The first draft of my CTS pre- dissertation essay, which I will return to and make any neccessary ammendments to over the next couple of days before the essay deadline and hand in on Monday 23rd January.
“How has evolving global and environmental
awareness in contemporary society affected sustainable design within the
food industry?”
The
last ten years in global society have seen great change, growth, and upheaval-
be it economically, socially, or psychologically, but- perhaps most evident in
these behavioural mannerisms is the new millennium of environmental awareness-
a behavior that has swept across the globe- in what some may perceive to be an necessary,
fundamental manner, others perhaps more influenced by guilt from politics and
the media. From council campaigns to Nobel Peace Prize winner (and former
Presidential candidate) Al Gore’s 2006 documentary, ‘An Inconvenient Truth’,
which highlighted and campaigned to bring awareness about the threats of global
warming on our planet. From every day awareness and increased energy
efficiency, to actively purchase sustainable or recyclable goods- the past ten
years have seen a great shift in the responsibility felt by consumers.
One
sector, which has particularly evolved to meet the standards of the decade’s
desires for sustainability and environmental needs, is the food industry- both
the branding and identity of a company, along with packaging design (which work
alongside one another in terms of visual communication)
- “People
are increasing concerned about their impact on the environment and the
conditions under which the goods that they have purchased have been produced”
(Ambrose, A & Harris, P, 2011, p. 172).
The
role of packaging, and graphic designers as visual communicators, has become more
important than ever- to establish the brand and identity to appeal not only to
those whom become a company’s customers, but also the impulse or needs-based
consumer. The role of the designer, and the company themselves, is to deliver a
promise of the brand in it’s ethos, it’s personality, and increasingly so, in
this past decade, as aforementioned, it’s sustainability credentials. In a
market of ever-increasing numbers of products with the promise of
environmentally- friendly packaging and ethically- sourced goods, brands strive
to meet appropriate, on-trend, or current consumer mind-set, and to be the one
product on the shelf that stands out as unique, the “need-to-buy” product.
“The successful development of an attractive
brand personality can differentiate a product from its competitors,
particularly in the highly competitive food sector where brands compete with
generic, ‘me-too’ products, own brands and national brands. Brand personalities
are developed to help establish a bond of trust with consumers and have the
ability to transform a product into something that people develop an emotional
relationship towards…” (Ambrose, A & Harris, P, 2011,
p. 112).
However
organically or naturally we aim to purchase products, packaging is an
inevitable addition in supermarkets and chain store food and drink retailers-
be in vacuum-packed fruit, or plastic bottles- packaging is a need in product
distribution for securing and preventing damage to the product itself. To be
truly sustainable companies would not produce packaging for it’s products,
however, as previously mentioned, this is near unavoidable- and would also
damage the brand’s identity on a commercial scale for the recognition of it’s
company amongst the other goods in which it competes, for which branding is a
necessity.
Along
with the developments in aesthetic design and branding, print considerations
are now perceived as a far greater priority with consumers than ever before.
“The ethics of packaging concerns both what packaging is made from, and the
statements that it makes about the products that we buy” (Ambrose, A &
Harris, P, 2011, p. 190). Many brands now competing in the “sustainable” market
now actively re-brand or sought materials that are environmentally- friendly,
biodegradable, and recyclable- one of the key “buzzwords” of the past decade.
The pressured demands of innovation are prominent in contemporary packaging
design- ensuring that it serves its purpose as both a protection and
communication tool as well as reducing it’s impact (in production) upon the
environment.
“Consumer markets are becoming
increasingly aware of the social, environmental, and personal implications of
their purchasing decisions. Research carried out by ES Magazine in 2000 shows
that a massive 75% of customers claim to favour products with tangible
environmental advantages over competitive products” (Chapman, J, 2005, p. 7).
In the
hierarchy of waste diagram (featured in the publication ‘Packaging the Brand’,
Ambrose, A & Harris, P, 2011, p.187) the possibilities for companies and
their packaging design is displayed in a triangular diagram from least
preferable to the most preferable options in dealing with the waste production
of their products: “Disposal- Energy Recovery- Recycling- Reuse- Minimisation-
Prevention.” Although the production of packaging may be unavoidable, many
companies now strive to prevent over-packaging goods, or, at the most primitive
level, to produce packaging which is recyclable- to reuse the energy used to
create the design, and to meets the needs of it’s increasingly environmentally-
aware market.
“Pollution problems and ecological threats
were first recognized during the sixties and seventies were often solved with
quick “technological fixes”. Now, a decade or two later, we have realized that
many of the solutions only masked and intensified the problems” (Papanek, V,
1985, p. 253).
