BOXED water?
So I recently added another product to my Packaging page (tab above). BOXED WATER.
Out of all the plastic bottles on a shelf, a carton of water like that would certainly stand out, and with the clean and bold font design, it is very identifiable.
Source (left to right): http://uncultured.com/tag/clean-water/; http://maryt.files.wordpress.com/2007/07/; http://packagingworld.blogspot.com/2010/04/boxed-water.html
In terms of storage, use, and consumption
Yes, boxed water carries water just as effectively as round plastic bottles do. It’s also just as easy, I would say, to drink out of one. However, I think a big difference is how easy it is to carry around. Especially if this were to be marketed in Vancouver. Given the trend towards being environmentally friendly, people have been gravitating towards using reusable water bottles more such as the Sigg ones. So many of the times when we buy plastic water bottles, it is for on the go use. We know, especially from the experiences of dropping one, that plastic water bottles are fairly durable. When we open our bags, we won’t be unpleasantly surprised by leakage from a hole in the bottle or rather a hole in my bag from a corner on the bottle. It may sound silly, but I wonder how well my bag and the Boxed Water would treat each other. Otherwise, I would have no other qualms choosing this over any plastic bottled water.
Retail-wise, the packaging will stand out amongst all the round plastic or glass bottles generally on the shelves. It’s just as easy to display, and likely much easier to pack, store, or transport. And in very bold clear letters, it also conveys the brand position as well information about the company and the package design. There are also cost efficiencies in the production: the cartons are folded when transported to the water source.
Price Sensitivity
At the same time however, there is an indirect substitute in buying reusable bottles. This as well as all the water bottles substitutes available out there are certain to increase price sensitivity, or in other words, price elasticity of demand for Boxed Water. Their site, unfortunately, does not indicate how much each carton generally costs, but I wonder if it is cheaper or more expensive than other packaged water.
Finally, a last, stray comment- what about a bamboo water holder? In the olden days, I believe some people used to use bamboo to carry their water.
March 16th, 2011 at 11:34 PM
also, most cup holders around us were designed for round cups and bottles!