fountain,” he says.

 

Custom kit


 

This was particularly important when it came to designing the reseal-able cap. “We tried several designs, but we couldn’t get the right look for the way the paper used to crease at the top of the old pack. We employed an artist to carve a model to reflect this, and when we were happy he progressed to 3D imaging and tooling,” says Healey.

 

But it is not just a question of moving a product to a new format. Tangerine has invested in bespoke equipment to fill and close the packaging, which results in less product being wasted. “We’ve also created an area to pack the Sherbet Fountains that is temperature- and humidity-controlled,” says Healey.

 

Packaging plays a huge role in  Tangerine’s efforts to ensure that the consumer gets its products in the right condition. As such, the firm regularly investigates the materials it uses. Currently, Tangerine uses a lot of plastic film, mostly polypropylene, but is examining how it could reduce the amount it uses by minimising gauges or switching to more recycled content or even bioplastics. “Sustainable materials are going to be a big theme for the future,” says Healey. “At the moment, cost is a barrier to bioplastics, and there’s also the weight issue. Using sustainable materials could add weight, which can add a negative message.”

 

Avoiding greenwash


 

Healey admits the environment is an important factor and thinks there is a danger in looking at single issues. He says there are positive and negative aspects to all packaging materials, depending on the context. Focusing on single issues risks providing consumers misleading information.

 

“People want to make a statement and hang their hat on a particular measure. In some cases that’s meaningful, but in others it’s not because the environment is a very complex issue,” says Healey. “Some of the public perception of packaging is that it’s bad and kills the planet. While we’re getting better at pushing the good things we do, there’s still a lot of work needed.”

 

The overriding message is that packaging has to be fit for purpose. As well as the environmental and production elements, there is also the issue of selling the brand, a fact that is underlined with another product from the Tangerine cupboard. Henry Goode’s soft eating liquorice was launched to take advantage of growing demand for that particular type of confectionery. It is perceived as a more premium product than the harder variety and the firm carried out research to ensure the pack fitted in with the target consumer. “A more conventional hanging bag wasn’t seen as the right home and the paper bag we’ve gone for gives the right impression for this product,” says Healey.

 

While there is perhaps more potential for fun packaging with sweets than other foods, there is also a connection to the consumer that baked beans simply do not have. Indeed, the uproar surrounding the new Sherbet Fountain packs is probably due to people’s childhood memories. But products move on, and so does packaging. “If you change something, you’re not going to please everybody, but the fact is, most of the feedback has been positive,” says Healey.

 


TANGERINE FACTFILE

• £150m turnover

• More than 1,500 staff

• Seven UK factories – head office in Blackpool

• Formerly owned by Danish firm Toms. UK operations bought out in 2006

•  Bought Burton’s Foods’ confectionery division and Monkhill Confectionery from Cadbury Schweppes in 2006

• Brands include Barratt Sherbet Fountain, Butterkist popcorn, Mojo and Princess Marshmallows, as well as retailer own-label products

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