Five ways brands can differentiate with cheese packaging

With the global cheese market expected to grow by $33.67 billion from 2021 to 2026, there is a huge opportunity for brands to offer consumers delicious, varied and more sustainable options.

But for cheese brands to make the most of this growth, and the shift in consumer shopping and eating habits during 2020, they’ll need to find ways to stand out on the supermarket shelf and online.

Here are five ways brands can use cheese packaging to differentiate.

1. Highlight provenance

In April 2020, new EU rules took effect requiring brands to label foods with the country of origin or place of provenance of their primary ingredients (before, it was more broadly the country of origin for the product as a whole).

While this is an important consideration for cheese manufacturers, highlighting a product’s provenance on cheese packaging is also a great way to connect with consumers concerned about where their food originates from and how it got to their table.

Indeed, a recent study of consumers across the UK, France and Germany found that packaging claims about nutrition and provenance got more attention than sensory-based claims like ‘great taste’.

For instance, soft cheese is a staple food in Europe – Camembert or Gorgonzola are perceived as icons and are true ambassadors of regional gastronomy. They are the result of complex manufacturing together with ancestral know-how delivering unique taste & pure moment of indulgence.

To reinforce trust into consumers who are becoming more visually driven, natural looking packaging will support brand’s needs to highlight their local authenticity. For example, Amcor's Matrix, the innovative, paraffin-free and recyclable paper-based packaging can be customized with the natural, authentic look of paper, conveying a sense of local tradition and handcraft.

2. Make it more sustainable

Amcor’s recent survey of more than 4,000 European participants found that shoppers are increasingly aware of the impact of their choices, with 83% checking on-pack instructions to know how to dispose of packaging.

Consumers care about sustainability and look for more sustainable packaging to help guide their purchasing decisions. Therefore, highlighting sustainability credentials on dairy packaging is a way for cheese brands to stand out from the competition.

Paper can make for an excellent, recyclable packaging choice when used appropriately. This is why we created Packpyrus, for sliced cheeses. It is a paper-based base-web derived from renewable sources. It naturally appeals to consumers looking for more environmentally sustainable packaging.

[Recommended read: Meet Packpyrus: Paper-based packaging for meat and cheese]

3. Focus on flavour

Offering consumers a unique flavor (or range of flavors) is another way of growing market share. Consumers today crave more adventurous flavors and more descriptive, branded products. According to Mintel data, cheese combined with flavors like chive & onion, truffle, dill & garlic, garlic & herb and chili pepper all saw significant increases over the last several years.

In April 2020, the brand Boursin released a curry and jalapeno-flavoured spread, with the aim of tapping into the growing demand for world flavors.

With one in five UK consumers eating more spicy food than five years ago, Bel UK (Bourin’s manufacturer) said the range created “a big opportunity to attract new users.”

Another brand that has used its cheese packaging as an opportunity to show off delicious flavors is Norseland with its Mexicana vegan cheese. It says its new packaging “better reflects its consumers’ zest for life and thirst for new experiences.”

4. Cater to convenience

According to a recent Mintel study, 81% of consumers say they would choose resealable packaging over non-resealable packaging, and more than half (54%) would pay more for packaging with added features such as being reclosable or providing portion control.

Resealable packaging means longer shelf life and an easier time saving snacks and edible items for later. One of the benefits of flexible food packaging such as stand-up pouches is that they can easily be designed to be reclosable.

This kind of packaging provides consumers greater peace of mind around food waste. They are able to retain the product in the original pack and not have to use additional plastic film, foil, bags or containers to maintain freshness and quality of the product.

While snacking has been on the rise for the last few years, the demand for a wider variety of “bite-sized” foods has increased in 2020.

Marcia Mogelonsky, director of insight for Mintel Food and Drink, says this is because of consumers’ desire for “something new, exciting and different, especially in 2020, a year of sameness with isolation and restriction replacing experiences and exposure to new flavors and textures in new retail or food service offerings.”

Cheese manufacturer Lactalis has tapped into at-home snacking and food on-the-go trends with its products Seriously Cheese Nuggets and Président Brie Bakes, and most recently with individually wrapped cheddar portions.

5. Be bright and bold

One thing is clear: for cheese brands to remain competitive, cheese packaging must be eye-catching on shelf. Brands like vegan cheese Flying Squirrel and Butlers make use of bright colors, while brands like Paiva and Pilgrim’s use dark, bold designs to grab shoppers’ attention.

Vegan cheese brand, Sheese, uses a unique, illustrative style and two colour printing on its non-dairy cheese packaging to appeal to new consumers and a younger market.

To find out more about how you can transform your cheese and dairy packaging, contact us and a member of our team will be in touch to discuss your options.