We’re a few months into 2016 now. The groundhog wasn’t scared by its shadow, the presidential campaign is full speed ahead, and Leonardo DiCaprio finally won that Oscar for Best Actor.

New year, new opportunities to re-brand, re-strategize, and re-assess what your consumers see on shelf. With the new year at AWT, we’re noticing some trends emerging and old ideas being refreshed when it comes to labels and packaging. Here are the top three trends we’ve experienced so far in 2016.

1. Seeing is Believing

Want to show your product’s true point of differentiation? In 2016, packaging is trending towards authenticity and honesty, which means providing a peek at what exactly is in that wrapper. This is especially true in the food industry. See-through packaging is becoming increasingly popular as health-conscious consumers want a glimpse at what they’ll be eating before a purchase is made.

2. Simply Simple

Take a look at luxury brands. Notice anything similar in their designs? That’s right, it’s a movement towards simplicity. Both designs, messaging, and package structures are being pared down and streamlined. This provides the brands with clarity of purpose, limits confusion, and creates an overall classic design consumers are sure to spot on-shelf.

3. Make It for Me

Image from: http://www.wzyp.com/2015/06/12/share-a-coke-and-be-a-winner-this-summer/

Whether a product is personalized—such as the Share a Coke campaign—designated for “use occasion”—single serve versus dinner-for-two—or Limited Edition, the notion that a product is designed and packaged specifically with the consumer in mind is more important now than ever. According to one study, 1 in 5 millennials seek custom or personalized packaging. With websites such as KickStarter and customization capabilities such as NIKEiD, 2016 consumers want to feel like they have a say and a stake in what products are created. For labels and packaging, this may mean doing smaller batch runs on digital presses for limited edition items, or having multiple designs printed for the same product targeting different audiences.

Looking for more ways to keep your packaging up to date on 2016 trends? Check out our website www.awtlabelpack.com or give us a call at 612-706-3700. We’re happy to help ideate!