Packaging industry leaders get wrapped up in CBi presentation

Attendees at the invitation-only annual gathering for the packaging industry on August 25 in Shanghai included delegates from Nestle, Unilever, Kraft, Metro, Walmart, Coca Cola, Pfizer, Wahaha, Shuanghui and Yurun, all of whom had a chance to hear CBi's insights into the challenges and opportunities for packaging designers in China.

CBi founder Cathy Huang delivered the presentation, which distilled the fruits of an intensive period of research carried out by the Shanghai-based innovation and design strategy firm into the kind of packaging that appeals to the evolving and disparate tastes of Chinese consumers.

How Chinese consumers define "value" was broken down to help delegates view their products through the eyes of the local market.

Key concepts were then introduced, such as guanxi, face and collective individualism, and how to integrate them into an effective plan for capturing the attention of both the older and younger generations. These concepts were then illustrated with an in-depth examination of a soft drink brand, and how it had realigned its packaging design to tap into the unique factors that power product choice in China.

A clear message of the presentation was how Chinese consumers have become more savvy, to the point where brands can no longer rely on the fact that they are foreign to attract buyers.

As Cathy herself said: "In today's Chinese market, western value paradigms are becoming invalid. We must localize global strategies to tailor-fit our market. As the manufacturing quality gap rapidly closes, foreign brands must study this new, dynamic and vibrant consumer market in order to stay ahead. More and more often, we see the value of Chinese-specific insights, made by Chinese for Chinese."