The
development of environmental and sustainable packaging has become particularly
evident in the past decade- perhaps now due to technological advancements of
product and packaging design, the development of new materials such as the
promotion and introduction of the aseptically processed ‘Tetra Pak’ design, in
which
“Cartons protect taste and nutritional
content with three basic materials that work together to produce very
efficient, safe, and light-weight package…paper…polyethylene…aluminum”, (Aseptic Solutions, 2012, http://www.tetrapak.com/us/packaging/aseptic_solutions/pages/default.aspx),
now available
to recycle throughout many council borough locations in the United Kingdom, as
well as the development of natural dyes used in the printing process- reducing
landfill waste, and, therefore, being more “environmentally friendly”- it is
the entire process of re-design that increases the sustainability credentials
of a company, to work with natural materials to ensure the lowest possible
rates of waste pollution and disposal, “sustainability is not about one limited
range of thought or interaction. Instead, it is a holistic attempt to mimic the
best behaviours or the natural environment” (Boylston, S, 2009, p. 36).
However,
it is not only the companies that now face responsibility for the growth and
development of sustainability within their packaging and waste disposal
responsibilities. With the increased pressure of global and environmental
awareness, consumers themselves face responsibilities- advertised from
Government campaigns, council schemes, “You may be referred to as a consumer,
but there is very little that you actually consume- some food, some liquids.
Everything else is designed for you to throw away when you’re finished with it”
(McDonough, W & Braungart, M, 2000, p.27). Not only do companies within the
food industry have the responsibility of their own environmental conscience,
but now that of the consumer also- as a way to promote their brand as well as
to make it function easily as recyclable product- ensuring that consumers way
of life is effected and disturbed as little as possible, whilst still
maintaining their manifested feelings of altruistic tendencies.
One
company in the food industry that has been particularly prevalent in the past
decade is the ‘Innocent’ brand. Founded in 1999 with it’s first year turnover
at a modest £200,000, in just eight years the annual turnover grew to £114
million (Innocent
drinks : join the family. 2012. innocent
drinks : join the family, http://www.innocentdrinks.co.uk/AGM/annual_report/).
An
undoubted commercial success, Innocent’s popularity has grown in a time of
cultural change and development in both health and sustainability awareness-
tapping into consumer need and consciousness- not only developing a brand to
meet the environmental and sociological changes, but an optimistic, refreshing
outlook and approach to business-
"Before I even stepped through the
door of Fruit Towers I liked the feel of this company; not from the sweeping
success story that the company has evidently been but from all of my
communications from 'fellow fruiters' in setting up the interview. In today's
rather overly PC professional world, it was lovely to receive; it made me
smile, it reminded me I was human and also said, we can be professional but we
can also be fun…” (The City Magazine, 2010, innocent
drinks : press. http://www.innocentdrinks.co.uk/press/press_clippings/)
In
the case of the Innocent brand, meeting the needs of sustainable awareness
within consumers was never enough- and their consequent branding and promotion
has led to one of the most successful company start-ups of the past decade-
along with their sustainable packaging, they create the notion of a
“sustainable lifestyle”, to engage and interact with it’s customers, adapting
and utilizing new technologies such as social networking sites- a fantastic
tool for self-promotion with customers in a new age of sustainability. This
technology has provided them with a means of interactive communication-
providing low-cost (and subtle) advertising and promotion for the company, as
well as being able to keep costs low in terms of materials (where key information
from their online sources may have otherwise of had to have been printed on
their product packaging).
In
Innocent’s published book ‘A book about Innocent: Our story & some things
we’ve learned’ (Germain, D & Reed, R, 2009, p. 166-169) they discuss the brand’s
“mission statement” in the form of a five point plan : “… 1. Make it healthy…
2. Use responsible ingredients…3. Develop sustainable packaging… 4. Become a
resource- efficient business… 5. Share the profits…”- five distinct points
which have helped the brand become as established in the food and drinks
industry as it is now more than a decade on from it’s establishment.
The
two key elements of Innocent’s sustainability and branding success can be found
within it’s two key ambitions, first- to use both ethically sourced packaging
materials (as well as their ingredients), and secondly- to actively pursue
their ambitions for profit sharing, and charity support.
In
regards to it’s use of sustainable and environmentally-friendly packaging
materials, the Innocent website states:
“We've done lots to make our packaging
better. We've been pioneering the use of food grade recycled plastic in our
little bottles since 2003, in 2009 we saved over 300 tonnes of packaging by
making things lighter, and all our Kids cartons and our 750ml cartons are now
made from 100% Forest Stewardship Council certified material.” (Innocent
drinks: all about us, 2012,
The company are (currently) actively using recyclable materials within their packaging designs such as Cartonboard, PET (Polyethylene terephthalate), HDPE (High-density polyethylene), PP (Polypropylene), etc, all of which support their ambitions of a sustainable future in packaging design.
