IT’S ALL IN THE EYES: Tracking Eye Movements to Gauge Shopper Interest

Which packaging designs work and which don’t may be determined by science as much as creativity, according to findings from Quad Graphics’ Package Insight division. A recent WhatTheyTh!nk article examined how Packaging Insight helps companies understand the ways people shop and how they react to packaging.

The division studied participants’ eye movement in a retail setting to determine the time, in seconds, spent fixating on an item, when a product first enters a participant’s field of view until they fixate on it, the total number of times a product crosses a participant’s line of vision, and how many participants chose to buy the item.

A key takeaway from the research: Whether for craft beer, soda, or wine, the average shopper looks at a package for less than a second. Even if it’s only a fraction of a second, brands want to maximize every fraction they can. While two of the craft beers with “top attention” in the study had zero purchases, there is a correlation between the total fixation duration (TFD) and sales. After all, we tend to spend the most time looking at the product we intend to buy.

Storytelling is also important, and came in second in what participants expect to obtain from a craft beer package to help decide which beer to purchase. Many of the cans with the highest eye tracking also told the brand story up front. Hop Thing’s can, which has an eye-catching design, also tells the brand story right on the front—“New England Style Double Dry Hopped India Pale Ale.”

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Participants looked at brands in PakTech holders with bright, simple graphics the longest.

Nearly 75% also indicated that the packaging design had a positive influence on their purchase decision (the design made them want the beer more).

INX INTERNATIONAL Opens Metal Decorating Ink Plant in Mexico

INX is expanding once again with a new ink manufacturing plant being built in Mexico that will strengthen our operations in the region.

Located in the city of Querétaro, 120 miles from Mexico City, the new plant has 33,000 square feet of space to warehouse several product lines, and has a planned capacity to produce metal decorating inks.

Leased at the beginning of 2022, the plant is equipped with racks, offices, and all necessary equipment and systems to support successful operations in the latter part of 2023.

ALUMINUM CAN MARKET to Grow to $76 Billion by 2030

The aluminum can market is expected to grow worldwide to approximately $76 billion by 2030, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4.5 percent between 2022 and 2030, according to a new report from Custom Market Insights, a market research and advisory company. Pegged at $53.3 billion in 2021, the market shows increased consumption of various types of beverages, which will contribute to growth.

Increasing demand for sustainable packaging options is boosting the market. The report notes that aluminum cans are economical and easily recycled. Scrap collectors emerged as a major collection source where aluminum cans are gathered and then sent for the process of recycling.

Upcoming Industry Events

—See you there!

MAY 7-10

CRAFT BREWERS CONFERENCE & BREW EXPO craftbrewersconference.com

Nashville, Tenn.

Delivers brewing education and idea sharing to improve brewery quality and performance.

MAY 2-6

METPACK 2023

Messe Essen, Germany www.metpack.de

The world's leading trade fair for metal packaging will gather more than 300 exhibitors and 7,000+ visitors in search of innovative metal packaging solutions.

SEPT. 26-28

INTERNATIONAL METAL DECORATING AND PACKAGING ASSOCIATION (IMDPA)

2023

Eaglewood Resort, Itasca, Ill.

MAY 4-10

INTERPACK 2023

Düsseldorf, Germany interpack.com

The top trade and packaging fair, sponsored by Messe Dusseldorf, affords the entire value chain with innovations in one location.

The two-day conference promotes the interests of metal decorators, canmakers, designers, and trade suppliers involved in metal decorating and packaging. metaldecorators.org