Ohio grocery brand Kroger recently turned heads in the grocery world by hosting a first-of-its-kind Natural Innovation Summit at its headquarters in Cincinnati.

The summit is a new food marketing strategy that brought more than 50 natural food brands directly to Kroger category managers as part of a larger set of the grocery chain’s initiatives to integrate more natural foods into its stores.

Innovation is a key part of any brand’s success, especially now, as the world moves toward a more complex, global marketplace that demands sustainability from companies of all kinds.

Product packaging is just one facet that companies looking to stay current will need to consider as they navigate consumers' rapidly changing expectations. Buyers today demand packaging that is convenient, eco-friendly and well-designed, which means some traditional packaging methods are starting to look more problematic than they are practical.

There’s no doubt the cannabis market is currently experiencing a major boom, which is set to continue to the tune of around 20 percent per year.

Every day, brands across the country are leveraging social media to build connections and increase sales.

The power of social media is undeniable, as it gives companies the ability to reach thousands of people at the push of a button. But what does this have to do with protective packaging?

From Twitter to Pinterest, opportunities for marketing your custom stand up bags are around every corner. Consumers are enamored with the next best thing, and news of the hot and trending is easily found on one (or more) social media platforms.

And when your packaging is hot and trending on social media, it increases your chances of boosting sales.

Now do we have your attention?

We understand that this is easier said than done. So, how can a company successfully connect with consumers via social media through the powers of protective packaging like custom stand up pouches?

Let’s discuss the strategies.

How much can product packaging designs affect the success of an item’s following in the marketplace?

A look at the recent success of La Croix’s drink packaging, a now fashionable but once rather obscure soft drink from the Midwest, offers some valuable insights into how to approach food and beverage marketing in the digital age.

As consumers push for more sustainable options in the marketplace, some have proclaimed the “end of packaging” is near.

However, not all objects are as conveniently self-packaged as bananas and coconuts. While in the future we will certainly need more sustainable packaging with innovative new design solutions, packaging is far from obsolete. To better understand why packaging is necessary, we must first consider what major purposes it serves:

When you hear the word “Velcro,” confectionaries are not likely to be the first thing to enter your mind.

But in an era of more flexible packaging and innovative design, Velcro is venturing out of the clothes closet and into the pantry with some fresh, unique candy packaging applications.

Gluten-free foods were once hard to find, but these days it is common to see a multitude of gluten-free products in your neighborhood grocery store.

The prominent vegetable brand Green Giant recently introduced a groundbreaking new flexible frozen food packaging solution to house their latest food product: veggie spirals.

The first-of-its-kind proprietary packaging solution, which is currently exclusive to frozen cut vegetable products in North America, is a huge innovation in packaging design for frozen food products.

The Korean skincare craze has been going strong in America since 2011, when the introduction of BB creams (a foundation with added anti-aging and hydrating benefits plus SPF) to U.S. markets sparked U.S. consumers’ curiosity in Korean beauty products of all kinds.

A single product that had been popular in Korean markets for more than five years entered the American mainstream and launched a whole new area of the beauty industry centered entirely around skin products from Korea.