Since founding the Innocent brand the company has shown significant evidence that sustainable design is about more than just packaging and recyclable materials, but creating a brand that people “buy into”, that people support and, in the case of Innocent, a brand in which they can “join the family”- and feel as if they can truly make a difference, be it on a bold, profound level or a subtle, day-to-day change to an individual’s way of life- it is design in both visual communication and environmental awareness on part of both the company and the Graphic Designer which makes a sustainable brand. “Graphic design is a powerful tool because it is crucial in the communication of messages. It has a role in the persuading, educating, and delighting others…design can make you think and smile…” (Roberts, L, 2006, p. 192), and that is perhaps Innocent’s key to success- that “design can make you think and smile”. The company maintain their ethically- sourced approach to their business throughout an association and developed relationship with the Rainforest Alliance certification scheme, which helps to campaign against deforestation and to promote global environmental awareness in ecological support and sustainability, supported by statistics such as: “The Rainforest Alliance estimates that 40 hectares (100 acres) of tropical rainforest are lost every minute” (Boylston, S, 2009, p. 31). The scheme covers a great deal of their product ranges (not all fruits used in their products are currently covered by the Rainforest Alliance certification territory), along with the ‘Innocent Foundation’ charity, founded by the company itself, where their fruit is primarily sourced, and to which the a majority of their 10% profit share is donated to help support farmers and suppliers globally with crop growth and land development.
Including with the Innocent Foundation, the brand works alongside, and has created many other charity events, including ‘Taste Not Waste’ (where fruit is recycled into smoothies at school workshops and similar events), ‘Buy one get one bee’ (where purchasing a special edition lemon, honey and ginger smoothie helps fund the introduction of more bees into the UK), and, most famously, ‘The Big Knit’- a scheme which, once again, promotes itself to actively engage the product’s consumers with charity-based events which help to promote one of the company’s core aims in which they “consider active participation another important facet of maintaining a good relationship with our customers” (Germain, D & Reed, R, 2009, p. 194). To Innocent, developing relationships with it’s consumers is the first step to sustainability- to promote it’s products, and consequently to help support charities, and the methods of recycling and re-development of it’s packaging design for a more environmentally- committed future.
Most
importantly, perhaps, is the tone of voice in which the brand’s sustainability
ambitions and awareness is spread- “humour has been used as a learning aid for
a very long time and is used in advertising to establish a connection with
people” (Ambrose, A & Harris, P, 2011, p. 118), as is the case with
Innocent, in it’s playful, tongue-in-cheek illustrative style of design, it’s
use of language, and, of course, it’s charities.
All
too often messages of, and campaigns to promote environmental awareness- the
affects of deforestation and ecological threats, are presented in a somewhat
pessimistic or patronizing manner- a way to evoke the “shock factor” though
stark images of the results of global warming in Al Gore’s (previously
mentioned) documentary ‘An Inconvenient Truth’, or a “punishment” enforced upon
residents by local councils for those unwilling or unable to meet their
standards in sustainable living and waste disposal measures, but these effects
rarely last- becoming built into the consumer psychology, and, over time,
loosing the “shock factor” to become another mundane, repetitive demand or
order.
The
success or failure of a company is hugely dependent on it’s brand and identity-
what it stands for, and the projected vision and goals it’s company maintains-
through message and media, promotion, and, of course, it’s endorsement of
sustainable packaging and methods of product development.
Throughout
the last ten years, an increasing number of products and companies within the
food industry have competed within the difficult, over- crowded market with the
promise of sustainable packaging and ethically- sourced and produced products.
However, this alone is not enough- society has changed, it demands more-
companies must work harder to tap into consumer psyche in a positive,
productive, and aspiration way- to create an ambition and inspiration for
change- to see longevity for not only their brand, and their range of products,
but for the longevity of a sustainable future into the research, development
and utilization of sustainable materials in both the food and drinks industry,
and, most profoundly, within packaging design.
***
APPENDIX
//PRINTED
PUBLICATION
- Ambrose, A & Harris, P
(2011), ‘Packaging the Brand’, Lausanne, AVA Publishing
- Chapman, J (2005), ‘Emotionally
Durable Design’, London/Washington, Earthscan.
- Papanek, V (1985), ‘Design for
the real world’, London, Thames & Hudson.
- McDonough, W & Braungart, M
(2000), ‘Cradle to Cradle’, New York, North Point Press.
- Boylston, S (2009), ‘Designing
Sustainable Packaging’, London, Laurence and King Publishing Ltd.
- Germain, D & Reed, R
(2009), ‘A book about Innocent: Our story & some things we’ve learned’,
London, Penguin Books Ltd.
//ONLINE
RESOURCES
- Aseptic Solutions (2012). [ONLINE]
Available at: http://www.tetrapak.com/us/packaging/aseptic_solutions/pages/default.aspx.
[Accessed 15 January 2012].
- Innocent drinks : join the family.
2012. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.innocentdrinks.co.uk/AGM/annual_report/.
[Accessed 15 January 2012].
- Innocent drinks : press. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.innocentdrinks.co.uk/press/press_clippings/.
[Accessed 15 January 2012].
- Innocent drinks : all about us. 2012.
[ONLINE] Available at: http://www.innocentdrinks.co.uk/us/ethics/sustainable_packaging/recycling/.
[Accessed 15 January 2012].
No comments:
Post a Comment